The War on Moms On Life in a Family-Unfriendly Nation

Why life is harder on American families than it's been in decades-the book that takes the blame away from moms and puts it where it really belongsPressed for time and money, unable to find decent affordable daycare, wracked with guilt at falling short of the mythic supermom ideal-working and non-working American mothers alike have it harder today than they have in decades, and they are worse off than many of their peers around the world. Why? Because they're raising their kids in a family-unfriendly nation that virtually sets them up to fail. The War on Moms exposes the stress put on families by an outdated system still built around the idea that women can afford not to work. It tells the truth that overworked, stressed-out American moms need to hear-that they're not alone, and they're not to blame. Exposes a lack of reasonable and flexible work opportunities as the real cause of the supposed rift between employed and stay-at-home mothers Explodes the myths about supermoms, slacker dads, opt-out moms, bootstrap moms, daycare options, and make-$$$-from-home scams Uncovers the widespread, brutal reality of having no paid maternity leave Offers portraits of real women-across social classes and across the country-struggling with issues that will strike a familiar chord with most Americans Explains why American women have it hard and why it's not going to get any easier until the country dramatically changes courseThe War on Moms turns the "mommy wars" debate on its head by arguing that a mother's real "enemy" is not other women, but a nationwide indifference to the cultural and economic realities facing parents and families in the United States today.

SHARON LERNER writes regularly about women and politics for the Nation. A former public-radio producer and Village Voice columnist, her written work has appeared in the New York Times, the American Prospect, and Slate.