Mothers of the 1950s were wasp-waisted, dutiful, serene, and tied to the kitchen with apron strings. Or so we thought. This collection of searing and startling poetry and prose unties the stereotype and reveals women who were strong, wild, talented, wise, mad, creative, desperate, angry, courageous, bitter, tenacious, reckless and beautiful, sometimes all at once. The fifty-six contributors from across Canada and the world include multi-award-winning poets, novelists, and essayists, as well as compelling new literary voices. Authors include Judy Fong Bates, Denise Chong, Marjorie Doyle, Isabel Huggan, Jeanette Lynes, Alice Major, Daphne Marlatt, Diane Schoemperlen, Betsy Struthers, Sharon Thesen, Patricia Young, and more.