Customer Reviews

Married Women Who Love Women

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Married with 5 kids, (the two youngest just adopted), I fell in love with this woman... Having a difficult time with my parents accepting my adopted girls... and then, being driven out of the closet by my husband... being threaten by my parents, brothers and ex to loose custody of my kids, I was between hell and heaven beliving I was the only crazy mother going through this... then this book came into my life... it became an embrace... the only shoulder to cry on, my mirrow... where things got into perspective, and I could breath and take a break at last... This book, with all those women sharing deep feelings, became my only support.
I gave it to my mom... she teared it appart as soon as she got it... I bought it again... and lost it (think it was my ex who desapered it)... I bought it once again... an it has remain by my side since.
Being divorced for 5 years now, out to my kids, over two lesbian relationships, this book is still my companion, for I read it to gain more undertanding of myself, and I keep hopping I will find someone to love, someone to become a family whith.
I'm mexican, I live in México city, and still, I was totally reflected in this book.
I'm working in a book of my own so mexican voices can be heard too, and it is obviously dedicated to Carren Strock, for taking the chance, the time, the self imposed dedication... to bring a light to those like her, like me... I'm still crying for what a gift she gave to me, to the world.
I Thank her, for my life is now as wonderfull as It only could get if I stood up to myself, and I would never have done that, if not for the hundred voices that talked to me though this book.

This book was medicine to me - it calmed me down in a period of crisis. It is WELL written and helped me understand how other married women have explored and responded to their attraction to women. I couldn't wait for it to arrive, was too frightened to look at it when I finally had it in my hands, then couldn't put it down when I opened to page one. What a comfort to know I'm not alone. I think of the women in crisis who need this book - and hope they find their way to it.

With this book, Carren Strock brings one of the least visible segments of society into view: those for whom the book is named. By sharing openly and honestly her own experiences and those of a wide cross-section of women who are or have been married to men but love women, she shows the myriad ways these women, their families and lovers live this reality for which no societal guidelines or examples exist, and no serious discussion was available before the publication of this book. As for this reader, finding and reading this book, and sharing it with my husband, honestly saved my sanity if not my life.

Carren's book tells a story rarely told--of married women who discover an attraction to other women. Told with rare insight from the unique insiders perspective, this book chronicles the true stories of many women who have undergone this earthshaking transition in their own lives, and have found a wide variety of coping mechanisms. I recommend this book not only to women questioning their own sexuality but also for anyone wanting to understand both the coming out process and the intricate mechanisms of hetereosexual privilege at work in everyday lives. This book is a rare achievement; a beautifully constructed and deeply moving work.

As a lesbian loving a straight women I wanted to "try" to gain a better understanding of where she was coming from. The book is insightful and certainly gave me many things to think about. The author has done a wonderful job in presenting situations for anyone to ponder. Although there are many clinical insertions she presents them in an understandable fashion. A must read for MWLW. While the journey for MWLW is painful remember being whole is the reward.

This book is poignant and moving. It tells a womans real life story about discovering her sexuality - and also it tell other womens stories too. All of them Married Women who Love Women. It is a book which brings courage and strength to women who are in heterosexual relationships and yet who also love women. It reminds us that we are not alone, that others are there and have been there and survive. Any married woman who has ever looked admiringly at another woman should read this book - it may tell YOUR story.

If this book was supposed to be about married women who, after getting married, realize their feelings for other women and proceed to either get divorced or have a female lover while staying married, maybe it would have had some value. However, according to the back of the book, it was supposed to be about married women who are ATTRACTED to women - not just those actually involved with women. I'm a soon-to-be married woman who's attracted to women (I'm bisexual), and when I saw this book I was really interested. Unfortunately, it has absolutely nothing to do with my life.

Are you a married woman attracted to women who wants to have a monogamous relationship with your husband, while still acknowledging that you're not heterosexual? Not an option, in the author's mind. You've got two choices: you get divorced, or you start having sex with a woman, never mind the fact that your husband presumably married you expecting a monogamous relationship. She also never mentions women who know they're bisexual when they get married. My boyfriend found out I was bisexual about thirty seconds after our first kiss and, while I'm still attracted to women, I knew a good thing when I saw it and have no intention of starting a relationship with a woman. What does this book have to do with me? Nothing.

I don't know, maybe some of this book is useful for women of a different generation. But it's not called "Middle-Aged Married Women Who Are Just Coming Out of the Closet and Want Girlfriends," it's called "Married Women Who Love Women," and seems to be using "love" as synanymous with "are attracted to." A lot of the next generation of married women who love women is going to be almost a separate breed from the women described in this book. Some of us dated girls before getting married, or are involved in GLBT activism, or live in a world where being a girl who likes girls is simply not the big hand-wringing angsty deal it used to be. Not that we couldn't use a book, but this is not definitely not it.

I decided to read this book because I'm interested in the fluidity that is present in (especially women's) sexual orientation. I was surprised to find out that most of the women in this book, while they call themselves lesbians, are still married to men. This book may be good for married women who discover they are attracted to women, but for anyone looking for an insightful read on sexual fluidity and sexuality/gender studies, this book is of pretty poor quality. The author insists on using outdated terms like "sexual preference" and "same-gender relationships", and cites far too much Oedipal/Freudian theory. When she does cite research, it doesn't fit with the flow of the book and is random. Overall, I find it utterly perplexing that women can somehow maintain a lesbian identity while being married to men. But hey, if this is your predicament, this book may be of insight to you.

This book gives such clear & honest insight into the feelings that each woman goes through in her journey. It seems to be so well researched, and well written. It's one of the best books I've read about lesbian life... and should be a part of every gay girl's library.

read the book, it was recommended by a friend, she was going thru the turmoil of self discovery and knew that I was struggling not to deny anymore, so with great anticipation I read the book, I read it late night, the true stories sounded so much like my own, yes there was differences but it was so familiar as well.I found myself identifying so strongly with these women and felt their pain and fears, who ever said there is no right time to come out was so true, each women in her own way must make the step, whether planned or a all out pouring out method where you just have to tell. I like the way the author was neutral in just how ones goes about coming out,for there is no script, no guiding steps to follow. Thank you all for participating in this book.

cindy