An eclectic collection about what family means in this ever-changing world. ( )

Wow, why haven't I heard of this book before? I'm poly, and subscribe to some mailing lists about it. But I found it by looking at my library's 'theme of the month' display. So cool.

Well, not cool exactly. Kinda boring, actually. But I guess that's the point - no matter what the shape of your family, the bottom line is love & a negotiation of identities in the relationships. I'm sure this would be excellently reassuring to those with doubts as they wonder if a second divorce, or a second lover, or another child, is the right choice for them. It might be even more reassuring to those who have made a choice, and are feeling like they made the wrong one, and are trying to cope & salvage & reawaken joy.

So, the rating reflects *my* appreciation, not my opinion of the value of the book. ( )

Kind of reassuring set of personal essays about every flavor of relationship family situation you can imagine. The gist? Take your situation and make it work for you-we are all just doing our best to get along. ( )

Killer collection. If you're anything like me, skip the embarrassing, childish spite of Rebecca Walker herself and the in-depth tour through what it's like to be boring by Sasha Hom and enjoy the rest of these truly diverse, totally awesome essays about creating intentional family. ( )

This is a great collection of entertaining and enlightening personal essays by people whose family lives just don't quite fit the mold. And that's the point. Real lives don't fit into some mold--the white, suburban, nuclear family--impressed upon the popular imagination by 1950s television. Real people make their own rules as they cope with the challenges of modern life and seek out their own happiness and means of support. Differences in race, class, and other social dynamics make love and child-rearing less straight-forward than ever. People have a tendency to judge how we conduct ourselves, even when they are no more "normal" than we are. I highly recommend this as inspirational reading to anyone who feels like they don't fit in because their home life or relationship style is different from the norm. I also recommend this to anyone who doesn't understand why so many personal profiles say "it's complicated". ( )