When Sons and Daughters Choose Alternative Lifestyles
"If only you had written this book ten years earlier you could have saved us so many problems!"
~Mollie Caplan, Mariana's Mother
"Caplan, a therapist and freelance author, has written a guidebook for parents developing new relationships with their adult children. Although the title indicates a focus on an adult child's nontraditional lifestyle, the relevance of the book is not limited to parent/adult child relationships far outside the mainstream. The author defines "alternative" broadly and includes a range of lifestyles, from a decision to remain single to a gay partnership to membership in a cult or commune. Caplan states that a relationship must be maintained regardless of the areas of disagreement and that parents need to recognize the need for that bond and grieve for their lost hopes. Her advice to parents is based on two principles: find help for yourself and put love for your adult child above all else."
~Library Journal
"Offers practical
and inspirational ways to heal the adult-child relationship. Mariana Caplan
provides an insightful resource for an individual or family to use for
greater effectiveness and mutual understanding."
~Angeles Arrien, author of Signs of Life and The Four-Fold
Way
"Mariana
Caplan has given parents a long awaited guide for dealing with one of
life's most stressful issues. As a pediatrician, I've been waiting for
such a book throughout my whole career."
~Charles Atwood, M.D., author of Dr. Atwood's Low-Fat Prescription
for Kids
"Entering
an arena too often marked by bitter and wounding conflict between worried
parents and their adult children who are living in non-traditional communities
or relationships, Mariana Caplan has produced a wise and thoughtful guide
to possible reconciliation and healing."
~Alan F. Leveton, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry,
University of California School of Medicine