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Title details for Forcing the Spring by Jo Becker - Available

Forcing the Spring

Inside the Fight for Marriage Equality

by Jo Becker
Jamie Leonhart
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
A New York Times Notable Book of the Year | A Washington Post Best Book of the Year
“[A] riveting legal drama, a snapshot in time, when the gay rights movement altered course and public opinion shifted with the speed of a bullet train... Becker’s most remarkable accomplishment is to weave a spellbinder of a tale that, despite a finale reported around the world, manages to keep readers gripped until the very end.” - The Washington Post

A groundbreaking work of reportage by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jo Becker, Forcing the Spring is the definitive account of five remarkable years in American civil rights history, when the United States experienced a tectonic shift on the issue of marriage equality. Focusing on the historic legal challenge of California’s ban on same-sex marriage, Becker offers a gripping, behind-the scenes narrative told with the lightning pace of a great legal thriller. Taking the reader from the Oval Office to the Supreme Court ruling, from state-by-state campaigns to an astounding shift in national public opinion, Forcing the Spring is political and legal journalism at its finest.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    April 22, 2014

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780147519597
      • File size: 431430 KB
      • Duration: 14:58:48

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Jaime Leonhart's strong, slightly nasal narration captures the story of a groundbreaking legal case. Becker's account of the challenge to California's Proposition 8--from its passage in 2008 to the Supreme Court's ruling in favor of same-sex marriage in 2013--focuses on the public relations professionals and lawyers who shaped the plaintiff's message. Her focus is appropriate, given the shift in public opinion that accompanied and shaped the battle in the courts. Leonhart's pleasant alto is clear and easy to follow. The story touches on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) challenge, which accompanied the Proposition 8 case to the Supreme Court. Leonhart's informal tone allows us to forget that this is the story of one of our nation's most important civil rights cases. F.C. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from March 10, 2014
      Channeling the extended legal battle over California's Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage into an engaging narrative, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Becker presents a thorough, perceptive read. Beginning with private conversations among friends and moving all the way to the Supreme Court, Becker constructs the legal story with the privilege of generous access to the plaintiffs and legal team that fought for marriage equality. Along the way, everyone from President Obama to director/actor Rob Reiner and current Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin find their way into the action. Becker navigates the vast amount of legal history, backroom conversations, media wrangling, and personal stories with an ease that makes what could otherwise be a demanding or partisan story into learned political journalism. While the tendency to paint the fight for gay marriage as the pinnacle of gay rights might dismay those involved in other aspects of the political struggle, Becker's insights into the legal process are evenhanded. In the end, the book stands testament to good political writing and a wealth of information made alive through prose. Agent: Sloan Harris, ICM.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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