Books like Twice blessed by Andy Rose

A photographic journey through late‑1980s America that captures the varied lives of gay and lesbian communities, illustrating their efforts to form families, reconcile faith, and confront both racism and homophobia.

Seventeen‑year‑old Anne Harper, living in a group home for pregnant teens, discovers that her pregnancy brings an unexpected awakening of self‑awareness amid humor and heart.

**From Publishers Weekly:** Miller ( In Search of Gay America ) traveled for two and a half years through 12 countries, observing gay and lesbian life. This crisply written report underscores sharp cultural differences as it moves from Denmark, where homosexual partnerships enjoy virtually the same legal status as heterosexual marriage, to Argentina, which is home to entrenched, violent, socially sanctioned prejudice against homosexuality. In Japan, Thailand and Egypt, Miller encountered cultures in which same-sex relations have traditionally been accepted, while the larger fact of people's gay identities has been denied. In Australia, he found extremely enlightened AIDS policies. Among Australian Aborigines, black or mixed-race South Africans, and Maoris in New Zealand, he pondered the dilemma faced by people struggling to combine gay awareness with cultural and racial identities. In reunited Germany and post-1989 Czechoslovakia, Miller noted considerable political tolerance toward gays and lesbians. His compelling survey documents the international effects of the AIDS epidemic in forging gay community. Author tour. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. **From Library Journal:** Continuing in the style of his prize-winning In Search of Gay America ( LJ 4/15/89), Miller extends his examination of lesbian and gay life to 12 nations on five continents. From police repression of gay gatherings in Argentina to government-sanctioned marriages of same-sex couples in Denmark, Miller relates stories of both closeted and openly gay individuals. Interviewees share how their respective cultures have enabled or inhibited them from expressing their affections. In the face of oppression, the indomitable spirit of lesbians and gay men the world over is revealed. Miller acknowledges the book's slant toward the gay male experience, having found it difficult to contact as many lesbians as he wished. Still, more than any other, this work offers keen insight into the diversity and commonality of international gay life. Out in the World is highly recommended for public and ac ademic libraries. - Stephen Newcomer, Los Angeles P.L. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the legal issues concerning gender and sexual nonconformity in the United States. Part One, which covers the years from the post-Civil War period to the 1980s, is a history of state efforts to discipline and punish the behavior of homosexuals and other people considered to be deviant. During this period such people could get by only at the cost of suppressing their most basic feelings and emotions. Part Two addresses contemporary issues. Although it is no longer illegal to be openly gay in America, homosexuals still suffer from state discrimination in the military and in other realms, and private discrimination and violence against gays is prevalent. William Eskridge presents a rigorously argued case for the "sexualization" of the First Amendment, showing why, for example, same-sex ceremonies and intimacy should be considered "expressive conduct" deserving the protection of the courts. The author draws on legal reasoning, sociological studies, and history to develop an effective response to the arguments made in defense of the military ban. The concluding part of the book locates the author's legal arguments within the larger currents of liberal theory and integrates them into a general stance toward freedom, gender equality, and religious pluralism.

For Emma Delancy, cozy Haven, Indiana, is just that a safe haven from the life she'd run from seven years before. Then handsome newcomer Noah Sawyer accused an orphan boy of stealing, and Emma suddenly found herself fostering the youngster. It was hardly an auspicious beginning for a courtship, but life in small town Haven seemed destined to throw Emma and mischievous Sean together with Noah and his young daughter Belinda at every turn. Emma couldn't resist Noah's proposal until trouble came for him, too, threatening to take Belinda away. And Emma knows her secret will only make matters worse unless the love she and Noah have found can shelter the family they long to make together.

Twins Katie and Rosie, working in an Amish shop and their own produce business, struggle with identity and jealousy while navigating community expectations and unexpected opportunities.