Overview

A memoir about family, faith, and unconditional love * * * MULTIPLE AWARD WINNER - Gold Winner, Human Relations Indie Book Awards - Finalist, National Indie Excellence Award - Finalist, Next Generation Indie Book Awards * * * ""Mom, I think I'm gay."" When Maja comes out to her mom, Mary tells her daughter she loves her and will support her. But Mary soon discovers that protecting her daughter from pain and rejection will not always be possible. As she faces conflict within her own family, among her friends, and in her church, Mary relies on her faith and her belief in justice. Eventually she becomes an advocate for more love and inclusion in the Lutheran church, the state of Minnesota, and the wider world.

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9780692082126

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Reviews

Mary Knutson's stories of life with her lesbian daughter are filled with faith, wisdom, honesty, advocacy, and self-reflection. In this well-crafted book Knutson brings to life not only a mother's personal journey but also a family's journey alongside the ELCA's years of study and our country's struggles with same-gender marriage. I will recommend Maja and Me to parents I meet who are struggling still with one of their kids coming out. The book can also be useful to church professionals considering how to respond to LGBTQ people in their congregation and community. --Reverend Anita C. Hill, former associate pastor of St. Paul-Reformation Lutheran Church and former deputy director of ReconcilingWorks With great integrity, Mary Knutson tells the story of her journey from surprise and disbelief through acceptance and embracing her daughter's identity and partner. As a parent educator, I am grateful for this example for other parents who may face similar issues. Mary is an inspiring forthright guide. May our LGBTQ kids also find hope and grace and healing for their own family journeys, becoming all that God created them to be. --Marilyn Sharpe, author, speaker, and founder of Marilyn Sharpe Ministries 'I love you, Maja, no matter what.' These words spoken in response to her daughter's coming out set the tone for the journey Knutson and Maja take following that conversation. Honest and heartfelt, Knutson shares a growth-filled path that includes not only times of confusion, pain, rejection, challenge, and anger, but also faith, pride, healing, victory, and love. For anyone seeking greater understanding, this is a good place to start. Never preachy, Knutson offers quiet wisdom and deep compassion for not only parents and children on a similar path, but anyone wanting to better support those in the LGBTQ community who struggle for acceptance not only in society, but often in their church and family. --Carol A. Throntveit, Director of Adult Learning, Mount Olivet Lutheran Church, Minneapolis If you have been shocked by an unexpected revelation, as were Mary and Paul, this book is for you. Mary takes readers on a long journey and invites them to listen and to learn, to understand and to love. Out of struggle comes great thankfulness. --Lowell O. Erdahl, Bishop Emeritus, St. Paul Area Synod Maja and Me is a personal story about the challenges of parenting a daughter who discovers she is lesbian. Mary Knutson in a real and sometimes painfully honest way sheds light on the path toward wholeness through her family's faith, caring conversations, rituals, and traditions. --Reverend Jerry R. O'Neill, author of Out from the Shadows: Poetic Portraits of Faith

Author Information

Mary Rose Knutson lives in Minneapolis with her husband, Paul, in a 1912 home adorned with her many handiwork creations. She is also a teacher-first in the classroom, then as a mom and grandmother. Her love of music inspired her to pursue a new life of writing, which has led to her first book.

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