Casey's father was no longer in her family when she was six years old and her mother became the sole supporter of five children. Her mother performed child care work in her home, took in laundry and ironing, and also worked as a telephone operator. Her mother's sisters helped provide affordable housing. They were employed and single and did not have children, so they offered some financial assistance. Casey's sisters and brothers all had children while Casey did not.
Society tells women that life without children is no life at all.
Casey believes women pay a high price if they invest in these myths. We asked the author what she thought about the fact that nowadays it often takes two working people to provide enough to survive as well as their family of origin, in which only one person worked. Casey thought women who work and don't have children are often viewed as wanting to be comfortable rather sacrificing their life in order to have children and these women are often viewed as selfish. We pointed out that other western industrialized countries have better support systems for raising children, such as a family allowance stipend for each child, free child care, paid family leave, free education and asked if this affected women's choice to have children. Casey answered that her book only included women who voluntarily chose to not have children and led happy lives, and thus she did not interview women who regretted their decision.