Works by
Mary Jacobsen
(aka Mary H. Jacobsen)
(Writer)

Fiction

• Blood Sisters: A Novel of an Epic Friendship (2006) -- Nominated 2006 Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Debut Fiction
  Emily Ashmont is blunt, cynical, fiercely committed to her work, and straight. Val Summers is romantic, sweet, immensely idealistic, lesbian, and in love with Emily. Blood Sisters: A Novel of an Epic Friendship tells the tale of these two unforgettable women and their decades-long friendship that deepens into an epic story all its own. Told through personal letters that reveal each woman's innermost thoughts and desires, the novel chronicles their intimate friendship from the 1970s through the 1990s.
  
  Each strong in her own way, Emily and Val share a connection that cannot be broken. From their abusive childhoods through their diligence to live life on their own terms, these soulmates traverse challenges together to emerge even closer than either thought possible. Blood Sisters: A Novel of an Epic Friendship spans the years illustrating the trials and tribulations of lifelong friends as they search for life's meaning, both meeting problems head-on while showing the depth and courage of their hearts as well as the uniqueness of their relationship.

Non-fiction

• Hand-Me-Down Dreams: How Families Influence Our Career Paths and How We Can Reclaim Them (1999)
  "My son the doctor! My daughter the lawyer!" Or whatever you heard while growing up. Sure, Mom and Dad are proud of what you've accomplished, but has anyone asked you (the one with the supposedly wonderful career) how you feel? If you feel trapped or disappointed in your current career or job, or if you feel you let your family's wishes, rather than your own natural talents, interests, and passions, guide your ultimate choice of career, you are living someone else's dream.
          
  If you are in this position, Mary Jacobsen's insightful wisdom, culled from her professional expertise and from her own personal life, illuminates the problems you'll encounter when you try to change this family dynamic. Then, by using her 7 Steps to Reclaim Your Career, you'll be armed with the knowledge you'll need to find the motivation and, finally, the courage to make the changes needed to fulfill your own dreams and attain success on your own terms.
          
  Over the last fifteen years, Mary H. Jacobsen has helped many people in this situation work through career transitions, and she can help you, too. You'll understand how even well-intentioned family expectations about work are passed on from one generation to the next, sometimes openly, but often in subtle and indirect ways, and how these expectations influence not only your career choice but also color your role, relationships, and values on the job.