A
Miracle Every Day:Triumph and Transformation in the Lives of Single Mothers
by Marita Golden
From Kirkus Reviews , February 1,
1999
Single mothers get a break in this welcome, although slim, rebuttal
to the frequently cited statistics that children from single- parent homes are
destined for trouble. Herself a single mother during her son's critical middle
years, novelist Golden (Creative Writing/Virginia Commonwealth Univ.; The Edge
of Heaven, 1997, etc.) celebrates the sons and daughters of single mothers who
are not negative statistics. She was galvanized by a research study that dared
to wonder, ``If one out of every twenty-two African American males will be killed
by violent crime, what about the other twenty-one? Accordingly, Golden surveyed
the lives of single mothers whose children have avoided violence and trouble with
the law and appear to be on the road to
personal and career success. Among
them are Charlotte, who raised five drug-free, jail-free sons in a Washington,
D.C., ghetto solely on the income from a job as a school cafeteria worker; Claudia,
a lawyer and administrator, who adopted a baby daughter, now grown into a thoughtful
and self- confident teenager; and soccer mom Janet, whose marriage to a corporate
executive dissolved, leaving her with two children and no ostensible skills. Janet
returned to school and discovered talents for writing and teaching. Most of the
other women introduced in this book didn't choose to be singlemothers, but once
assuming the role, found their children to be as much of a support to them as
they were to their children. Golden believes that they took systematic steps to
clear-cut goals, seeking support in a religious faith, in extended family (including
church and community groups and, not always least, the children's fathers), and
in professional counseling or mediation; they also benefited from ambition, optimism,
and an ability to let go of the past. Cheers, for a change, for the resourceful
and resilient single parent and for the rewards that can come to both mother and
children. (Author tour) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights
reserved. Solo
Dad Survival Guide : Raising Your Kids on Your Own
by Reginald F.
Davis, Nick Borns, Nicholas F. Borns
The author, Nicholas F.
Borns
Passing on my experiences as a single Dad. As you read the book,
you will find that I was not aware of when I actually became a defacto single
parent. It just crept in quietly and suddenly stared me in the face. Talking with
other single dads, especially my co-author, really drove home the need for a book
such as ours. We finally decided to focus the book on some basic issues with which
all single parents must deal, but to focus from our all too real perspective as
Dads. Single Dads have some unique problems, just as single moms do. Mostly, we
wanted to get the point across that such a state is survivable and that we Dads
need not be a stereotypical, bungling, "male in the female role" as
is depicted by so much of our contemporary literature and movies. I made a lot
of mistakes, simply because I did not, at first, realize that I was a single parent,
later that I had little guidance to go on. There are many instances and situations
that I handled poorly. Hopefully, by discussing these, other single Dads can recognize
similar situations and avoid the pitfalls into which I fell. I found that the
more abstract notions put out by the parenting experts with numerous degrees after
their names fell short of the very practical, day to day guidance I needed. We
don't cover everything in this book, but the idea is to cover what we can and
show that other situations can be similarly solved. Our children represent our
success and immortality. We should give them the best start in life we can, regardless
of the situation. Reviews from Amazon.com
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