New York Times Bestseller"Finally, a look at grandmothering that is decidedly unsentimental. These clear-eyed essays offer humor and insight as they take on the multigenerational lives many of us now lead." -Cokie Roberts, author of We Are Our Mothers' DaughtersIn this groundbreaking collection, twenty-seven smart, gutsy writers explode the clichés and tell the real stories about what it's like to be a grandmother in today's world. Among the contributors: Judith Viorst exposes the high-stakes competition for Most Adored NanaAnne Roiphe learns to keep her mouth shut and her opinions to herselfElizabeth Berg marvels at witnessing her child give birth to her childJudith Guest confesses her failed attempt to be the perfect grandmotherJill Nelson grapples with unforeseen mother-daughter tensionsEllen Gilchrist reveals how grandparenthood has eased her fear of deathBeverly Donofrio makes amends for her shortcomings as a teenage motherBharati Mukherjee transcends her Hindu upbringing to embrace her adopted Chinese granddaughtersMary Pipher deconstructs the role of grandmother in our changing world