Twenty-five forefront women novelists, essayists, and journalists share unsentimental perspectives on the experiences of today's grandmothers, in a volume that features pieces by such writers as Elizabeth Berg, Bharati Mukherjee, and Judith Viorst 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' Daughters In 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 Nana Anne Roiphe learns to keep her mouth shut and her opinions to herself Elizabeth Berg marvels at witnessing her child give birth to her child Judith Guest confesses her failed attempt to be the perfect grandmother Jill Nelson grapples with unforeseen mother-daughter tensions Ellen Gilchrist reveals how grandparenthood has eased her fear of death Beverly Donofrio makes amends for her shortcomings as a teenage mother Bharati Mukherjee transcends her Hindu upbringing to embrace her adopted Chinese granddaughters Mary Pipher deconstructs the role of grandmother in our changing world