Description
Book SynopsisMothers of Adult Children elucidates what happens when children come of age and leave home, creating new lives in the realms of work and relationships. Mothers from around the world learn that this is the point in which their relationships with their children must drastically change. Mothers often come to terms with the changes by accepting differences and providing moral and emotional support when needed. However, the evolutionary nature of mothers' roles throughout the course of their children's lives is not only determined by the mother-child dynamic. The mothering of adult children is a transformative role, and the stories presented here show that the dynamics between mother and child are also influenced by cultural events. Accidents, disasters, war, and other hardships also intervene in these stories of multicultural motherhood. This book reveals the problems mothers of adult children face and celebrates the outstanding accomplishments of those who mother through hardship.
Trade ReviewMarguerite Guzmán Bouvard’s collection of essays provides a superb description of mothers of adult children. She includes essays by women from many cultures and many different socioeconomic situations that give the reader a panoramic view of the important work of mothers in the years following childhood. It is a significant addition to the literature on mothering. -- Ruth Nemzoff, PhD, Brandeis University, author of "Don’t Bite Your Tongue: How to Foster Rewarding Relationships with Your Adult Children"
In this compelling book, many women of adult children have contributed stories of advocacy for their children who are facing hardships; these forms of advocacy include protecting and offering them emotional support, caring for their families, and working in order to provide them with income. Coming from a multitude of economic and socio-cultural backgrounds, the women chronicled in this book behave as heroines—especially when faced with situations that create tension and ambivalence between mothers and their adult children. -- Jennifer Coplon, PhD, Brandeis University
Bouvard’s Mothers of Adult Children might be re-named 'Other Mothers of Adult Children.' The women whose stories she tells are not of the stereotypical Hallmark card variety. Instead, we are presented with women who mother despite and with major challenges—and in some cases the challenges are horrific. In this compelling book, testimonies of impoverished minority women reveal how economics and ethnicity plays a role in mothering. We can be grateful that Bouvard has shared these honest stories to help us understand how mothering has developed in this postmodern world. -- Shulamit Reinharz, PhD, Jacob Potofsky Professor of Sociology; Founding Director Brandeis University Women’s Studies Research Center
Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1 - When Nana becomes a mother Chapter 2 - Mad Hearts Chapter 3 - Rethinking Salvadorian Mothers’ “Suffering” and “Sacrifice” in a Transnational Context: Politics of Engagement Chapter 4 - Mothering Adult Daughters in Contemporary Poland: Fluctuating Scripts of Femininity in Post-Transitional Society Chapter 5 - Motherhood and the Empty Nest: The Challenges of Letting Go Chapter 6 - Prodigal Sons and Daughters? Mothers’ Experiences of Adult Children Returning Home Chapter 7 - Mothering Adult Sons Versus Daughters: The Role of the Spouse Chapter 8 - Mothering Adult Children With Special Needs: Handing In The Uniform Chapter 9 - Mothering For Life? Fractured Maternal Narratives, Care and Intellectual Disability Chapter 10 - An Adult Daughter Lost in Alcohol Chapter 11 - Mothering in War Chapter 12 - The Truth Is Never Ideal Chapter 13 - Mothering Lost and Found Adult Children Chapter 14 - Dreaming of Mothering; Waking to Joy and Tears Chapter 15 - Rules of Engagement: Grandmothers, Daughters and the Mothering of Mothers Chapter 16 - Generations Contributors' Notes
