Doing It All

Single motherhood is a feminist exploration of single motherhood and a passionate call to reclaim the power of mothering, tracing a history through Victorian brothels, welfare rights activism, and Black feminist traditions. It is a personal quest for empowerment and a fierce critique of the structures that leave single mums marginalized and exhausted.

Format: Hardback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 29 February 2024
Publisher: Dialogue

A profound feminist exploration of single motherhood and a fervent plea to reclaim the power of mothering.

Nearly a quarter of UK families with dependent children are single-parent families, and around 90% of single parents are women. Yet, the single mother is still portrayed as a victim or welfare queen, sexually irresponsible or overly independent by half.

Tracing a history through Victorian brothels, welfare rights activism, and Black feminist traditions of othermothering, Ruby Russell tells a different story: of motherhood defined not by marriage or men but as a nexus of solidarity beyond the patriarchal status quo.

A personal quest for empowerment, Doing It All is also a scathing critique of the structures that marginalize and exhaust single mums—and a call to reclaim mothering as the life force of sustainable, connected, and radically responsible communities.

Weight: 550g
Dimension: 164 x 243 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780349702186