Overview

Wondrous Child will appeal to all grandparents, especially Baby Boomers who are now becoming grandparents, as well as their children, who want to understand what part grandparents will play in their family life. A Santa Cruz postpartum doula, a New Hampshire flute-maker, a Zen teacher, a dance therapist, a Sri Lankan film director-these are a few of the grandparents who share their stories in this bracing collection. The essays cover a wide range of experiences as they examine the marrow of this often undervalued relationship from both the grandparent and the grandchild point of view. A common thread running throughout is the special importance of these relationships, which are often as complex and rewarding as the parent-child connection. Wondrous Child is divided into four parts. In Part One, ""Settling In,"" new grandparents survey the territory and describe their expectations. Part Two, ""Balancing Reality and Hope,"" takes a deeper look at some of the heartbreak that can occur, as well as complexities- step-grandparenting, spanning geographical distance,the surprise of children living with grandparents. Part Three, ""Grandparents Raising Grandchildren,"" explores men and women parenting their grandchildren in the absence of parents. Part Four, ""Grandchildren Remember"" is written by grown grandchildren who catch the tone and feeling of this special person in their life.These vivid essays will appeal to both grandparents, as a celebration of their place in the family, and new parents curious about how grandparents can contribute to their children.

Full Product Details

9781583943625

Table of Contents

Reviews

Lately, as I deal with two adolescents and two more on the way, I have come to think that the entire point of parenthood might be grand parenthood. Certainly I expect it will be more fun. This delightfully honest collection of essays illuminates the warm and loving, yet complicated (even occasionally fraught) relationships between parents, grandparents, and the children they all love. It's a must-read across the generations. <br> --Ayelet Waldman, author of Bad Mother <br> Within these pages is proof positive of the loving legacy between grandparents and grandchildren. Proof positive that the generations have much wisdom and joy to pass along. <br> --Judy Ford, family therapist and author of Wonderful Ways to Love a Grandchild <br> This often-surprising collection of essays explores the complex role of grandparents in today's world of step-grandparents, ex-spouses, gay grandparents, racial issues, and what one writer calls bridging 'geographical and emotional distances.' T

Lately, as I deal with two adolescents and two more on the way, I have come to think that the entire point of parenthood might be grand parenthood. Certainly I expect it will be more fun. The delightfully honest essays of Wondrous Child illuminate the warm and loving yet complicated (even occasionally fraught) relationships between parents, grandparents, and the children they all love. It's a must-read across the generations. <br> --Ayelet Waldman, author of Bad Mother <br> As the demographic bulge of the Boomers moves into grandparenthood, Wondrous Child will help men of my generation, who were often unprepared to be parents and left their children with a wobbly role model of good fathering. Being a grandfather is a second chance to give and receive the blessings that flow from nurturing a growing child. This thoughtful anthology will help you put your best into creating a rewarding relationship with your grandchildren. <br> --Will Glennon, author of Fathering and 20

Lately, as I deal with two adolescents and two more on the way, I have come to think that the entire point of parenthood might be grand parenthood. Certainly I expect it will be more fun. The delightfully honest essays of Wondrous Child illuminate the warm and loving yet complicated (even occasionally fraught) relationships between parents, grandparents, and the children they all love. It's a must-read across the generations. <br> --Ayelet Waldman, author of Bad Mother <br> As the demographic bulge of the Boomers moves into grandparenthood, Wondrous Child will help men of my generation, who were often unprepared to be parents and left their children with a wobbly role model of good fathering. Being a grandfather is a second chance to give and receive the blessings that flow from nurturing a growing child. This thoughtful anthology will help you put your best into creating a rewarding relationship with your grandchildren. <br> --Will Glennon, author of Fathering and 200 Ways to Raise a Boy's Emotional Intelligence <br> <br> Since the ability of the heart and mind to respond, with love and ingenuity and dedication, to grandparenting challenges is the theme that runs through all these stories, this book might well have been titled 'Grandparenting as a Spiritual Practice.' <br> --Sylvia Boorstein, author of Happiness Is an Inside Job <br> Wondrous Child is a treasure, exploring the life passage into active grandparenting in sensitive and surprising ways. Savor the essays one or two at a time, so you can extract the most pleasure and meaning from each--ideas and perceptions from this book will stay with you for months to come. An ideal gift for moms, proud dads, and the grandparents in your life. <br> --Anne Mollegen Smith, former editor-in-chief of Redbook and McCall's <br> Within these pages is proof positive of the loving legacy between grandparents and grandchildren. Proof positive that the generations have much wisdom and joy to pass

Author Information

Lindy Hough was born in 1944 in Denver, Colorado. She graduated from Smith College and earned an MFA from Goddard College. A journalist and dance critic, she has taught writing and literature in colleges and universities in Michigan, Maine, Vermont, and California. She cofounded the Berkeley-based mind/body/spirit publishing company North Atlantic Books with Richard Grossinger in 1974, and was publisher and editorial director for many years. She coedited Nuclear Strategy and the Code of the Warrior- Faces of Mars and Shiva in the Crisis of Human Survival and is the author of five books of poetry, including the recent Wild Horses, Wild Dreams- New and Selected Poems 1971-2010. For more information, visit her website at www.lindyhough.com.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available