About this item
For thousands of years, marriage was a business transaction between two families. Fathers chose husbands for their daughters to build power, wealth, and social status. Rules about acceptable spouses were strict. Interfaith and interracial marriages were often forbidden. Over the centuries, laws and traditions governing marriage have changed dramatically. In the United States, interfaith and interracial marriages are common. Same-sex marriages are legal there and in many nations. In some places, however, centuries-old customs are still firmly in place. Modern matrimony has its ugly sides, such as rape, forced marriages, and bitter divorces. Learn about the good and the bad, with people from around the world discussing the complexities and the joys of marriage.
About the Author
Amber J. Keyser is the author of fourteen books for teens and tweens. Her YA novel Pointe, Claw (Carolrhoda Lab, 2017) is an explosive story about two girls claiming the territory of their own bodies. It received multiple starred reviews and was featured in Horn Book Love Stories for Pride Month and Booklist's Top Ten Arts Books for Youth 2017.The Way Back From Broken (Carolrhoda Lab, 2015) is a heart-wrenching YA novel of loss and survival, which was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award, received a starred review from Booklist and was an Alan Pick. Amber created, edited, and contributed to The V-Word: True Stories of First-Time Sex (Beyond Words/SimonTeen, 2016) , a nonfiction, YA anthology. Honors for this book include multiple starred reviews and New York Public Library 50 Best Books for Teens 2016, Chicago Public Library Best Nonfiction for Teens 2016, ALA Rainbow List 2017, ALA Reluctant Reader List 2017, and The Amelia Bloomer List 2017.She is the author of multiple nonfiction titles including No More Excuses: Dismantling Rape Culture (2019) , Underneath It All: A History of Women's Underwear (2018) , Tying the Knot: A World History of Marriage (2018) , and Sneaker Century: A History of Athletic Shoes (2015) , several of which were Junior Library Guild Selections. She is the co-author with Kiersi Burkhart of the middle grade series Quartz Creek Ranch (Darby Creek, 2017) .
