Mothers of Adult Children

Marguerite Bouvard, PhD, was a professor of political science and department chair at Regis College and is currently a resident scholar at the Women’s Studies Research Center at Brandeis University. She is the author of numerous books, including Revolutionizing Motherhood, Women Reshaping Human Rights, and The Invisible Wounds of War.

• IntroductionChapter 1 - When Nana becomes a motherChapter 2 - Mad HeartsChapter 3 - Rethinking Salvadorian Mothers’ “Suffering” and “Sacrifice” in a TransnationalContext: Politics of EngagementChapter 4 - Mothering Adult Daughters in Contemporary Poland: Fluctuating Scripts ofFemininity in Post-Transitional SocietyChapter 5 - Motherhood and the Empty Nest: The Challenges of Letting GoChapter 6 - Prodigal Sons and Daughters? Mothers’ Experiences of Adult ChildrenReturning HomeChapter 7 - Mothering Adult Sons Versus Daughters: The Role of the SpouseChapter 8 - Mothering Adult Children With Special Needs: Handing In The UniformChapter 9 - Mothering For Life? Fractured Maternal Narratives, Care and IntellectualDisabilityChapter 10 - An Adult Daughter Lost in AlcoholChapter 11 - Mothering in WarChapter 12 - The Truth Is Never IdealChapter 13 - Mothering Lost and Found Adult ChildrenChapter 14 - Dreaming of Mothering; Waking to Joy and TearsChapter 15 - Rules of Engagement: Grandmothers, Daughters and the Mothering of MothersChapter 16 - GenerationsContributors' Notes

Marguerite Guzmán Bouvard’s collection of essays provides a superb description of mothers of adult children. She includes essays by women from many cultures and many different socioeconomic situations that give the reader a panoramic view of the important work of mothers in the years following childhood. It is a significant addition to the literature on mothering.