Mother-Talk: Conversations with Mothers of Lesbian Daughters

Twenty-four mothers, twenty-four stories capture the complexity of coming to terms with the loss of a daughter who has changed sex or an anticipated relationship with a daughter, now a lesbian, who lives in a different world and will lead a different life. This groundbreaking book will help other mothers as well as lesbian daughters and ftm transgender children to understand their own mothers, their changed lives, and their determination to remain connected. “The interviews [are] riveting. It’s clear that the mothers were embarking on just as radical and challenging a journey as the daughters themselves. This book will be a classic for all the mothers out there wanting to hear from others who are going similar experiences.” — Esther Rothblum, Ph.D., Professor of Women’s Studies, San Diego State University “This outstanding collection focuses, for the first time ever, on women’s actual experiences of mothering, regardless of institutional involvement, biology, sex, and gender. It truly constitutes an anthropology of mothering, and thus is a ground-breaker—comprehensive, far-reaching beyond even gender, engaging, even fascinating—each chapter has its own charm—and its cross-cultural focus is invaluable. This marvelous book will make its readers think far beyond their culturally ingrained concepts of mothering and motherhood. It is a must-read for all scholars in the anthropology/sociology of reproduction and public health, and will benefit mothers themselves because of the broad and deep perspectives that it provides.” —Robbie Davis-Floyd, Senior Research Fellow, Dept. of Anthropology, University of Texas Austin, author of Birth as an American Rite of Passage