AAUW’s Book Discussion with the Author of Charity and Sylvia: A Same-Sex Marriage in Early America
Time: June 23, 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Listen to the archive recording.
Event Description:
June is LGBT Pride Month. What better way to celebrate than by reading and discussing a gripping true love story about same-sex marriage? Join AAUW for our third online book discussion when we talk with Rachel Hope Cleves, author of Charity and Sylvia: A Same-Sex Marriage in Early America.
Called a “beautifully written and utterly absorbing love story,” Cleves’ book shines a light on the long but little-known history of same-sex marriage in the United States. Rigorously drawing on an array of original documents, including diaries, letters, and poems, Cleves blends academic writing with personal narratives and traces the couple’s lives with exquisite detail. In relaying the intimate history of Charity and Sylvia’s extraordinary union, Charity and Sylvia turns conventional preconceptions about same-sex marriage upside down.
Why do many Americans think that same-sex marriage and relationships are “new”? How does Charity and Sylvia’s story relate to today’s public debates about gay marriage? How did Charity and Sylvia survive living as an openly lesbian couple in strict, religious 19th-century New England? Join us as we speak with Cleves about her fascinating book.
AAUW MEMBERS:
Save 30 percent off of Charity and Sylvia when you order through Oxford University Press!
Just use promo code AAFLYG6 at checkout.
About ¡Adelante! Book of the Month Club
Female authors are much less likely than male authors to have their books reviewed in major publications like the New York Times and Harper’s Magazine. That’s why we created the ¡Adelante! Book of the Month Club: to spotlight engrossing stories and writing by women from all backgrounds. We also connect our members to some of the authors we feature through web discussions. Stay in the know about upcoming ¡Adelante! events, or create your own book club.
Related
![By user:Stilfehler (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://ww3.aauw.org/files/2011/07/books-150x150.jpg)
Submit your recommendation for the ¡Adelante! Book of the Month Club
Submit your book recommendations for the ¡Adelante! Book of the Month Club. Submissions are due by April 30, 2017.

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