Sidelined by Your Adult Children?

Download Sidelined by Your Adult Children? PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : CreateSpace
ISBN 13 : 9781517398064
Total Pages : 194 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (98 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Sidelined by Your Adult Children? by : Rosanne Rosen

Download or read book Sidelined by Your Adult Children? written by Rosanne Rosen and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-11-16 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An enormous amount of your life has been spent dedicated to raising your children, worrying about their happiness, and being overly concerned with pleasing them. And what happened? Not what you expected! As adult children they often exhibit diminished family loyalty and uncaring behavior, expect you to earn their love and respect, and have little problem saying good-bye when they no longer need you. Sidelined by Your Adult Children? How to Take Charge and Be Happy is a remarkable book designed to help you regain control and liberate you from feeling angry, diminished, disrespected, or disappointed by your adult children. Divided into "The Reality of Sidelining," "Confronting Sidelining with an Open Mind," and "Taking Charge," authors Rosanne Rosen and Dr. Patricia James provide the equivalent of at least one hundred hours of real therapy in a nonthreatening and personal manner to help release you from feeling miserable and dejected as you develop a stronger and healthier relationship with your children.

When Our Grown Kids Disappoint Us

Download When Our Grown Kids Disappoint Us PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1439106827
Total Pages : 232 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (391 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis When Our Grown Kids Disappoint Us by : Jane Adams

Download or read book When Our Grown Kids Disappoint Us written by Jane Adams and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2008-06-20 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do today's parents cope when the dreams we had for our children clash with reality? What can we do for our twenty- and even thirty-somethings who can't seem to grow up? How can we help our depressed, dependent, or addicted adult children, the ones who can't get their lives started, who are just marking time or even doing it? What's the right strategy when our smart, capable "adultolescents" won't leave home or come boomeranging back? Who can we turn to when the kids aren't all right and we, their parents, are frightened, frustrated, resentful, embarrassed, and especially, disappointed? In this groundbreaking book, a social psychologist who's been chronicling the lives of American families for over two decades confronts our deepest concerns, including our silence and self-imposed sense of isolation, when our grown kids have failed to thrive. She listens to a generation that "did everything right" and expected its children to grow into happy, healthy, successful adults. But they haven't, at least, not yet -- and meanwhile, we're letting their problems threaten our health, marriages, security, freedom, careers or retirement, and other family relationships. With warmth, empathy, and perspective, Dr. Adams offers a positive, life-affirming message to parents who are still trying to "fix" their adult children -- Stop! She shows us how to separate from their problems without separating from them, and how to be a positive force in their lives while getting on with our own. As we navigate this critical passage in our second adulthood and their first, the bestselling author of I'm Still Your Mother reminds us that the pleasures and possibilities of postparenthood should not depend on how our kids turn out, but on how we do!

Doing Life with Your Adult Children

Download Doing Life with Your Adult Children PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Zondervan
ISBN 13 : 0310353793
Total Pages : 188 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (13 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Doing Life with Your Adult Children by : Jim Burns, Ph.D

Download or read book Doing Life with Your Adult Children written by Jim Burns, Ph.D and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2019-03-26 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Are you struggling to connect with your child now that they've left the nest? Are you feeling the tension and heartache as your relationship dynamic begins to change? In Doing Life with Your Adult Children, bestselling author and parenting expert Jim Burns provides practical advice and hopeful encouragement for navigating this tough yet rewarding transition. If you've raised a child, you know that parenting doesn't stop when they turn eighteen. In many ways, your relationship gets even more complicated--your heart and your head are as involved as ever, but you can feel things shifting, whether your child lives under your roof or rarely stays in contact. Doing Life with Your Adult Children helps you navigate this rich and challenging season of parenting. Speaking from his own personal and professional experience, Burns offers practical answers to the most common questions he's received over the years, including: My child's choices are breaking my heart--where did I go wrong? Is it OK to give advice to my grown child? What's the difference between enabling and helping? What boundaries should I have if my child moves back home? What do I do when my child doesn't seem to be maturing into adulthood? How do I relate to my grown child's significant other? What does it mean to have healthy financial boundaries? How can I support my grown children when I don't support their values? Including positive principles on bringing kids back to faith, ideas on how to leave a legacy as a grandparent, and encouragement for every changing season, Doing Life with Your Adult Children is a unique book on your changing role in a calling that never ends.

Don't Bite Your Tongue

Download Don't Bite Your Tongue PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Macmillan
ISBN 13 : 0230605184
Total Pages : 257 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (36 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Don't Bite Your Tongue by : Ruth Nemzoff

Download or read book Don't Bite Your Tongue written by Ruth Nemzoff and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2008-08-05 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A practical and empowering guide explains how parents can foster a close relationship with their adult children while, at the same time, respecting their independence, examining the dynamics of a healthy family bond, and offering advice on how to communicate long distance, discuss financial issues, handle an adult child's life choices, and more. Original. 30,000 first printing.

When Your Adult Child Breaks Your Heart

Download When Your Adult Child Breaks Your Heart PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1493003968
Total Pages : 264 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (93 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis When Your Adult Child Breaks Your Heart by : Joel Young

Download or read book When Your Adult Child Breaks Your Heart written by Joel Young and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2013-12-03 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Behind nearly every adult who is accused of a crime, becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol, or who is severely mentally ill and acting out in public, there is usually at least one extremely stressed-out parent. This parent may initially react with the bad news of their adult child behaving badly with, "Oh no!" followed by, "How can I help to fix this?" A very common third reaction is the thought, "Where did I go wrong--was it something I said or did, or that I failed to do when my child was growing up that caused these issues? Is this really somehow all my fault?" These parents then open their homes, their pocketbooks, their hearts, and their futures to "saving" their adult child--who may go on to leave them financially and emotionally broken. Sometimes these families also raise the children their adult children leave behind: 1.6 million grandparents in the U.S. are in this situation. This helpful book presents families with quotations and scenarios from real suffering parents (who are not identified), practical advice, and tested strategies for coping. It also discusses the fact that parents of adult children may themselves need therapy and medications, especially antidepressants. The book is written in a clear, reassuring manner by Dr. Joel L. Young, medical director of the Rochester Center for Behavioral Medicine in Rochester Hills, Michigan; with noted medical writer Christine Adamec, author of many books in the field. In the wake of the Newtown shooting and the viral popularity of the post "I Am Adam Lanza's Mother," America is now taking a fresh look, not only at gun control, but also on how we treat mental illness. Another major issue is our support or stigmatization of those with adult children who are a major risk to their families as well to society itself. This book is part of that conversation.

How to Connect with Your Troubled Adult Children

Download How to Connect with Your Troubled Adult Children PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Harvest House Publishers
ISBN 13 : 0736962395
Total Pages : 242 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (369 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis How to Connect with Your Troubled Adult Children by : Allison Bottke

Download or read book How to Connect with Your Troubled Adult Children written by Allison Bottke and published by Harvest House Publishers. This book was released on 2019-01-08 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What to Do When Parenting Gets Painfully Complicated Are your adult child’s mental, emotional, and physical health issues driving you to despair? Are you tempted to bail your son or daughter out of yet another impossible circumstance? When your child has reached (or long since passed) the point of independence, it’s difficult to know what your “help” as a parent should look like. From the author of bestseller Setting Boundaries® with Your Adult Children, Allison Bottke now offers an in-depth guide to help you connect with your troubled adult child, and to build your confidence, knowledge, and hope in challenging situations such as… drug addiction mental and emotional disabilities military trauma and PTSD personality disorders financial trouble depression and bipolar divorce incarceration …and so much more Whether you’re facing these problems for the first time or looking to learn more, take a step back and develop effective strategies to truly help your adult child—without sacrificing your sanity.

Reconnecting with Your Estranged Adult Child

Download Reconnecting with Your Estranged Adult Child PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : New World Library
ISBN 13 : 1608686582
Total Pages : 290 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (86 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Reconnecting with Your Estranged Adult Child by : Tina Gilbertson

Download or read book Reconnecting with Your Estranged Adult Child written by Tina Gilbertson and published by New World Library. This book was released on 2020-04-28 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Parents whose adult children have cut off contact wonder: How did this happen? Where did I go wrong? What happened to my loving child? Over time, holidays, birthdays, and even the birth of grandchildren may pass in silence. Anguish may turn into anger. While time, in and of itself, does not necessarily heal, actions do, and while every estrangement includes situation-specific variables, there are practical, effective, and universal techniques for understanding and healing these not-uncommon breaches. Psychotherapist Tina Gilbertson has developed these techniques and tools over years of face-to-face and online work with parents, who have found her strategies transformative and even life-changing. Gilbertson cuts through the blame, shame, and guilt on both sides of the broken relationship. Parents will feel heard and understood but also challenged — and guided — to reclaim their role as"tone setter" and grow psychologically. Exercises, examples, and sample scripts empower parents who have felt powerless. Gilbertson shows that reconciliation is a step-by-step process, but the effort is well worth it. It is never too late to renew relations and experience better-than-ever bonds.

Sidelined

Download Sidelined PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN 13 : 0759557497
Total Pages : 221 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (595 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Sidelined by : Kara Bietz

Download or read book Sidelined written by Kara Bietz and published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2021-09-21 with total page 221 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An emotional YA romance about small town secrets, high school football, and broken hearts. Julian Jackson has a short to-do list for his senior year at Crenshaw County High School in Meridien, Texas: football, football, and more football. He knows he's only got one chance to earn a college scholarship and make it out of his small town, and keeping his head down, his grades up, and his cleats on the field is that one chance. And then Elijah Vance walks back into his life, throwing all of his carefully-laid plans into a tailspin. Elijah and Julian used to be best friends, maybe even on their way to something more than just friends. But three years ago, Elijah broke into the school to steal money from the coach's office, and Julian was the one who turned him in. After that, Elijah and his family disappeared without a trace. And now he's back, sitting at Julian's grandmother's kitchen table. But time and distance haven't erased all of their feelings, and Elijah knows that he finally has a chance to prove to Julian that he's not the same person he was three years ago. But with secrets still growing between them and an uncertain future barreling towards them, it may be harder to lean on each other than they thought.

Done With The Crying

Download Done With The Crying PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780997352207
Total Pages : 351 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (522 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Done With The Crying by : Sheri McGregor

Download or read book Done With The Crying written by Sheri McGregor and published by . This book was released on 2016-04-30 with total page 351 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this encouraging book, Sheri McGregor helps parents of estranged adult children break free from emotional pain and move forward in their lives. With the latest research, her own experience, and insight from more than 9,000 parents, McGregor covers the growing trend of estranged adults from loving families. Devastated parents can be happy again.

Rules of Estrangement

Download Rules of Estrangement PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Harmony
ISBN 13 : 059313687X
Total Pages : 256 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (931 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Rules of Estrangement by : Joshua Coleman, PhD

Download or read book Rules of Estrangement written by Joshua Coleman, PhD and published by Harmony. This book was released on 2021-03-02 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A guide for parents whose adult children have cut off contact that reveals the hidden logic of estrangement, explores its cultural causes, and offers practical advice for parents trying to reestablish contact with their adult children. “Finally, here’s a hopeful, comprehensive, and compassionate guide to navigating one of the most painful experiences for parents and their adult children alike.”—Lori Gottlieb, psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone Labeled a silent epidemic by a growing number of therapists and researchers, estrangement is one of the most disorienting and painful experiences of a parent's life. Popular opinion typically tells a one-sided story of parents who got what they deserved or overly entitled adult children who wrongly blame their parents. However, the reasons for estrangement are far more complex and varied. As a result of rising rates of individualism, an increasing cultural emphasis on happiness, growing economic insecurity, and a historically recent perception that parents are obstacles to personal growth, many parents find themselves forever shut out of the lives of their adult children and grandchildren. As a trusted psychologist whose own daughter cut off contact for several years and eventually reconciled, Dr. Joshua Coleman is uniquely qualified to guide parents in navigating these fraught interactions. He helps to alleviate the ongoing feelings of shame, hurt, guilt, and sorrow that commonly attend these dynamics. By placing estrangement into a cultural context, Dr. Coleman helps parents better understand the mindset of their adult children and teaches them how to implement the strategies for reconciliation and healing that he has seen work in his forty years of practice. Rules of Estrangement gives parents the language and the emotional tools to engage in meaningful conversation with their child, the framework to cultivate a healthy relationship moving forward, and the ability to move on if reconciliation is no longer possible. While estrangement is a complex and tender topic, Dr. Coleman's insightful approach is based on empathy and understanding for both the parent and the adult child.

Walking on Eggshells

Download Walking on Eggshells PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Anchor
ISBN 13 : 0767920856
Total Pages : 257 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (679 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Walking on Eggshells by : Jane Isay

Download or read book Walking on Eggshells written by Jane Isay and published by Anchor. This book was released on 2008-02-26 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The perfect gift for both parents and their adult children—”a wonderfully wise and constructive intergenerational guide” that will keep you connected to the people you love most. “Read it and learn.”—New York Times bestselling author Judith Viorst We raise our children to be independent and lead fulfilling lives, but when they finally do, staying close becomes more complicated than ever. And for every bewildered mother who wonders why her children don’t call, there is a frustrated son or daughter who just wants to be treated like a grownup. Now, renowned author and editor Jane Isay delivers real-life wisdom and advice on how to stay together without falling apart. Using extensive interviews with people from ages twenty-five to seventy, Isay shows that we’re far from alone in our struggles to make this new, adult relationship work. She offers up groundbreaking insights and deeply moving stories that will inspire those in even the toughest situations. Isay’s warmth and wit shine through on every page as she charts an invaluable course through the confusing, and often painful, interactions parents and children can face. Walking on Eggshells is the much-needed road map that will keep you connected to the people you love most.

Hope for Parents of Troubled Teens

Download Hope for Parents of Troubled Teens PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Baker Books
ISBN 13 : 144127006X
Total Pages : 224 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (412 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Hope for Parents of Troubled Teens by : Connie LMHC Rae

Download or read book Hope for Parents of Troubled Teens written by Connie LMHC Rae and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2012-01-01 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Road Map for Parenting in the Troubled Years It is never too late for parents to reach their teenager or young adult. Licensed counselor Connie Rae draws from professional and personal experience to provide insight, encouragement, and advice. Offering wise counsel and a reassuring tone, she helps parents better understand their child's temperament, their own parenting style, and the developmental process their child is going through. She also discusses the world in which their teenager is growing up, which is very different than many parents realize. Each chapter ends with a list of practical steps and a prayer, giving parents wise advice but also offering hope through the process.

How to Really Love Your Adult Child

Download How to Really Love Your Adult Child PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Moody Publishers
ISBN 13 : 0802477909
Total Pages : 192 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (24 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis How to Really Love Your Adult Child by : Gary Chapman

Download or read book How to Really Love Your Adult Child written by Gary Chapman and published by Moody Publishers. This book was released on 2011-03-01 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: More than 10 years after Parenting Your Adult Child was published, much has changed - including young adults themselves, as well as their parents. Economic upheavals, challenges to traditional values and beliefs, the phenomenon of over-involved "helicopter parenting" - all make relating to grown children more difficult than ever. Yet at the same time, being a parent of an adult child can bring great rewards. This revised and updated version of Dr. Gary Chapman's and Dr. Ross Campbell's message will help today's parents explore how to really love their adult child in today's changing world. The book includes brief sidebars from parents of adult children and adult children themselves with their own stories. An online study guide will also be available.

Sidelined

Download Sidelined PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1524746126
Total Pages : 289 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (247 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Sidelined by : Julie DiCaro

Download or read book Sidelined written by Julie DiCaro and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2022-03-15 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Sidelined is the feminist sports book we've all been waiting for.” —Jessica Valenti Shrill meets Brotopia in this personal and researched look at women's rights and issues through the lens of sports, from an award-winning sports journalist and women's advocate In a society that is digging deep into the misogyny underlying our traditions and media, the world of sports is especially fertile ground. From casual sexism, like condescending coverage of women’s pro sports, to more serious issues, like athletes who abuse their partners and face only minimal consequences, this area of our culture is home to a vast swath of gender issues that apply to all of us—whether or not our work and leisure time revolve around what happens on the field. No one is better equipped to examine sports through this feminist lens than sports journalist Julie DiCaro. Throughout her experiences covering professional sports for more than a decade, DiCaro has been outspoken about the exploitation of the female body, the covert and overt sexism women face in the workplace, and the male-driven toxicity in sports fandom. Now, through candid interviews, personal anecdotes, and deep research, she's tackling these thorny issues and exploring what America can do to give women a fair and competitive playing field in sports and beyond. Covering everything from the abusive online environment at Barstool Sports to the sexist treatment of Serena Williams and professional women's teams fighting for equal pay and treatment, and looking back at pioneering women who first took on the patriarchy in sports media, Sidelined will illuminate the ways sports present a microcosm of life as a woman in America—and the power in fighting back.

Setting Boundaries with Your Adult Children

Download Setting Boundaries with Your Adult Children PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Harvest House Publishers
ISBN 13 : 0736976671
Total Pages : 226 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (369 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Setting Boundaries with Your Adult Children by : Allison Bottke

Download or read book Setting Boundaries with Your Adult Children written by Allison Bottke and published by Harvest House Publishers. This book was released on 2019-12-03 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Finally…Hope for Parents in Pain What parent doesn’t want their children to grow up to be happy, responsible adults? Yet despite parents’ best efforts, most heartfelt prayers, and most loving environments, some kids never successfully make the transition to independently functioning adulthood. Following her own journey, Allison Bottke developed a tough-love approach to parenting adult children that helps both you and your child by focusing on setting you free from the repeated pain of your adult child’s broken promises, lies, and deception. Setting Boundaries® with Your Adult Children offers practical hope and healing through S.A.N.I.T.Y.—a six–step program to help parents regain control in their homes and their lives. S = STOP Enabling, STOP Blaming Yourself, and STOP the Flow of Money A = Assemble a Support Group N = Nip Excuses in the Bud I = Implement Rules/Boundaries T = Trust Your Instincts Y = Yield Everything to God As you love your child with arms and heart wide open, know that no matter what happens you are never alone. God is in control and will be with you.

Beyond Done With The Crying

Download Beyond Done With The Crying PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780997352252
Total Pages : 408 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (522 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Beyond Done With The Crying by : Sheri McGregor

Download or read book Beyond Done With The Crying written by Sheri McGregor and published by . This book was released on 2021-11-10 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this follow-up to Sheri McGregor's highly regarded DONE WITH THE CRYING, mothers and fathers of estranged adult children are given new tools to move beyond acceptance and initial healing, and to tackle the toughest realities of this "blame the parent" era. In her compassionate, authoritative voice, McGregor once again sheds light on the harrowing ups and downs of estrangement for parents and other family members who are left behind. This illuminating book contains helpful insight from people like you: Loving families who never expected a child to walk away. All parents make mistakes. Some have deep regrets for things they did or didn't do. They share how they believe they fell short and how they're managing. How long must a parent bow to guilt, pay penance, and make amends? For any parent, reconciling may be a solo sport. Even when reconciliations do occur, their success requires wisdom and strength. That's why it's so important to empower yourself, make positive changes, and reclaim your life, even while waiting and continuing to reach out (if you choose to). Ten thorough chapters contain relevant research, reflection points, exercises, and common-sense advice. Expand your expand self-awareness, strengthen your resilience, and make sound decisions for your life, your family, and your happiness. Gain wisdom from other parents and grandparents, as well as from the grandchildren and siblings. Informed by the more than 50,000 parents McGregor surveyed, as well as her personal experiences, interviews, and daily interaction with hurting families, BEYOND Done With The Crying: More Answers and Advice for Parents of Estranged Adult Children is a practical toolkit filled with information and solutions to the complex, real-life problems that plague parents of estranged adult children and their families. Estrangement leaves a confusing legacy for the entire family. McGregor knows firsthand the grit, courage, and determination it takes to reclaim identity, remain a supportive parent to other children, and help the family move forward.

Friends & Mothers

Download Friends & Mothers PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Macmillan
ISBN 13 : 1466857129
Total Pages : 260 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (668 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Friends & Mothers by : Louise Limerick

Download or read book Friends & Mothers written by Louise Limerick and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2013-11-12 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Never again will you walk past a group of moms having coffee and cake without dying to know what's going on beneath the surface." ---The Sydney Morning Herald Five women, all of them mothers, meet regularly for tea and cake. Their lives are consumed by children, school drop-offs, and casual conversations; so their respite at the Vista Cafe is a welcome retreat. Until the day that Evelyn's baby disappears. Suffering severe postpartum depression, Evelyn is now in a psychiatric hospital refusing to utter a word---not even any information regarding the whereabouts of her newborn daughter, Amy---leaving her remaining four friends at a loss. In her absence, they begin to piece together Evelyn's life, as a mother and as a woman, and start to take a look at their own lives. What ensues is each woman's uncovering of her own lapsed desires---those dreams and wants that were slowly sidelined or put off for a later date as husband, marriage, and child-rearing became full-time occupations. Joanna confronts her halfhearted efforts to lose the baby weight from her second child, Sam, who is now three years old. Clare's lifestyle is as unkempt as her hair, a fact that usually has her buying the newest day planner but now makes her question her early beginnings as an artist. Susan is the stereotypical supermom who is never late to pick up her kids, yet she cannot seem to take the same charge when it comes to her own life. And Wendy, though the quietest among them, perhaps has the biggest secrets. In a darkly humorous manner, guilty secrets and lives are entwined as the suspense builds during the desperate search for Evelyn's missing daughter. Louise Limerick's Friends & Mothers is a vivid and honest portrayal of real motherhood and the challenges and joys that face the women who occupy this role---a contemporary story of the extraordinary strength of love. International Praise for Friends & Mothers "A great read . . . [Limerick's] depictions of the minutiae of raising children are lovingly realistic but not overly sentimental." ---The Age (Australia) "Where Limerick's writing shines is in her buoyant evocation of the sticky, constant, exasperating, and loving realm of small children and their careers. There are many such delicious scenes in this novel." ---The Weekend Australian "Limerick has a real knack for capturing the small triumphs and tragedies of everyday life . . . a passion and a tenderness for her characters that won us over." ---The Sydney Morning Herald