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“Love, Ellen”
Betty DeGeneres' book a must-read!

In recent years, Betty DeGeneres has stepped into the national limelight as the first non-gay spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, and as a woman who, without apology, openly expressed support for her famous lesbian daughter. Ellen came out and so did, in a sense, her mother, who captured our hearts with her simple message of acceptance, and helped pave a road that would begin to bring estranged parents and their gay children together again.

"Love, Ellen" is an eloquently written account of DeGeneres' life, chronicling the experiences that have brought her to where she is today. From her New Orleans upbringing to three failed marriages, nothing about DeGeneres' life has been boring, nor has she failed to learn and grow from each path she chose to take. With her fierce independence and quiet strength, DeGeneres is an inspiration to all women, heterosexual or not.

Of course, "Love, Ellen" is required reading for all parents of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people. DeGeneres confesses she was not immediately enthralled with the idea of Ellen's sexuality. Of Ellen's coming out to her at age twenty, 20 writes, "In my mind, I was frantically reaching, searching for any question, any argument, that would bring her back to her senses—back to being the lovely, young, heterosexual daughter she had always been." While loving Ellen was always easy, total understanding and acceptance of her sexual orientation would be harder gained, requiring time and a concentrated effort, for both mother and daughter, to communicate honestly with each other.

As DeGeneres' children are a part of her life, so they are a part of "Love, Ellen." Letters and poetry by Ellen to her mother, written over the course of many years, are plentiful, proving the quirky Ellen humor was present even in childhood. Son Vance, a musician and writer, appears throughout as well. But it is DeGeneres' own sharp intellect and style that make this book what it is—a class act.

"Love, Ellen" is proof that “Everymom” is still fighting to make the world a better place for all of us, with the grace and peaceful manner we have come to know and expect from her. A gifted storyteller, she writes with such charm and honesty that sexual labels disappear. In other words, no matter who or what you are, you will fall in love with Betty DeGeneres.

Rating: (on a scale of 1-5, with one being poor and five as excellent)
Love, Ellen

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Betty DeGeneres is the author of Love, Ellen: A Mother Daughter Journey. An activist for gay rights, she authors a column on Planet Out, and speaks extensively on gay and lesbian issues.Visit Betty's's website at www.bettydegeneres.com/ Other titles by Betty DeGeneres Just A Mom

“Love, Ellen” Author: Betty DeGeneres Category: Autobiography Paperback: 384 pages Published: April 2000 ISBN: 0688176887 Retail: $11.20 Publisher: Quill Click here to buy “LOVE, ELLEN”

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