My Mother’s Sons provides a thoughtful model for how Western Christian workers can respectfully negotiate sexual boundaries and norms in Muslim contexts. Westerners are inclined to impose their own culturally shaped notions of gender equality and justice on non-egalitarian communities, alienating the very people they are seeking to serve. The author draws on his own research among Pakistani Pashtuns, intercultural theory, and exegesis of Christian and Islamic sacred texts to show that it is possible to work for transformational change without offending those who live within a patriarchal system.

"Hirshberg's debut novel packs both emotional punch and a vivid portrait of Jewish American life in post-WWII Boston. . . . Readers will find connections here to Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay and to Saul Bellow's classic The Adventures of Augie March." —Booklist (ALA), starred review Shortlisted, Historical Fiction, Best Book Awards, 2020 American Book Fest "This amazing mosaic of fact and fiction will hold readers in its grip from the first to last page." —Library Journal, starred review Winner, Independent Press Award 2019 Literary Fiction Gold Medal Winner, Best Regional Fiction, 2018 Independent Press Awards Winner, Best Regional Fiction, 2018 National Indie Excellence Awards Winner, NYC Big Book Award in two categories: 2018 Historical Fiction and Debut Fiction Winner, Three CIPA EVVY Awards: 2019 Literary Fiction First Place; 2019 Historical Fiction Second Place; 2019 Debut Fiction Second place My Mother's Son, the meticulously-crafted debut novel from David Hirshberg, is a story told by a radio raconteur revisiting his past in post-World War II Boston, the playground and battleground for two brothers whose lives are transformed by discoveries they never could have imagined. From the opening line of the book, "When you're a kid, they don't always tell you the truth," the stage is set for this riveting coming-of-age story that plays out against the backdrop of the Korean War, the aftermath of the Holocaust, the polio epidemic, the relocation of a baseball team, and the shenanigans of politicians and businessmen. Hirshberg deftly weaves together events, characters, and clues and creates a rich tapestry of betrayal, persecution, death, loyalty, and unconditional love that resonates with today's America.

Mothers and Sons: In Their Own Words captures the compelling connections between mothers and sons and translates those subtle emotions into deceptively simple photographs. In the accompanying texts, mothers and sons reveal their most trying and their most exalted moments with candor and humor, recounting both extraordinary actions and everyday existence with enthusiasm, from a parent's lyrical essay to a two year old's uncomplicated observations. With an introduction by Isabel Allende, Mothers and Sons is a powerful tribute in both words and images to the unique yet universal relationship between mothers and sons.

First published in 2001. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

With dazzling brilliance and empathy, Colm Tóibín's collection of stories wrestles with complicated themes of emotional restraint, the long reach of sexual repression, and the difficulty of escaping one's past. Each of the nine stories in this beautifully written, intensely intimate collection centers on a transformative moment that alters the delicate balance of power between mother and son, or changes the way they perceive one another. With exquisite grace and eloquence, Tóibín writes of men and women bound by convention, by unspoken emotions, by the stronghold of the past. Many are trapped in lives they would not choose again, if they ever chose at all. A man buries his mother and converts his grief to desire in one night. A famous singer captivates an audience, yet cannot beguile her own estranged son. And in "A Long Winter," Colm Tóibín's finest piece to date, a young man searches for his mother in the snow-covered mountains where she has sought escape from the husband who controls and confines her. Winner of numerous awards for his fifth novel, The Master—including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award—Tóibín brings to this stunning first collection an acute understanding of human frailty and longing. These are haunting, profoundly moving stories by a writer who is himself a master.

Through exercises and guided meditations, the author provides the means to uncover the influence of the primal bond between a man and his mother and to facilitate healing there—as well as in marriage, parenthood, friendship, and all other relationships of love.

Lyric Stokes lives, by most standards, a charmed life. Married to Michael Stokes, a prominent heart surgeon, she has financial security and lives in the lap of luxury. All is not perfect, though. Lyric feels inadequate because she gave birth to a daughter, rather than the son that her husband so desperately wanted. After an unexpected turn of events, Lyric discovers that she's pregnant again, but now she has to decide whether she even wants to keep the child she has longed for. She seeks solace in her church, where her daughter also feels at home;but they can't get Michael to join them. Disagreeing with organized religion, he has put his job before all else, including God. The distance between the couple grows further every day. Nigel Fredericks has a history of stalking women. He's been accused, but never convicted. Now he's set his sights on Lyric. She's at a low point in her life, and Nigel knows just how to take advantage of that vulnerability. Lyric's life is turned upside down. Nigel is like a cancer eating away at her mental stability, her marriage, and ultimately, her life. Will Michael reevaluate his priorities and his faith in time to save his family?