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packed into under 200 pages. It's even harderto believe that anyone will ever have anythingto add to the topic. The book can beordered from Kendall-Hunt Publishing Co..2460 Kerper Blvd., PO Box 539. Dubuque.Iowa 52004-0539.Choice Books14My first reaction to Are You Still MyMother? Are You Still My Family? by Gloria GussBack (Warner Books. S7.95 paperback) wasdisbelief. Disbelief that so many enlightened,intelligent, otherwise liberal parents couldreact so strongly and so negatively to abeloved child telling them that she or he isgay. Therefore. I did some investigating onmy own. asking "enlightened, liberal" womenand men how they would react to discoveringthat one or more of their children is homosexual.1 rapidly discovered that Ms. Back isabsolutely on target. The reactions werestrong—and negative. Each individual, however,gave a different reason for the negativeresponse. The variety of answers were bestsummed up by a physician whom I hadalways considered avant garde in his sexualthinking. Yes. he said, he would be upsetbecause "People who share similar things aremore drawn together. A non-sharing of avery emotional, personal value is alienating."Are You Still My Mother? has manyvignettes about parents of gay people, andabout the children themselves. It also gives astep-by-step account of the six-session workshopsfor parents of gays (including materialsused) conducted in the New York City area byMs. Back, an M.S.W. and herself the motherof a gay son. There is an excellent section onwhat experts, including ministers, psychiatrists,social workers, etc.. have to say abouthomosexuality, much of which should be ofgreat help to a parent who is dealing with achild's "coming out." Another very importantsection. "What's A Parent to Do?" discusseshow to best protect your child, politically,philosophically and emotionally in a numberof different ways.This book is comprehensive and practical,as well as personal and moving. I wouldlike to see it used in all schools of social work,and I would like to see workshops, such asthose Ms. Back conducts, proliferatethroughout the country. We are all aware ofthe need for support groups, but these workshopsgo far beyond that The agendaincludes a historical perspective, philosophies,quizzes and reading materials, designed toincrease parental sensitivity and awareness,helping them to come to a realization thatone father expressed: "Most of the gays Ihave met. like my own son. are decent, lawabidinghuman beings: taxpayers; voters;and, aside from their sexual orientation, nodifferent in their desires and needs from thelikes of us. It is an honor to have my son inour family, and if 'family' is the strength ofour country. I'll hold mine high up in pride."The acceptance of his sons homosexualityprobably did not come to this fatherquickly or easily. This is a hard-won messagefrom parent to child that despite "differences"there is family support, unity, trustand love.Whether or not we have gay children,this book gives us a lot to think about.— Beverly LowyBreaking the Cycle of Child Abuse byChristine Comstock Herbruck (Winston Press.Minneapolis. MN, S4.95. paperback) describesthe work of Parents Anonymous, an organizationdesigned to supply help and support toabusive parents who are trying to break theirpatterns of child abuse. The work done by PAis certainly important. People should be madeaware of its existence and. possibly, set uptheir own chapters with hotlines throughoutthe country. However, this reviewer hadproblems with the book itself. Too manynames and case histories are thrown at thereader without a follow-up; one never knowsif, or how, the problem of abuse wasresolved. Another problem was the particulargroup highlighted. It seemed to be composedof middle-class women whose abusive patterns,for the most part, were verbal, emotionaland passive rather than physical. Noneof the women (there were few men whoattended) seemed in financial straits andtheir physical surroundings sounded comfortable.All abusive parents have emotionalproblems, but these women were not subjectedto the external pressures that povertycan bring. The book is episodic; one neverfeels involved with the core group of women— in fact, it's difficult to keep them straightand to remember who had what abusivecharacteristics.The author claims that 90 percent of abusivehomes can be made safe, but she doesn'tdocument this claim; and because there wasvery little case follow-up in the book itself, areader has no way of knowing how she cameto this conclusion. Nevertheless, the book isvaluable as a discussion of the work done byPA and informational on how to set up PAchapters. If the life of only one child is savedbecause a parent went for help. Ms. Herbruckhas done a real service by bringing PA to theattention of the public.Child Pornography by Shirley O'Brien(Kendall-Hunt Publishing Co.. Dubuque. Iowa.S9.95 paperback) is probably the best, mostcomprehensive book we've ever read on thissubject, and it should be read by every parent,teacher, or anyone interested in the welfareof children. Dr. O'Brien goes far beyondpornography and sexual abuse. She profilesthe victims, discusses the long-lasting effectson the child and why it is so difficult for parentsto deal with an eroticized child; interventionand treatment programs; and how totake action. Protective, preventive measuresare discussed in-depth. Most of all, she dealswith a sensational topic in an intelligent,informative, non-exploitive way. It is hard tobelieve that so much information can beLillian Wald of Henry Street by Beatrice Siegel(Macmillan Publishing $12.95)It never ceases to amaze me—theamount of women's history that has beensurpressed or just not available when I wasgrowing up and looking for role models. It isof note that as an educated woman and feministand as an adolescent who attended theHenry Street Settlement Music School. Iknew nothing of Lillian Wald. her life or herwork, until I read this book. That fact alonemakes it important.Lillian Wald is currently considered byscholars one of America's "most significantwomen and one of America's most importantsocial reformers." Beatrice Siegels workbrings Wald s world, her life and her significanceto women in the feminist and women'shealth movements very much alive.It was that turbulent time of the early20th century on the lower east side—streetsteeming with immigrants, radicals, intellectualsand reformers. Wald was not an immigrantbut came from an affluent Jewishfamily. As a medical missionary, she used hersocial and political connections to impactstrongly on the labor movements, peacemovements, reforms for women and childrenand —her greatest achievement—The HenryStreet Nurses' Settlement, on New York'slower east side.Historically and politically, this book isextraordinary for the reminder that the secondwave of feminism is almost repetitive ofthe first. Wald fought for city money to fightthe problems of infant mortality. What wasthe point of helping in the birth of a child ifshe did not help it grow? She fought againstchild labor and abuse, working with thefamous Mother Jones and Jane Addams.Wald envisioned a national researchcenter. "Ours is the only great nation whichdoes not know how many die each yearwithin its borders ". She arranged the firsthearings on the Care of Dependent Childrenand was mainly responsible for the FederalChildren's Bureau. She was one of the firstfounders of the Women's Trade Union. Theirplatform included demands for equal pay forequal work, eight hour work days and women'ssuffrage. Ninety years later, one of herdemands still has to become a reality.Backed in large part by the wealthyfinancier, Jacob Schiff. Wald founded theHenry Street Settlement and there lived witha group of intellectual, committed, educated,middle class, unmarried women. Wald's ownmiddle-class background oriented her alwaystowards the realization that life was notpurely survival but must incorporate somemeasure of joy—not only bread but rosestoo!As for Lillian Wald. the woman—forme she remained throughout this book, oddlyelusive. I had the strange impression that Iwas. at times, reading an extended resume.Wald is presented only by her accomplishmentsand mainly through the eyes of hercontemporaries. I never got to know how shedealt with the difficulties of being out ofstep and out of class, or of being a pioneer. In1915. Jane Addams wrote to Wald that "Youare a pioneer, as you know and must live up