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The Perfect Family
Bold Strokes Books, September 2010
ISBN 10: 1-60282-181-X
ISBN 13: 978-1-60282-181-1
excerpt
contact Kathryn
THE PERFECT FAMILY will be out to most distributors and stores on September
13th! Only 21 more days. However, if you buy it from the publisher's
website, you get two bonuses. The first is that you can have it shipped to
you on September 1st.
The second is that we're giving away copies of a CD
my son made in high school. Many of the songs are about loving a boy. You
can get it free when you order
from the Bold Strokes website.
--Kathryn
September
10, 2009 Press
Release: New Title from Kathryn Shay
Bold
Strokes Books is pleased to announce the acquisition of Kathryn Shay’s
new Liberty Edition novel, The Perfect Family, scheduled for release
in 2010.
The
Perfect Family – Coming
in September 2010
What
happens to the "perfect family" when the future suddenly changes
in the most unexpected way? Seventeen-year
old Jamie Davidson doesn't think being gay should be such a big
deal...until he comes out to his parents and friends. Even as Jamie
celebrates no longer needing to hide his true self and looks forward to the
excitement of openly dating another boy, the entire Davidson family
is thrown into turmoil. Jamie's father Mike can't reconcile his religious
beliefs with his son's sexuality. His brother Brian is harassed by his jock
buddies and angry at Jamie for complicating all their lives. Maggie, his
mother, fears being able to protect her son while struggling to save her
crumbling marriage. And Jamie feels guilty for the unhappiness his
disclosure has caused. Every member of their “perfect family” must
search their hearts and souls to reconnect with each other in this honest,
heartwarming, and hopeful look at the redemptive power of love and family.
Comments on The Perfect Family
THE PERFECT FAMILY is an excellent coming-out-gay family story! As a researcher
myself, I am very impressed with Shay's ability to convey the attitudes
and emotions surrounding the family's coming out process so well. Family
members' ability to hurt each other, and their friends' rejection not only
of Jamie but the rest of his family as well, strike true to life. The Perfect
Family is an easy, conversational read with a strong message. 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 (Parents
and Friends of Lesbians and Gays)
"The image of the perfect family is shattered when the youngest son announces
he's gay, and it's going to take more than glue to patch it back together.
Warmly poignant, realistic, dramatic and honestly presented, Shay's story
is an engrossing family saga for the modern world."
--
Pat Cooper, RT Book
Reviews
"After 20 years of educating on gay issues, The Perfect Family provided
me with a fresh, soulful and enlightening coming out story. The elation of
a first love that feels so wonderfully natural yet carries a heavy social stigma
was so well presented that I found my own heart rejoicing only to be tugged
back to the unfortunate reality that many people are afraid to allow others
to experience love. I would recommend The Perfect Family to
anyone who wants to understand the innumerable issues that face a family when
a child's reality collides with a familys expectations."
--Scott Fearing, Outreach
Director, The Gay Alliance of Genesee Valley
"THE
PERFECT FAMILY is the perfect read...poignant and realistic...written with
grace and sensitivity."
--Susan Wiggs, NY Times bestseller
"How does a family redefine itself after its identity has been
shattered? How can love survive when the people we love most
reveal that they aren't who we thought they were? In THE PERFECT
FAMILY, Kathryn Shay explores these questions with fierce honesty,
courage and abundant grace."
--Judith Arnold, romance
and women’s fiction author
"Kathryn Shay has written an emotional, dramatic and engrossing story
relevant to our times, our lives and our perceptions about love. This
is a tale that had to be told and it will enrich everyone who reads it. I
read with rapt attention."
--NYT Bestselling Author, Stella Cameron
“THE PERFECT FAMILY is a novel, yes, but also a tool for change. It
should be in school libraries, psychologists’ offices and on teachers’ book
shelves! Parents and students alike can learn from the Davidson and Crane families.
As described in the manuscript, love and support can defy discrimination!”
Stacy
B. Killings Psy. D
Certified School Psychologist
Gates Chili High School
"It's been a long time since I've read a novel that so comprehensively and
compellingly speaks to a teenager's coming out experience. Societal, religious,
and family system factors are beautifully addressed in Shay's narrative. As a
UCC minister, I particularly appreciate the solace the characters find in a church
like ours. I will recommend The Perfect Family to any family with
a gay or lesbian child or to anyone who wants to learn more about what life is
like when a gay youth has the courage to come out."
Reverend Lee Ann Bryce
United Church of Christ Minister
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