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Whatever...Love Is Love: Questioning the Labels We Give Ourselves Audiobook
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The acclaimed actress and dedicated activist shares her personal journey of discovery, and destroys outdated ideas about partnership, love and family that will resonate with anyone in an unconventional life situation.
Actress and activist Maria Bello made waves with her essay, “Coming Out as a Modern Family,” in the New York Times popular “Modern Love” column, in which she recalled telling her son that she had fallen in love with her best friend, a woman—and her relief at his easy and immediate acceptance with the phrase “Whatever Mom, love is love.” She made a compelling argument about the fluidity of partnerships, and how families today come in a myriad of designs.
In her first book, Bello broadens her insights as she examines the idea of partnership in every woman’s life, and her own. She examines the myths that so many of us believe about partnership—that the partnership begins when the sex begins, that partnerships are static, that you have to love yourself before you can be loved, and turns them on their heads. Bello explores how many different relationships—romantic, platonic, spiritual, familial, educational—helped define her life. She encourages women to realize that the only labels we have are the ones we put on ourselves, and the best, happiest partnerships are the ones that make your life better, even if they don’t fit the mold of “typical.”
Throughout this powerful and engaging read, Bello shares intimate stories and lessons on how she has come to discover her happiest self, accept who she is, and live honestly and freely, and tells the stories of those who came to her after her Times’ columns, grateful that someone gave voice to their life choices.
Whatever...Love Is Love is not a memoir about an actress. It is a frank, raw, and honest book about the way every woman questions the roles she plays in love, work, and life, filled with wisdom, questions, and insights relevant to us all.
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“Maria Bello has written a book that is honest, which comes as no surprise as Maria is one of the most honest people I have ever met. In Whatever … Love Is Love, Maria reveals her personal and radical self-exploration and questions the status quo imposed not just by her but also by society in general. Never preachy, in this book she diligently and methodically deconstructs where her values have come from…Personal, provocative, and inspiring.”
— Patricia Arquette
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“Bold, brilliant, and passionate, Maria is incapable of bullshitting. Her story is somehow both relatable and wildly unique. She isn’t afraid to ask herself the tough questions, and by doing so, dares us to do the same.”
— Olivia Wilde -
“Maria Bello has written the greatest testimony about living an authentic life…free from labels, restrictions, and other people’s opinions of who you should be. Whatever … Love Is Love is a heroic journey that will both inspire and change, and Maria reminds us of the purest definition of love and of the greatest privilege of all…becoming who you truly are.”
— Viola Davis -
“Maria’s mind, her soul, and her heart are all committed to drinking deeply of life in all its complexity and wonder. This book is the beautiful—honest, deep, brave, heart-wrenching, funny, real—document of that pursuit. Maria is one of the fierce ones whose journey sheds light for all of us.”
— Mariska Hargitay, actor -
“With clarity and exquisite honesty Maria Bello manages to be both vulnerable and self-deprecating. Whatever … Love Is Love is a must-read for anyone tired of old habits and labels, and is looking to grow in a way that works for themselves and the people in their lives. I feel sure this conversation has only just begun.”
— Pat Mitchell, editorial director and host of TEDWomen, advisor to the Paley Center for Media, and chair of the Sundance Institute -
“An important, timely, and brave exploration of self that questions the human tendency to label and stereotype, and shows how existing labels may fail to capture the current human experience.”
— Yasmeen Hassan, global executive director of Equality Now
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About Maria Bello
Maria Bello, an award winning actor (The Cooler, Coyote Ugly, History of Violence, Sisters), and is an internationally renowned activist for social justice and women’s rights around the world, with a special focus on Haiti. She is currently writing a book and just completed writing a television series under her film production company, groundfloorentertainment, which focuses on social impact entertainment.