Ellen M Levy

Chosen Family follows the maturing relationship of Deborah and Miriam, the lesbian couple who weathered rejection and isolation after falling in love in 1910. We watched them struggle as they learned to balance their relationship with each other and their families as they faced intense experiences of loss and jealousy.They enter 1915, at ages 22 and 23, dealing with multiple challenges in their world. They create a family of choice by bringing those in their inner circle closer. As each person in their lives impacts Deborah and Miriam, they expand their ability to cope with and learn from new experiences, enriching them as individuals and as a couple.Deborah's enthusiasm in this book centers around her developing skills as a businesswoman, a writer, a friend, and a lover. Her maturity is welcome, as she becomes more confident and less impulsive. Deborah learns balance and to express her desires clearly, with less demand. Will she be able to put aside her practical temperament to meet Miriam's desperate hopes?Miriam's focus is on her family. Their chosen child Sylvia, her sister Hannah, and her best friend Marjorie are of upmost importance to her. Also paramount is her growing ability to express herself and stand firm for her needs, setting aside her natural compulsion to care for others. Her awareness of ways to live a life bigger than the protected one for which she was destined, brings her into conflict, an unfamiliar experience for this sweet young woman.In this book, you will learn the importance of parenting for these two women, understanding their conflicted needs. You will watch their differing styles and desires, wondering whose demands will be respected and rise to the top. They face their demons separately yet come together when their equilibrium is challenged. Their relationship has stabilized, yet the demands on this young couple are enormous. You will root them on as they walk the unstable path towards adulthood.

True love knows no bounds . . .Deborah and Miriam are two young women whose love has survived the many obstacles life has thrown their way in their first years together. Now they find themselves in Boston, raising a young child whose been diagnosed as a Mongoloid Idiot, in an era where little was known about how to care for such a child at home. Deborah's thrilled that her writing is due to become published and she also pleased to be part of a growing and thriving business. Despite having found the woman of her dreams, she finds herself irritable and untrusting of Miriam's love.Miriam has given her heart and soul to Deborah and feels fulfilled now that she has a child and has meaningful volunteer work. She is proud of all their accomplishments at the printing and publishing shop and with her own ability to stand firm in her beliefs, even when Deborah challenges her. The world around them is changing. The Suffrage movement is trying to give women the freedom to vote and they feel guilty that they do not have enough time to continue their work for this cause. Also, people fear their country may go to war. During this time of uproar, Deborah and Miriam find their relationship becomes tested by an outsider. Will their love be strong enough to endure?

Deborah and Miriam, young Jewish girls vacationing in Massachusetts the summer of 1910, are immediately attracted to one another. As they explore their intense connection, they face challenges in their families, community, religion, and within themselves. These young women are products of turn-of-the-century values yet fall in love, a rarely accepted behavior in post-Victorian America. They explore ways to fit into a culture that is unforgiving of the choices they make, discovering what it means to be lesbian in a world which is not ready for them.

Deborah and Miriam, young Jewish girls vacationing in Massachusetts the summer of 1910, are immediately attracted to one another. As they explore their intense connection, they face challenges in their families, community, religion, and within themselves. These young women are products of turn-of-the-century values yet fall in love, a rarely accepted behavior in post-Victorian America. They explore ways to fit into a culture that is unforgiving of the choices they make, discovering what it means to be lesbian in a world which is not ready for them.

Many of Ellen's intimate, playful stories will make you laugh. Her natural exuberance and fascination with life is contagious. She rivaled her grandmother's catering career with a love of cooking, fine foods, and gluttony. Her "Brownie" camera pictures led her collecting enough photographs to fill this book (and many others.) Stories of her love of travel will make you want to hop on a plane. Her passions (chocolate, sex, cats, the arts, etc.) may become your temptations. Even her most painful experiences - the deaths of her beloved aunt and brother, her infertility, and the loss of her business gave her strength. Ellen's unique perspective will encourage you to value your own precious memories. Ellen M. Levy, B.S., M.A., C.A.G.S., grew up in Newton, Massachusetts. She has worked in non-profit management for over 30 years. This is her first full-length book.