Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Single or gay mothers?whom Drexler dubs ?maverick moms??are ?real? parents, in case anyone needed reminding. The families they create are ?as real and as legitimate as any other.? The author, an assistant professor of psychology in psychiatry at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, bases her book on an extensive research study she conducted. Though she?s curiously cagey on numbers, she does reveal that she interviewed a variety of lesbian mothers, single mothers, sons of single moms and sons of two-mother families. The results of her survey serve as a refreshing antidote to critics who insist that family life today is on the verge of being atomized. In an upbeat but never preachy tone, Drexler retells anecdote after anecdote illustrating her point (namely, that female-headed households may be better for boys than households with men). The book is mostly narrative in structure, with bulleted points at the end of each chapter explaining what ?maverick moms? do that makes them successful parents (they encourage their sons to participate in a wide variety of activities; they actively recruit male figures from their families and the community to be in their sons? lives; they model the behavior they want their sons to emulate, and set examples of strength and compassion; etc.). This important work will serve as a beacon to the country?s nearly 10 million single mothers. Agent, Gail Ross. (Aug.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Review by Library Journal Review
How do sons of lesbians and single mothers develop their moral character without a father in their lives? That is the question that Drexler (psychology, Weill Medical Coll. of Cornell Univ.) tackles here, and her answer is based on extensive research: these sons develop into sensitive, caring, and communicative human beings rarely prone to aggression who are no less "all boy" than sons of traditional families. Maverick mothers, as Drexler illustrates, seek out male role models, "collect" friends to form an extended family around their sons, and often go outside their comfort zone to offer a variety of activities and enriching experiences. Arriving in the midst of the national debate on gay marriage, the book also argues that parenting is not attached to gender-a controversial point to be sure. Drexler, who was raised by a single mom and is part of a heterosexual marriage, further supports that and other findings with inspiring anecdotes and testimonies and scientific background.Yes, lesbians and single mothers can raise boys without a man in the house, and by doing so, these women are breeding a new kind of adult man sensible to family values and open to differences. Recommended for all public libraries, especially those serving a large gay community.-Maryse Breton, Baldwin P.L., Birmingham, MI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Review by Library Journal Review
