Mothers [Paperback]

Jax Peters Lowell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1996

As a young boy, Willy knows only the warm, supportive, slightly off-beat world of his two mothers--Claire, a respected photographer, and Theo, a successful caterer. But Willy soon learns of another world in which his mothers are viewed with hatred and mistrust. When that world forces Claire and Theo to reexamine their lives, Willy is the only person who can prove to them and to the courts that "normal" is in the eye of the beholder. A powerful debut novel.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With a delicate but assured touch, Lowell's poignant first novel explores the meaning of love, family and identity. Theo Bouvier is a successful New York City caterer; Claire Hirsh is a highly acclaimed photographer. When they fall in love, all that remains to complete their happiness is the child Claire desperately wants. This is a bit of a problem, since both Theo and Claire are women, but they embark on a careful, gently hilarious, search for a father. It is their now-grown child, William Roland Bouvier Hirsh-known as Willy-who tells the story of his unusual family, sifting through his recollections and carefully examining each memory from different angles. For his first few years, Willy knows only the unconditional love of his mothers and their extended family, his life a joyous round of days spent in the kitchen with Theo or in the darkroom with Claire. For a time Willy even seems to soften his grandmother Hirsh's disapproval of Claire. But these are the 1960s, before such families were commonplace, and when Willy faces the outside world he finds that his peers and their parents are ready to condemn him and his mothers, whom they regard as criminals. As Willy's grandmother begins the process that will tear his family apart, he learns for the first time that cruelty can be inflicted by those who claim to love. Claire makes a distinction: "For love, you should be willing to go anywhere, to Brooklyn, if necessary!" This is a book to go to Brooklyn for.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

At a time when family values are being debated and defined, Lowell's novel puts human faces on a loving, nurturing, and unconventional--that is, homosexual--family. Claire is a successful fine arts photographer from a background of wealth and privilege in the East. Theo is a successful caterer, transplanted from the southwestern trailer park in which she was raised. Together, the two lovers are Willy's mothers during the 1960s and 1970s, when even their beloved, cosmopolitan New York City--let alone Claire's conservative, disapproving family--did not exactly welcome lesbian parenting. Lowell tells the story of this warmly loving family from the adult Willy's vantage as he eyes his own twin daughters with adoration and recounts his mothers' initial meeting and subsequent lives, which are eventually threatened by a society dancing to tunes proclaiming, ironically enough, that "love is all you need." Beautifully written, this novel deserves to find its way into mainstream as well as gay-lesbian specialty collections. Whitney Scott --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 326 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr (May 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312143737
• ISBN-13: 978-0312143732
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,735,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ; POWERFUL STUFF, November 1, 2000

By 

Brian Phillips (Las Vegas, NV) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mothers (Paperback)

While browsing I came upon a curious photograph on one cover, after flipping open the jacket and reading the liner notes I decided to make a purchase. I have heard people say it before and thought it to be malarkey but I honestly did not want to put this book down. I was actually admonished by my fiance' in front of company for being "...a bad host" as I took a hasty departure from a dinner engagement we hosted so that I may get back to reading 'Mothers'. Jax Peters Lowell's character development is superlative, she endears her "world" to you by showing you their true faces and drawing the parallels to the good in us all. Mrs. Lowell is a true wordsmith, the last of a breed thought to be extinct (at least by myself considering what is being published nowadays). She 'paints a picture' that is both luminary and lush. From her verbose descriptions of a room to brilliant exchanges between characters this book is summarized in 2 words...BRAIN CANDY. What a treat to the sensibilities. This is a very popular topic of conversation lately, same sex parents, and it was fascinating to see how things are for someone on the other side of the proverbial fence. Perspective is how we perceive things to be, reality is how they actually are. This book is like a wake-up call serving notice that change is well overdue. I gauge a books worth and general merit by what I get from reading it. This is a book that not only tells a tale with luxuriant and engaging prose but also teaches us a little something about ourselves along the way. I am enhanced for having read this and am thankful for people like Mrs. Lowell who create such beauty out of 'mere words'.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A touching, thought provoking story about love and bias., January 29, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Quincy, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mothers (Paperback)

I was very impressed with this story of the love of two people for each other and their son. It touches the heart and draws one into the cleverly interwoven relationships in the extended families involved. I found myself thinking it was nonfiction at times, so real is the writing. It should be widely read to make people wake up and think about their prejudice and biases. I think it teaches a lesson about judgment of others' lifestyles in the realm of misunderstanding.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Moving, Wonderful Story, January 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Mothers (Paperback)

I picked this book up quite by accident when it first came out, and the story still haunts me. I recommend it to everyone I know. It's a wonderful, moving tale that everyone can relate to on some level. The book is accessible and well written, the characters very real.