A Departure from the Script (Paperback)

by Rochelle Hollander Schwab (Author) "A few decades of friendship are like a few decades of marriage: you get to know a person inside out-her good points and her not-so-good..." (more)
Key Phrases: lesbian wedding, lunch bunch, commitment ceremony, Candy Sue, New York, Plaza Suite (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
When her 25-year-old daughter, Jenny, announces that she is a lesbian and has met a woman she loves, Sheila Katz tries to take pleasure in her daughter's happiness but finds that her husband is unwilling to do the same. Dan is convinced that Jenny is only going through a phase and that once she meets the right man, she'll realize her mistake. Sheila finds the monthly PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) meetings extremely helpful, but after he attends one, Dan refuses to go back. When Jenny and Tamara ask for Sheila's support in planning (and helping to pay for) their traditional Jewish wedding, she further incurs Dan's anger by agreeing. At the same time, Sheila finds her own heretofore-unquestioned heterosexuality challenged when she realizes that she is strongly attracted to a lesbian artist. Schwab's touch is light, but her message is earnest (and only occasionally didactic). She raises difficult issues as she shows how families can support and accept their children who come out to them as a gay, lesbian, or bisexual. Nancy Pearl
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"A delightful novel about family, marriage and the process of growing comfortable with all shades of the rainbow." -- Lori L. Lake, Midwest Book Review, Sept. 2003

"Delightful....tells a charming story with humor & poignancy. I found myself laughing & crying, sometimes at the same moment." -- Dr. Alma Bond, Rebeccas Reads, April 26, 2003

"Hilarious ... a juicy glimpse into the inner erotic life of a long-married woman.... This intimate family drama is great comedy." -- Loraine Hutchins, Lambda Book Report, November-December 2002

"Humor...keeps the story zipping along....the larger issue of how to accept...one’s children should broaden its appeal." -- Elizabeth Millard, ForeWord Magazine, May 2002

"Reminiscent in flavor and style to Olivia Goldsmith, who has written...'The First Wives Club.'.... a delightful page turner." -- Deborah Levinson, Lesbian Worlds

"Unusually honest, realistically messy, and not at all easy to predict.... Sheila's character becomes remarkably three-dimensional to the reader." -- Sarah J., AfterEllen.com, June 2002

"What's interesting is...conflicts with the mother and grandmother...that would be apparent even with a straight couple...." -- Gale Curcio, Alexandria Gazette Packet

"Will have you laughing, teary-eyed, cheering. A must-have....Congratulations to Schwab for penning what is sure to become a classic." -- Ravigo Zomana, The Virginia GayZette, May 2002

(For)"lesbians, Jews, or people with a...sense of humor on your gift list, this is the book to delight them." -- Hal Campbell, We the People, December 2004

In a humorous book filled with plenty of subterfuge, Sheila...learns about the meaning of love, marriage and family. -- Aliza Phillips, June 28, 2002, the Forward, New York, NY

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Orlando Place Press (April 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964365014
• ISBN-13: 978-0964365018
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #779,009 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars heartwarming and sensitive, December 26, 2002

By	Reader in Newton (massachusetts) - See all my reviews

A Jewish "Joy Luck Club" - heartwarming, sensitive & funny. Rochelle Hollander Schwab weaves an intricate story of the bond between husband & wife, parent & daughter, and our relationship with society. This story tugs at your heart, is a refreshing look at love and commitment.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Difficult issues well dealt with in a delightful story, October 24, 2004

By	Penny Duff (St. Petersburg, Florida) - See all my reviews

Rochelle Schwab uses the vehicle of a delightful, fun story to deal with difficult issues in a sensitive, thoughtful, and effective way. In presenting the struggles of Sheila Katz as she deals with the homosexuality of her daughter, and the reactions of her husband, family, and friends, Schwab uses a variety of situations and characters and some delightfully funny happenings. The book doesn't stop at dealing with the sexuality of Sheila's daughter. It takes a hard look at the fluid and sometimes surprising sexual reactions we find in ourselves when we look deep enough. Schwab also takes careful and loving aim at the American cruelty towards those carrying extra weight and deals with the effects it has on the individual as well. Schwab demonstrates a remarkable understanding of human nature, with all its foibles and faults, draws her characters with real clarity--something too few authors do--and builds a story filled with humor, fun, and a little suspense.
The book starts slow, and the first few pages are a little pedantic. However, once the story kicks in, which it does fairly quickly, there's no looking back--you're hooked and avidly reading till the end. I recommend this book especially for those dealing with any gay family member, or for a gay trying to understand family reactions. An excellent book. This is Schwab's second, and I'll definitely be looking forward to a third!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Timely and Fascinating Story with No Easy Answers, November 6, 2003

By	Lori L. Lake "Author of Snow Moon Rising, The... (Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA) - See all my reviews

Using amusing, often unexpected humor, Rochelle Hollander Schwab's latest is a delightful novel about family, marriage, and the process of growing comfortable with all shades of the rainbow. Jewish mother/wife/amateur actress Sheila Katz, married for over thirty years, is stunned from complacency when she learns her daughter Jenny is getting married to a woman named Tamara. Dan, her husband, doesn't take the news well and thinks that given time, Jenny will pass through the phase. He's already suffered enough criticism because his son married a Catholic girl-and converted!-and he refuses to acknowledge his daughter's sexual orientation. This pushes Sheila and Dan's marriage to the edge and contributes to the uproar over Jenny's lifestyle.

Sheila is a survivor, though, and she definitely does not want to lose her daughter, so she chooses the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" tactic. She starts attending PFLAG meetings, works at readjusting her thinking, and helps to plan the Jewish wedding ceremony behind Dan's back. Little does she know that meeting an attractive lesbian artist will have such an affect her. If her life wasn't turned upside down before, it truly is now.

The story of how Sheila and the Katz family deals with this very topical issue is engrossing, endearing, and entertaining, while also sometimes sobering. Schwab uses a smooth and highly readable style to write a novel for the new millennium. With the legalization of marriage in Canada in 2003 and the ongoing social arguments about fair treatment of gays and lesbians, including marriage, this book is timely and fascinating. It's a book all parents-and non-parents-should read. In Schwab's skillful and sensitive hands, A DEPARTURE FROM THE SCRIPT is funny and true to life, but poses no easy answers. Highly recommended. ~Lori L. Lake, book reviewer for Midwest Book Review, The Independent Gay Writer, Just About Write, and TheGayRead.com.