Reluctant Daughter (Bold Strokes Victory Editions) [Paperback]

Lesléa Newman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Bold Strokes Victory Editions | Publication Date: September 15, 2009

A story every daughter will recognize, The Reluctant Daughter depicts the struggles of Lydia Pinkowitz to communicate the realities of her life as a lesbian, as a feminist scholar, and as the woman she has become to her mother Doris. After years of hoping to attain her mother’s love and acceptance while struggling to live a true and honest life, Lydia eventually acknowledges her mother will never really see her. When Doris develops a life-threatening illness, Lydia is forced to make a life-and-death decision of her own: should she make one final attempt to heal her relationship with her mother or simply let her go?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lesléa Newman has published more than fifty books, including the novels Good Enough to Eat and In Every Laugh a Tear; the short story collections A Letter to Harvey Milk and Girls Will be Girls; the poetry collections Still Life with Buddy and Signs of Love; the middle grade novels, Hachiko Waits and Fat Chance; and the children's books The Boy Who Cried Fabulous, A Fire Engine for Ruthie, The Best Cat in the World, and Heather Has Two Mommies. She has received numerous literary awards including poetry fellowships from the Massachusetts Artists Fellowship Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Highlights for Children Fiction Writing Award, a Parents' Choice Silver Medal, the James Baldwin Award for Cultural Achievement, and four Pushcart Prize Nominations. Nine of her books have been Lambda Literary Award finalists. Currently, she is the Poet Laureate of Northampton, Massachusetts. Lesléa's work often addresses lesbian identity and Jewish identity, and how the two intersect and how they collide. Her most recent books include a new volume of poetry entitled Nobody's Mother, and the first board books for children with same sex parents: Mommy, Mama, and Me, and Daddy, Papa, and Me.

Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (September 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1602821186
• ISBN-13: 978-1602821187
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,753,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lesléa Newman is the author of 64 books for readers of all ages including the middle grade novel, HACHIKO WAITS, the poetry collection, STILL LIFE WITH BUDDY, the short story collection, A LETTER TO HARVEY MILK, and the children's books A SWEET PASSOVER, THE BOY WHO CRIED FABULOUS, THE BEST CAT IN THE WORLD, DONOVAN'S BIG DAY, and HEATHER HAS TWO MOMMIES. Her literary awards include poetry fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Massachusetts Artists Foundation. Nine of her books have been Lambda Literary Award finalists. A past poet laureate of Northampton, Massachusetts, she is a faculty member of Spalding University's brief-residency MFA in Writing program.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A funny, illuminating look at mother/daughter relationships., October 4, 2009

By 

Ellen Neuborne (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Reluctant Daughter (Bold Strokes Victory Editions) (Paperback)

Lydia Pinkowitz wants her mother to accept her and discovers that first she has to accept her mother. This family drama is inhabited by a memorable and hilarious family - from Mom who is the master of the one-way conversation to the cousin who shows up to a family emergency in a tee shirt reading "I'm not a gynecologist, but I'll take a look." For anyone who has wondered "What am I going to do about my crazy family?" this novel offers one woman's solution.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Reluctant Daughter, January 23, 2010

By 

K. Isserman "Kisserman" (Columbia, MD) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Reluctant Daughter (Bold Strokes Victory Editions) (Paperback)

It's an understatement that Lydia Pinkowitz does not get along with her mother and yet constantly seeks her love and approval. But Lydia must make some difficult decisions when her mother faces a life-threatening illness. Through Lydia, her partner, and her family, we learn about forgiveness, the fleeting nature of life, and that it's never too late to discover one's family. The novel is exceptionally written, engaging and warm. It is a book that a daughter can share with her mother, which this reviewer did, and truly a love story which could be read again and again.

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