The Perfect Family edition by Kathryn Shay Literature Fiction eBooks
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***A book of women’s fiction.
NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author delivers heartfelt family scenes, biting social commentary and a unique look the healing power of forgiveness.
“I recommend this book highly. It is a must read for anyone dealing with coming out to their family, friends, and coworkers.” David Parker, PFLAG
What happens to the perfect family when a teenage boy comes out? That’s the question the Davidson family must deal with. Jamie, the gay son, just wants to live his life out of the shadows. Maggie, mother, teacher and psychologist, will do anything to protect her child, even side with him against her husband. Mike, a loving, giving father can’t reconcile his beloved Catholic Church’s indictment of homosexuality with his deep unconditional love for his boy. And Brian longs for things to go back to the way they were before the jocks at school started to taunt his brother and turn against him. But when tragedy strikes Jamie’s new boyfriend, they all begin to look at their lives differently and work harder to save their perfect family.
Praise for THE PERFECT FAMILY from people in all walks of life
“After twenty years of educating on gay issues, I found THE PERFECT FAMILY a fresh, soulful and enlightening story.” Scott Fearing, Outreach Director, The Gay Alliance of Genesee Valley
“The book should be in school libraries, psychologists’ offices and on teachers’ book shelves!” Stacy B. Killings, Certified School Psychologist
"It's been a long time since I've read a book that so comprehensively and compellingly speaks to a teenager's coming out experience." Reverend Lee Ann Bryce, United Church of Christ Minister
“Warmly poignant, realistic, dramatic and honestly presented, Shay’s story is an engrossing family saga for the modern world.” RT Book Reviews
The Perfect Family edition by Kathryn Shay Literature Fiction eBooks
First of all let me say that this story was very well written, the characters portrayed with just the right amount of empathy, and the plot was outstanding. Kudos to the author for tackling such a difficult subject. As such it's hard to write a review. While all the things above are true, I found myself coming out of this with mixed feelings. I have no desire to make a religious or political statement in spite of the fact the book seemed to do just that. Truth was, I agreed with some aspects of the story, specifically some people's treatment of gays, but heartily disagreed with others, the view we shouldn't take everything the Bible says as truth or that Jesus didn't really mean what he said. I understand Ms. Shay has a gay son so I can appreciate her POV but that doesn't mean I necessarily agree. Still, she's written a powerful book and it is my hope that people will read it and get a taste for themselves what some people go through because they are labeled different. I know this is true as my brother was physically challenged, on crutches, in and out of hospitals, and he was often ridiculed by his peers. My heart ached for him at times as I'm sure the author's has for her son. As such, I would definitely recommend people read her book, think about what she's written, then form your own opinion from there.Product details
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The Perfect Family edition by Kathryn Shay Literature Fiction eBooks Reviews
This book is an emotional powerhouse, extremely well written and edited. It's a story about unconditional love, forgiveness, prejudices and hope, with some interesting theological debate thrown in for good measure. I couldn't put it down once I started reading, and I highly recommend this thoughtful and timely book.
The Davidsons are a perfect family who love each other deeply and are supportive of and actively involved in each other's lives. Mike is a successful businessman, very involved in his parish church and his sons' biggest fan. Maggie, his wife and he are just as crazy about each other now as they were when they got married nearly twenty years ago. Maggie came from a rough family, but adores, and is adored in return, by her in-laws, her husband and children. She's also finished her degree and is a respected professor of psychology at the local university. Their boys, Brian and Jamie are smart, attractive, popular and best friends. Brian is an athlete in his senior year of high school, looking at college scholarships, and Jamie is the lead in every play, a NHS student and the organizer of all things extracurricular as a junior. Life is wonderful until Jamie comes out to his family as a gay teen.
Mike struggles with the strict dogma of the Catholic church and the counsel of his priest. As a psychology professor, Maggie has an easier time accepting, but is torn by worry for Jamie's safety and the problems he may encounter. She seeks a new church, one more open and welcoming. Brian explodes because Jamie didn't tell him first, like they've always done, and he has to bear the brunt of prejudice and outright bullying at school from the "jocks". Jamie experiences his first love, but the other boy's father blames Jamie for perverting his son. Long time friends suddenly turn hateful and bullying is a daily occurrence. Other family issues arise and suddenly there are schisms in the perfection of the family. Maggie struggles to find support for them all in the community, but Mike wants to "fix" Jamie, and won't go to any support group or therapy. How deep does love and commitment go when someone is different than who you want them to be?
The author manages to weave the theology in so that it's not preachy, just part of the story. The author spent a lot of time researching her facts also, so the statistics are accurate as well as the information from the AMA, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Psychiatric Society Guidelines. More importantly, she portrays, very movingly, the emotional issues and the difficulty of dealing with prejudice, even within our own families who are supposed to be our support system when life gets tough. She also addresses the bullying that can cause such misery for anyone who is perceived as different from the "norm" and the damage it can cause. I applaud her for mentioning the very real support groups that do exist for gay teens, adults and their families and friends.
IMHO Our houses are small and made of glass, and getting smaller as the population and technology expand. It behooves us all, then, not to throw stones but to build each other up.
Heat factor mild.
Just what I needed, one more coming-out story. But the perspective on the story was so unique, I had to take a look at it.
And I'm so glad that I did. This book is not about kids coming out (although that is the trigger for everything that happens), but about how a family deals with it. It is about unconditional love, about doubt, about discrimination and pain, about religion (both affirming and not) and mostly about families and the bonds that tie them together.
There is no melodrama here, although I found the book profoundly moving. And resonant, too - this book is so about the truth - if not my own, then about hundreds of other LGBT people I've known throughout my life.
I particularly like that the family is one that considers itself "Liberal" (or at least progressive) and yet still has difficulties accepting their beloved son fully and openly for who he is. Even more amazing, was that the mother, Maggie, is actually a professor of psychology, someone who should have had all the tools needed to deal with her son coming out.
And it is about both the deleterious and hypocritical position of the Catholic Church, and the affirming, loving and embracing reach of the United Church of Christ, a wonderful church which has almost always been welcoming and non-judgmental. And it highlights the evil that churches can do in splitting families asunder in the name of "condemning sin", and sending young gay kids to "reparative" therapy camps or to their own deaths, through suicide.
As someone who lost his very first lover to suicide after a Catholic Priest assured him he was condemned to the fires of hell, I can vouchsafe that Ms. Shay handled this delicately, accurately and truthfully.
I highly recommend that everyone reads this book. It is so well-written, engaging and evocative that it amazes me that anyone could walk away from it unaffected. I'm already looking for more works by this amazingly talented and sensitive writer. Unfortunately for those looking for gay fiction (and I may be wrong), this appears to be the only one of Ms. Shay's numerous books published for the that involves gay relationships.
First of all let me say that this story was very well written, the characters portrayed with just the right amount of empathy, and the plot was outstanding. Kudos to the author for tackling such a difficult subject. As such it's hard to write a review. While all the things above are true, I found myself coming out of this with mixed feelings. I have no desire to make a religious or political statement in spite of the fact the book seemed to do just that. Truth was, I agreed with some aspects of the story, specifically some people's treatment of gays, but heartily disagreed with others, the view we shouldn't take everything the Bible says as truth or that Jesus didn't really mean what he said. I understand Ms. Shay has a gay son so I can appreciate her POV but that doesn't mean I necessarily agree. Still, she's written a powerful book and it is my hope that people will read it and get a taste for themselves what some people go through because they are labeled different. I know this is true as my brother was physically challenged, on crutches, in and out of hospitals, and he was often ridiculed by his peers. My heart ached for him at times as I'm sure the author's has for her son. As such, I would definitely recommend people read her book, think about what she's written, then form your own opinion from there.
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