OTHERHOOD

A frank, hopeful look inside the world of single, childless women facing the end of their fertility.

With an increasing number of American women having a first child at a later age, the Census Bureau has labeled the trend “the delayer boom.” However, many are confronting the likelihood they will never have biological children. Huffington Post contributor Notkin (Savvy Auntie: The Ultimate Guide for Cool Aunts, Great-Aunts, Godmothers, and All Women Who Love Kids, 2011) suggests recognizing these women as “the otherhood.” Single and in her early 40s, the author speaks for a generation of women who expected to have the social, economic and political equality their mothers did not. They also expected “the romantic wholeness of marriage and family,” but the right man never came along or they were in long-term relationships that didn’t work out. She describes complaints older women have with men who can’t plan proper dates or who want a younger woman to settle down with. Far from the dowdy old maids and spinsters of yore, today’s mature single women don’t need to settle for a man they don’t love to support them. They have active social lives, successful jobs, and nieces and nephews to love. However, remarks by even well-meaning friends and family members can make them feel “less than” or at fault for not being mothers. In heartbreaking stories, Notkin reveals why “circumstantial infertility” can be as devastating as biological infertility. While many women are empowered by the ability to freeze their eggs or have children on their own, those choices are expensive and frightening for others. Rather than whining about her experiences, Notkin offers funny, instructive vignettes to bring attention to a largely misunderstood and overlooked demographic.

A fun, sexy examination of why more women are remaining childless longer and what that means for their lives and society.