Grandmothers: Essays by 21st-century Grandmothers

Description

An anthology of essays by twenty-four Australian women, edited by Helen Elliott, about the many aspects of being a grandmother in the 21st century. It seems so different from the experience we had of our grandmothers. Although perhaps the human essential, love, hasn't shifted much? In thoughtful, provoking, uncompromising writing, a broad range of women reflect on vastly diverse experiences. This period of a woman's life, a continuation and culmination, is as defining as any other and the words 'grand' and 'mother' rearrange and realign themselves into bright focus. The contributors: Stephanie Alexander, Maggie Beer, Judith Brett, Jane Caro, Elizabeth Chong, Cresside Collette, Ali Cobby Eckermann, Helen Garner, Anastasia Gonis, Glenda Guest, Katherine Hattam, Celestine Hitiura Vaite, Yvette Holt, Cheryl Kernot, Ramona Koval, Alison Lester, Joan London, Jenny Macklin, Auntie Daphne Milward, Mona Mobarek, Carol Raye and Gillian Triggs.

Helen Elliott is a prominent literary critic. Her writing has appeared in the Monthly, the Australian, the Age, Griffith Review and numerous other publications. She was the literary editor of the Herald Sun and has four granddaughters.

'A rich and diverse collection of personal stories.' * Big Issue * 'A truly rich collection of essays.' * Otago Daily Times * 'While many contributors look back to happy relationships with their grandmothers, all glory in the present joy of having grandchildren...With social isolation in full swing, many grandparents will be missing the close association with grandchildren celebrated in these memoirs. For them in particular, Grandmothers will inspire recollections of happier times in the past as well as hope for future reunions.' * Australian * '[These essays] record the experience and aspirations of some of Australia's most articulate female elders...The result is an illuminating set of biographical sketches and social histories - of self, family, and of locale.' * Age * 'Every mother should read this book.' * Weekly Times * '[A] lively and thoughtfully curated collection of essays...every contributor has something real and vital to say.' * Australian Book Review *