On Our Own: Unmarried Motherhood in America

At the heart of the national debate about "family values" is the population of women who become mothers without first becoming wives. Some critics regard them as monsters, others as brave alternatives to traditional American families. Regardless of the way they're perceived, hundreds of thousands of unmarried women begin families each year. With a reporter's zeal (author Melissa Ludtke is a former correspondent for Time magazine, where her articles--including more than 20 cover stories--focused on family and children), an analyst's thirst for research, and a personal involvement with its subjects, the book is a compelling blend of stories and social commentary.

While much commented upon, unmarried mothers themselves rarely comment on their status, and Ludtke has gathered interviews of women from all rungs on the socioeconomic ladder, from teenagers to fortysomethings. The result is a thought-provoking and timely study that covers complicated issues and offers a forge-ahead attitude to choices often considered unconventional, such as donor insemination--its history and the issues it raises--and adoption. Discussions about accidental and intentional pregnancy, plus true-life stories alternating between the two sets of mothers--teens and older adults--represent only a portion of the ground covered.