Midlife Lesbian Relationships: Friends, Lovers, Children, and Parents [Paperback]

Marcy R Adelman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 20, 2000

What awaits lesbians at middle age?

Midlife Lesbian Relationships explores the rich world of lesbian relationships at midlife, from dating through the loss of parents, and describes the central relationship between who we are as adults and our connections with friends, lovers, parents, and children.

Midlife Lesbian Relationships will help lesbians and the professionals who counsel them navigate and understand the midlife transition. Offering both theoretical and descriptive material, this timely work discusses the difficulties of stigma and the strengths of female same-sex relationships, providing insight into the challenges lesbians find at middle age.

Midlife Lesbian Relationships provides insight into the challenges and solutions of middle age for lesbians, discussing:

• friendships
• dating and courtship
• couple relationships and the key ingredients that strengthen and deepen them
• parenting young children and the influence of lesbian midlife maturation on confidence and satisfaction in mothering
• substance abuse and the road to recovery
• the evolution of the bonds between these women and their biological families
• what many lesbians in middle age go through when their parents pass away, including the easing of internalized homophobia

Midlife Lesbian Relationships illustrates the commonalities and differences between lesbians and other women at midlife, and illuminates how the interplay between middle age and relationships can contribute to midlife development. Make this valuable volume part of your collection!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"These women share a marked distinction from the closeted and fearful generation that preceded them and the queer grrrl generation that followed." - Lillian Faderman"

About the Author

Marcy R Adelman is a writer and researcher specialising in gay ageing, and a psychologist in private practice in San Francisco. She is editor of Long Time Passing: Lives of Older Lesbians, an anthology that presents the stories of older lesbians told in their own voices.

Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Routledge (August 20, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560231424
• ISBN-13: 978-1560231424
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,693,404 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative, Intriguing, Entertaining!, November 29, 2000

By 

M. Hospital "EchoFred" (Miami, Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Midlife Lesbian Relationships: Friends, Lovers, Children, and Parents (Paperback)

This book is an excellent analysis of key issues about an often-overlooked segment of the population. Lesbians at midlife experience similar struggles as those of heterosexual women. However, their challenges are further exacerbated by their sexual orientation. The book's various segments focuses on various aspects of these lesbian midlife issues in a very informative and entertaining way. Particularly notable is the segment entitled "Lesbian dating and courtship from young adulthood to midlife". It was extremely interesting and brought up quite a few points about the way women, in particular lesbians, perceive courtship and dating and the roles people play. It is books like these that help bring much needed awareness about the lesbian population to the public in general. I highly recommend it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative, Intriguing, Entertaining!, November 29, 2000

By 

M. Hospital "EchoFred" (Miami, Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Midlife Lesbian Relationships: Friends, Lovers, Children, and Parents (Paperback)

This book is an excellent analysis of key issues about an often-overlooked segment of the population. Lesbians at midlife experience similar struggles as those of heterosexual women. However, their challenges are further exacerbated by their sexual orientation. The book's various segments focuses on various aspects of these lesbian midlife issues in a very informative and entertaining way. Particularly notable is the segment entitled "Lesbian dating and courtship from young adulthood to midlife". It was extremely interesting and brought up quite a few points about the way women, in particular lesbians, perceive courtship and dating and the roles people play. It is books like these that help bring much needed awareness about the lesbian population to the public in general. I highly recommend it.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the first (& only) books to address midlife lesbians, March 26, 2004

By 

Barbara Elgin "Coach Sappho" (Central Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Midlife Lesbian Relationships: Friends, Lovers, Children, and Parents (Paperback)

This is an interesting book that covers such topics as: the impact of midlife on the lesbian couple, friendships at midlife, taking care of dying parents, dating, chemical dependency and parenting.

It's an excellent read for lesbian therapists and glbt-friendly therapists to gain a better grasp of lesbian concerns.

Barb Elgin
(...)