It’s pretty clear that Tolstoy was wrong when he suggested that “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Happy families—those we create, those we choose, and those we are born into—are as diverse and unique as love itself.
Join our host, Matthew Pearson, whose family was the focus of the documentary “The Mamas and the Papas: How two Ottawa couples became co-parents” for a conversation with Rick Prashaw
and Amanda Jette Knox, whose new books shed a light on love’s power to overcome obstacles and the many ways families can support each other in a world that is too often cruel and unwelcoming.
Adam Prashaw’s life was full of surprises from the moment he was born. Assigned female at birth, and with parents who had been expecting a boy, he spent years living as “Rebecca Danielle Adam Prashaw” before coming to terms with being a transgender man. After a tragic accident cut his life short, he left a legacy of changed lives and a trove of social media posts documenting his life, relationships, transition, and struggles with epilepsy, all with remarkable transparency and directness. In
Soar, Adam, Soar,
his father, a former priest, retells Adam’s story alongside his son’s own words. From early childhood, through coming out first as a lesbian and then as a man, and his battles with epilepsy and refusal to give in, it chronicles Adam’s drive to define himself, his joyful spirit, and his love of life, which continues to conquer all.
All Amanda Jetté Knox ever wanted was to enjoy a stable life. While still a teenager, she met the love of her life. They were wed at 20, and the first of three children followed shortly. She became an ardent advocate for trans rights when the child she knew as her son came out as transgender at the age of eleven. But the story wasn’t over. A little over a year after their child came out, her partner also came out as transgender. Knowing better than most what would lie ahead, Jetté Knox searched for positive examples of marriages surviving transition. When she found no role models, she determined that her family would become one. Told with remarkable candour and humour, and full of insight into the challenges faced by trans people,
Love Lives Here
is a beautiful story of transition, frustration, support, acceptance, and, of course, love.
Books available for purchase at every event: Proceeds support our free children’s literacy programs.
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Love Lives Here is an emotionally raw, often funny book that leaves the reader wanting to be Amanda Jetté Knox’s best friend. It’s the story of how people tried to push her down, and will strike a chord with anyone who’s ever been bullied. And that’s a lot of us!
