Susan Golombrok: We are family: what really matters for parents and children
Scribe Publications, 2020.
ISBN, 9781925713701pp. 320 , $32.99

Professor Susan Golombrok has spent years researching families and how they have changed in the 21st century. From queer couples being able to adopt to Kim Kardashian surrogacies, Golombrok packages her learnings into a compelling and readable book. She explores ethical effectiveness of non-traditional families.

Golombrok explores almost every type of family unit in her book. Vignettes detail lesbian couples with biological children from a former heterosexual marriage, single mothers with children conceived via sperm donor, to having ‘three parent’ embryos and more. These vignettes bring the research to life and make the stories come alive.

Professor Golombrok paints a picture of the stark reality of the past: discrimination ofqueer people keeping their families together and even details how traditional family stereotypes had previously seen a heterosexual murderer as a more favourable parent than lesbian mothers less than 25 years ago.

In this book, we learn about the struggles non-traditional parents of the past have faced and about why it was so necessary for the impacts of family types to be researched and investigated for the future of laws and policies impacting how we create families.

Many people, including myself, are open to the idea of all family types as long as they’re loving, respectful, and positive. The research in this book  delves into what really matters for families, exploring the way love, kindness, respect, and honesty really are the backbone behind everything. Professor Golombok also details what may impact children, causing struggles and ill-adjustment. 

We Are Family: what really matters for parents and children is an important book for many family units. If you’re deciding what’s best for your children and family, or considering egg and embryo donations, surrogacy, adoption or sperm donation – Golombrok’s research is for you. This book explores  what really fosters healthy relationships within families.

Professor Golombrok’s book is a quick, pleasurable read and doesn’t feel at all like you’re digesting decades of research. And as a bonus, after you’ve read the book, you’ll have plenty of reasons to defend your views if you’re in favour of all types of families or get a chance to change them.

This book was provided by Scribe Publications.