In the Garden of Our Dreams: Memoirs of a Marriage

See Larger Image	Manufacturer: Kodansha Amer Inc Written By: Shirlee Taylor Haizlip,Harold C. Haizlip Average Customer Rating:


Binding: Hardcover Dewey Decimal Number: 973.04960730092 EAN: 9781568362540 ISBN: 1568362544 Label: Kodansha Amer Inc Manufacturer: Kodansha Amer Inc Number Of Pages: 306 Publication Date: 1998-10 Publisher: Kodansha Amer Inc Studio: Kodansha Amer Inc
Editorial Reviews: Shirlee Taylor Haizlip, bestselling author of The Sweeter the Juice, and her husband, Harold C. Haizlip, describe, with unwavering commitment to each other, their families, and their race, what hard work, good luck, and most important, unshakable love can accomplish. Told in their alternating voices, In the Garden of Our Dreams is a portrait of their nearly forty-year love affair. Born into a generation reared in segregation, Harold, the Southerner, and Shirlee, the Northerner, strove not only to marry their individual differences in reaching for common happiness, but also joined the larger struggle of their generation to achieve integration and racial equality. In this intimate and moving memoir, the couple reflects on how they defined themselves as African Americans during some of the most important years in America's struggle with issues of race, class, and equality. Uplifting and romantic, In the Garden of Our Dreams gives all couples hope in this time of increasing cynicism about the value of marriage and the effect each individual can have in the larger struggle against society's ills.
Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: Uplifting story of the Longevity of Love Comment: This is the story of two people who found love and friendship and strength in their life together. It is funny and inspiring and at times gut wrenchingly sad. I couldn't put it down. Customer Rating: Summary: An enchanting story about love and marriage Comment: This is a wonderful story about two people who meet, fall in love and marry. But the story does not end there. It is not a fairy tale. The authors share their story of life, love, hardships and experience during their marriage. I like the way the book is written in alternate turns of the wife's voice, then the husband's voice. As the adage goes, "There are two sides to the story." I enjoyed reading each spouse's version. If you've ever wondered what goes on in a successful marriage, this book provides you with one couple's story. Fafa Demasio Customer Rating: Summary: An enjoyable read. Comment: I enjoyed this book immensely. I previously believed that the Taylor/Haizlip story was somewhat snobby, with two daughters who went to Yale, and the big beautiful houses they lived in, yadda yadda yadda, but in reading this book, I realized that this was not the case. They have struggled and perservered. I especially enjoyed Harold's story and "getting to know him". I sort of knew Shirlee's story since I read The Sweeter the Juice, and it was really nice to read of how they fell in love, and most importantly, how they've remained in love along with their other trials and tribulations. This book definitely has it all. I was pleased to actually have something that I actually wanted to read on the train to and from work. I also must say that the segments outlining Shirlee's driving adventures had me laughing out loud, too! I highly recommend this book, and wish it didn't end. Customer Rating: Summary: Not a just a fairy tale. Comment: I work at a women's organization where Shirlee Taylor-Haizlip is Scholarship Chairman, and I can say from personal experience that the Haizlips are not "kidding" anybody. The joke is on one of the previous reviewers, who discerned "interracial" from 306 pages of wit, candor and history. The Haizlips are as inspirational as their novel. They are gracious, genuine and clearly devoted to one another. I related to many aspects of their story, but also learned from its historical context. Above all, I simply enjoyed it. I laughed, and nearly cried, out loud. Read the book and you will want to share it. And, know that somewhere in Los Angeles, a garden really does flourish. Customer Rating: Summary: Love and commitment transcend tribulations Comment: The Haizlips have written a lyrical memoir of their forty year marriage, demonstrating over and over that love and commitment are the foundation of a lasting relationship. Despite the challenges that they encountered, this steadfast foundation never waivered. The previous reviewer somehow missed the most poignant message of their story. Racism is the ever present snake in the garden. As recounted in Shirlee's first book, The Sweeter the Juice, the issue of color and race in America is a powerful destroyer of families. However, Shirlee and Harold have managed not to succomb to the bitterness that bigotry and hatred can breed, but have built a life together and contributed to the greater good of sociey, reflecting their love for each other. I was awed by their story and felt priveleged to read it. My life is richer for having read this work, but even more so for having had the pleasure of calling them my friends. More Reviews