19815 Bay Branch Rd
Andalusia, Alabama 36420
(334) 222-2523
HELPLINE: 1-877-530-0002

SCAMHC is an approved Mental Health site for the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment program. Find out the program details and see if you qualify by visiting: http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/

SCAMHC is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer and maintains a Drug-Free Workplace

Family & Relationship Issues

Resources

Basic Information

Introduction to Family & Relationship IssuesHealthy Communication SkillsEffective Conflict Resolution Skills

More InformationLatest NewsQuestions and AnswersVideosLinksBook Reviews

12 and HoldingA Lethal InheritanceA Parent's Guide to Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning AutismA Stir of BonesAlone TogetherAlways On CallAngelsArtemis FowlBad Girls ClubBecoming AnnaBeing the Other OneBoys Will Put You on a Pedestal (So They Can Look Up Your Skirt)Breaking PointCaring for a Child with AutismCaring in Remembered WaysClawsCloserCrispinDaughter of the Queen of ShebaDirty DetailsDivorce PoisonEmpress of the WorldEpilepticEvery Visible ThingFamily FirstFamily TherapyFour CornersFrictionGandhi's WayGeorgia Under WaterGetting over Getting MadGetting the Love You WantGetting the Love You Want Audio CompanionHappiness Sold SeparatelyHope's BoyHow Families Still MatterHow to Keep Your Teenager Out of Trouble and What to Do If You Can'tI Don't Know How She Does ItI Only Say This Because I Love YouImagining RobertInside the American CoupleIt's Love We Don't UnderstandJakarta MissingJumping the ScratchLast Chance SaloonLife's WorkLive Through ThisLove SickLoving Someone With Bipolar DisorderMad HouseMaking Babies, Making FamiliesMaking Sense of SuicideMaking the RunMaking the RunMom's OK, She Just ForgetsMy HeartbeatNecessary NoiseNotes on a ScandalNothing to HideOrgasmsOut of the DustPlanet JanetPop & MeRaising AmericaRay's a LaughRelationship RescueReviving OpheliaRick SingsRunning with ScissorsSecrets of a Passionate MarriageSex, Family, and the Culture WarsSomeone Like YouSong for EloiseSpecial SiblingsStaying Connected to Your TeenagerStaying Sane When Your Family Comes to VisitThe Arctic IncidentThe Art of MisdiagnosisThe AwakeningThe Bastard on the Couch CDThe Burden of SympathyThe CorrectionsThe CorrectionsThe Dream BearerThe Dulcimer Boy The Einstein SyndromeThe Emotional RevolutionThe Eternity CubeThe Hostile HospitalThe Inside Story on Teen GirlsThe Little FriendThe New I DoThe Normal OneThe OASIS Guide to Asperger SyndromeThe Rules of SurvivalThe Same Stuff as StarsThe StepsThe TwitsThe Vile VillageThe Virgin BlueThe Visitation HandbookThe Years of Silence are PastTwistedUltimate JudgementUnderstanding MarriageUnderstanding the Borderline MotherUnhappy TeenagersWastelandWhat Goes UpWhat It Means to Love YouWhat Our Children Teach UsWhen a Parent is DepressedWill You, Won't You?Zazoo

My Heartbeat

by Garret Freymann-Weyr
Listening Library, 2003
Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on May 2nd 2003

Ellen is fourteen and she and her rather intellectual family live in New York City. In the fall she starts attending the same private Manhattan high school as her brother Link and his best friend James, who are both seniors, and she starts to see their relationship in a new light. She is very close to both of them, and admires their wonderful wordplay. She loves being around them. So when one night she summons up the courage to ask them if they are gay, she is appalled when her action causes terrible friction between the friends. She wonders whether being gay is just a matter of wanting to having sex with people of the same gender, or whether there is something more to it. She starts reading lots of literature on being gay, and gets a little clearer about it all. But her brother and James are themselves unsure about their own sexuality. What's more, Link's anger with Ellen and James pushes the two of them together, and the relationship that Ellen always dreamt about having with James starts to look like a real possibility.

My Heartbeat is well written, with rounded characters and a well-paced plot. Ellen is an appealing narrator, spelling out the events with plenty of wry humor and combined with a believable naivety. In the process, the book spells out lots of ideas about being gay, and shows how teenagers may try to think their way through their concerns, albeit in a rather intellectualized way. The story will probably appeal most to readers who can identity with the characters, and given the rather high-brow interests of the characters and their professional families, this may be a rather small slice of the population. Nevertheless, My Heartbeat is an unusually interesting book for young adults dealing with important issues. Christy Carlson Romano reads the unabridged audiobook well, keeping the energy level high, and she sounds young enough to be believable as a fourteen-year-old girl.

Christian Perring, Ph.D., is Chair of the Philosophy Department at Dowling College, Long Island, and editor of Metapsychology Online Review. His main research is on philosophical issues in medicine, psychiatry and psychology.

DISCLAIMER: Information on this website is not intended as, nor should be interpreted as, professional advice or medical or clinical recommendations. Neither South Central Alabama Mental Health nor any of its directors, officers, employees, or representatives endorse or guarantee the references or sites listed. No inference should be drawn from the exclusion of resources not listed. IMPORTANT INFORMATION, PLEASE READ BEFORE CONTINUING: The information contained on this Web site is for general reference purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice or a medical examination. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional before starting any new treatment. Medical information changes rapidly and while South Central Alabama Mental Health Center makes efforts to update the content on this site, some information may be out of date. The topics presented in this website are meant only as a guide and should not take the place of medical or psychiatric treatment by a healthcare professional.