Torn Apart: United by Love, Divided by Law

Recommended by David Mixner, Author, political strategist, civil rights activist and public affairs

In "Torn Apart: United by Love, Divided by Law" , activist Judy Rickard has complied stories of same-sex bi-national couples in America. There are incredible tales of 'Rube Goldberg' type arrangements by American citizens simply to be able to stay with their foreign partner. You will find in Ms. Rickard's readable and important book almost every conceivable arrangement between couples. If nothing else, we can always give the LGBT community points for creativity in the face of oppression.

Without question this book makes a powerful case of marriage equality. Elizabeth Gilbert (of "Eat, Pray, Love" fame) writes of this book:

These laws that force gay and lesbian families to do nothing but fight for their lives, rather than putting their shoulder to the wheel and working for the betterment of the society. And now they are in the fight for their lives.

The first part of the book is Judy's and Karin's own difficult story of binational love in America. Then she moves on to others. The story of Tony and Thomas is simply mind-boggling. They have been partners for 18 years and have had to live the lives of nomads. They spent six years in America and four years in Germany which is Thomas's home country. The rest of the time they have lived in 12 countries simply to love each other.

Rickard lines up the couple's stories with photographs to make their journeys more real to the reader. She wisely puts information about laws, rights and organizations at the end of the book. The stories are the power and she doesn't dilute them; the author keeps each one brief and that makes this book even more enjoyable.

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