Synopses & Reviews
Written with warmth, wit, and wisdom, this straightforward guide
to grandmothering is based on the principles all grandmothers need to know.
The new grandmother in our society is rarely an elderly lady who has acquired a lifetime of experience and is ready to pass her knowledge on to the next generation. Indeed, basic grandmothering skills are rapidly disappearing. To fill the gap, Suzette Haden Elgin, a grandmother of ten, has written this down-to-earth, compellingly readable book to give grandmothers of all ages and experience a guide to basic grandmothering skills, an invaluable reference, and great comfort.
Guided by the Grandmother PrinciplesÑcommonsense aphorisms ranging from "The grandmother way is the easy way" to "Grandmothers already have tenure"ÑElgin covers all aspects of grandmothering. Among the many topics addressed are mediating family arguments, coping with emergencies, getting family members to do things they are afraid or unwilling to do, and assembling a family history. Whether you're a traditional granny whose grandchildren live down the block or an ultramodern grandmother who keeps in touch with the grandkids via e-mail, The Grandmother Principles is so inspiring and filled with so much indispensable information and advice that any grandmother will want to keep it close at hand at all times. Illustrated with delightful cartoons that underscore the joys and challenges of grandmotherhood, it makes the perfect gift for grandmothers to receive from their children, grandchildren, and other family members, or to give to themselves.
35 black-and-white illustrations
Review
"This book is both practical and fun to read....If you know a new grandmother, this book would certainly make a good giftÑor, you could make a gift of it to yourself!"
(Southern Lifestyles)
Review
"If your image of a grandmother is Aunt Bea from The Andy Griffith Show, you'd better update, honey. Times have changed and Ms. Elgin, author of the best-selling book and herself a grandmother of ten, helps women of a certain age navigate the sometimes stormy seas of grandmotherhood."
(Dallas Morning News)
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 207-210) and index.
About the Author
Suzette Haden Elgin, author of the best-selling Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense series, has a Ph.D. in linguistics and is a novelist and poet as well. She lives in Arkansas.