Focusing on grandparent-headed households, Gary Garrison examines his own experience as a caregiver to his step-grandchildren, and the experiences of others in similar situations, to paint an illuminating picture of grandparents who have put their lives on hold to raise their children's children.

Grandparents have particular challenges in this situation, as they often have to battle their own children for custody, deal with pressures from caseworkers, negotiate their own health and financial issues, and address the guilt and resentment they may feel towards the missing son or daughter who conceived the children now in their care. As well, many fear their grandchildren will be taken away, which keeps them silent and isolated. This fear can be particularly profound for Indigenous grandparents, who bear intergenerational wounds of racism and colonialism as they struggle to create a better future for themselves and their grandchildren.

No matter their background, grandparents looking for guidance and wisdom will find meaning in this brave and clear-eyed book.

Gary Garrison worked for the Mennonite Central Committee for almost a decade, coordinating visiting programs in prisons. With a Ph.D. in English from the University of Alberta, he is a journalist and the former editor of Alberta Hansard. He lives in Edmonton.

Gary Garrison's profile page