We’ve been really thrilled by the critical response to Here Come the Brides! Here are excerpts from some of our favorite reviews:
“Though there are countless books on LGBT marriage and on lesbian relationships, this is the first anthology that approaches same-sex marriage between women not as a political destination but as a complex cultural phenomenon….There is real courage in these pages—honest, heartfelt accounts of friends who reject the institution of marriage and families that reject thebrides, trans-women’s visions of their own walk down the aisle, the bittersweet regrets of lesbian divorcees, and the unabashed joy felt by many women whentheir right to marry is validated. No lesbian anthology is complete without the voice of lesbian rights pioneer Phyllis Lyon, who married her longtime partner Del Martin in the first gay marriage performed in California. She is interviewed here by National Center for Lesbian Rights executive director Kate Kendell. VERDICT Required reading for all students of civil rights and marriage equality.” –Elizabeth Kennedy, Library Journal [Also listed on Library Journal‘s “Ten Resources on Same-Sex Marriage”]
“If you think wedding bells may ring in your future, toss the wedding planner aside and pick up a copy of Here Come the Brides! instead. This substantial collection of first-person narratives touches on every topic a potential bride would want to know about, from the radically political to the highly practical….
Some authors deal with the legalities that make couples consider marriage, such as co-owning property or having children together. Others write about the details of the ceremony they had or wish to have, or the significance of selecting their rings, or explaining their union to their families of origin….And there are also some who write touchingly about how they have been swayed to marry by what they have witnessed over their lifetimes, both in the LGBT community and in the ever-changing national political scene….In ‘More Today Than Yesterday,’ Bette Skandalis writes, ‘I am proud that our marriage has contributed to the political conversation—the revolutionary idea that joining with someone is not a right accorded to a privileged heterosexual few, but for anyone lucky enough to find somebody to share a life with.'” –Rachel Pepper, Curve
“This engaging collection of first-person accounts makes an absorbing read.” –E.B. Boatner, Lavender Magazine
“This collection is dud free. … [It] accomplishes many things at once; making the reader reach for a tissue or their loved one(s), inciting protest at the appalling treatment gay American citizens go through on a daily basis and thoughtfully criticizing and de-constructing marriage as a whole. A wonderful read that is highly recommended for any bookshelf.” –Jillian L. Schweitzer, Atlas
“Whether you are a history buff, a fan of the gays, a marriage cynic (straight or queer), a newly engaged lesbian, or someone who just enjoys the drama of a good human story, you should pick up this book. Wedding cakes, registries, vows, dresses, rings, and flowergirls all get discussed, as do divorce, broken engagements, relationship drama, and gender panic over gender roles….This book reminds us that there is nothing better than reading a page-turner of a history whose pages are still being written. Whether or not you care to marry, dive into this book and feel history, rather than wedding rice, crackle in your hands.” –K. Bradford, Trop
Photos (top to bottom) from Flickr users downing.amanda, subvert.com, bloody marty mix and Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com under license from Creative Commons 2.0
Here Come The Brides! 