— Publishers Weekly
“Particularly effective in drawing connections between adolescent suicide and the anguished struggle that gay teenagers may undergo as they begin to realize and acknowledge their homosexuality. Urging parents to understand and accept rather than reject and harangue, Mrs. Griffith speaks, through Mr. Aarons, with clarity and compassion.”
— The New York Times Book Review
“A passionate, gripping book…so raw with pain and intense love that it is difficult to read without tears and at the same time, nearly impossible to put down.”
— Marin Independent Journal
“[Aarons] has the newspaperman’s gift for letting the narrative tell itself — his sparse prose compounds the jolt of the story. This book will become an instant classic. And it will save lives of countless young people….”
— The Advocate
“Aarons masterfully traces Bobby’s short life in this account of a young man with seemingly everything to live for who took his own life in reaction to the homophobia of his family in particular and society in general. Recommended for all library types.”
— Library Journal
“Painful and personal…. Excerpts from a diary [Bobby] kept, family photos, and letters written by Mary to her dead son make the book intense reading.”
— Booklist
“Prayers for Bobby is a powerful, contemporary telling of what has traditionally been called the ‘Pascal Mystery,’ that is, the story of a life, death, and resurrection. This is a story of authentic spirituality in action and of the real price paid by real families for toxic religion.”
— Creation Spirituality
“Written with clarity and great insight, Prayers for Bobby [is] a contemporary American tragedy…. A must read for all parents, educators, and clergy who believe that life is precious and God-given to every human being.”
— Paulette Goodman, former national president of P-FLAG
“Prayers for Bobby renews my passion to demonstrate to the church and society that gay love is created, inspired, and blessed by God, so that no other gay child is spiritually abused.”
— Chris Glaser, M. Div., author of The Word Is Out: The Bible Reclaimed for Lesbians and Gay Men
“Prayers for Bobby…is far more than a cautionary tale; it is also a story of a tragedy that marks one mother’s journey to redemption. This is a book that is every parent’s business, and, in fact, should be read by anyone who is interested in caring for children.”
— Robb Forman Dew, author of The Family Heart
“I hope this book will help religious people everywhere face their complicity in the evil way gay and lesbian children have been treated. Perhaps then the religious world can repent, apologize, and welcome all our children into the love of God that we proclaim.”
— The Rt. Rev. John S. Spong, Bishop of Newark and author of Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism
“This book about how the Griffith family’s love contributed to the suicide of their son is also the story of Mary’s growing up. Bobby’s death led her to new ideas and experiences that have transformed her into a mature adult. It is a transformation we all need as Americans confused about homosexuality and our concept of family values.”
— Mitzi Henderson, President, P-FLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays)
Copyright
PRAYERS FOR BOBBY: A Mother’s Coming to Terms with the Suicide of Her Gay Son. Copyright © 1995 by Leroy Aarons. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Adobe Digital Edition May 2009 ISBN 978-0-06-195195-4
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