Real mothers are single. Real mothers are raising their children in homeless shelters. Real mothers are phoning their children from prison to read them bedtime stories.
Real mothers are lesbians.
Real mothers are all these women, and their experiences are portrayed in the new book Mothering Against the Odds, Diverse Voices of Contemporary Women. Each chapter focuses on different groups of women, exploring the ways they resist the stereotypes about motherhood and in doing so are expanding the scope of what is considered capable parenting. That stereotype has not always been popular. Historical and cultural forces crafted the job description for motherhood, say the authors. In colonial America, mothers did not devote themselves to their children.