The Milk of Human Kindness: Lesbian Authors Write about Mothers and Daughters

This is a book for everyone, male or female, lesbian or not. The earlier reviews are spot on true. To the wonderful stories mentioned by earlier reviewers I would add JM Redmann's 'Lost Daughter', Cameron Abbott's 'Train Tracks', Gabrielle Goldsby's Long Way Home', SX Meagher's 'That Way', Cate Swannell's 'Damaged Good's' and Therese Szymanski's 'Disconnected'. This is a superior collection of memoir and fiction that should not be missed. Buy one for yourself and someone you care for.

Carefully chosen to show various facets of the mother-daughter relationship, The Milk of Human Kindness anthology offers observations, reflections, and experiences from an accomplished group of lesbian writers. Some tales are fictional and entertain and inform the reader. Comparing one's own experiences to those of the various characters provides a special treat. Yes, the stories are enjoyable, but the memoirs are what leave an indelible impression on the reader. Many are filled with warmth and sensitivity, and the authors generate a feel-good-about-myself ambience even in the midst of difficulties. Other memoirs are dark and painful, and the authors grip the reader with their honesty, intensity, and courage. We yearn for those authors to have experienced early lives of greater beauty; then we realize that there is beauty. It blooms in the ability of the authors to create a better existence for themselves, thereby teaching us that one can rise above her past and break out of the darkness into the light. They are empowering examples of the strength and resilience of the human spirit. Not every story will grab every reader's emotions, but with touches of humor, love, edginess, and adversity, this anthology has something for each of us, whether mother, daughter, or both. It takes a special bravery to open yourself to the public gaze, in fiction as well as in fact. I'm grateful to the women of The Milk of Human Kindness who shared their emotions with us. I would like to see a second collection.

An outstanding book containing terrific stories by incredibly talented writers! The reader is carried along on a journey through many emotions: hurt at a mother's betrayal; disbelief at a father's unimaginable cruelty; love by a daughter for her aging parents; agony of a daughter's bedside vigil; remorse by a mother struggling to come to terms with her daughter's sexuality; tenderness as a kindly woman "lends" an ear to a tearful young woman; fright as a daughter does the "unthinkable" to a parent; determination as a young woman struggles with her health; reserved happiness as a daughter returns home with her lover after several years. Whether the story is from a daughter's viewpoint or a mother's, each story will touch your heart. Some stories are memoirs, some are fiction; all are very memorable. No matter if you struggled, were loved or hated for your sexual identity, this book has a story for every reader.

"The Milk of Human Kindness: Lesbian Authors Write about Mothers and Daughters," edited by Lori L. Lake, is an anthology of stories and memoirs that will touch your heart and stay with you long after the last page is read. Twenty-three talented authors have shared their feelings about the complex relationship between mothers and daughters through fiction, essays, or memoirs. This fine collection of short stories may have been written for a gay audience, but straight women will enjoy "The Milk of Human Kindness" and learn from it as well. The fact that mother/daughter relationships are often fraught with issues makes it no surprise that this anthology has something to offer everyone. According to Lake, "the experiences are not just lesbian-related, though they certainly are lesbian-themed. Anyone who has had any sort of mother/daughter relationship will surely feel for so many of the characters. Lots of angst, regret, and grief in the book - but also some unexpected humor. It was an interesting thing to put together." I agree with Lake and I can tell what a labor of love this project was for her. Her time and effort paid off in producing a well-written, insightful collection of literature. Everyone craves unconditional love and acceptance by the person who nurtured them- regardless of sexual orientation. The anthology encompasses thoughts of daughters and mothers; it spans a few generations to give different points of view. Katherine V. Forrest asks, "Does the need for a mother ever leave?" Perhaps not. Forrest continues, "Among women, our deeper friendships contain, along with love and warmth, elements of nurturing, protectiveness, guiding, mentorship, and wound-binding." Women need each other on many different levels, and the fortunate ones have at least one woman in their lives-be it their mother, lover, or friend-who fulfills this need. "The Milk of Human Kindness" depicts many aspects of the human condition. Lori L. Lake's fiction, "The Bright Side," shows how a mother's criticisms can deeply affect her daughter. In this story we see a mother who is so critical of her daughter she compliments her on her weight loss even though it is due to chemotherapy for breast cancer! In addition, she is disappointed that her daughter is gay and throws it in her daughter's face-even during a family crisis. This is not to say that we don't love our critical mothers, but our mothers' unfavorable comments often hurt the worst. In "Train Tracks," fiction by Cameron Abbott, a simple question between sisters discussing their ailing, possibly dying mother, "Has she asked for me?" evokes emotions of a daughter who against all odds still yearns for unconditional love by a mother who never accepted her. "The Tuesday Before Thanksgiving," fiction by Georgia Beers, is about a mother with preconceived notions and prejudice regarding her daughter's sexuality. By the time she accepts her, she reads in the paper, "President Bush says "No" to gay unions," and her