Someone Other Than a Mother

Cultural scripts about motherhood are so deeply ingrained that we''ve come to accept them as universal truth, putting mums on an impossible pedestal and shaming childless women and non-traditional families for not measuring up. We''ve all heard these lines before:·"Parenting is the toughest job in the world." This idea undermines the work of non-mums and puts pressure on mums (because the burden still falls disproportionately to women) to make parenting their full-time gig.·"It''ll be different when you have your own." Not only does this idea diminish the love of non-biological parents, but it pushes parents to go it alone, when in fact children are a gift best shared.·"Family is the greatest legacy." For many, children are the ultimate sign of a life well lived, and successes in other areas are discounted, but this book explores how women are making meaning beyond mothering and leaving a legacy predicated on more than DNA.Interweaving Lane''s story with those of others who also chose to go off-script - including singles and couples, stepparents and foster parents, the infertile and the ambivalent - SOMEONE OTHER THAN A MOTHER creates a vision for a woman''s life that affirms the beauty of motherhood while decoupling female purpose from procreation.