Aunting

<p>Whether related by biology marriage circumstance or choice aunts embody a uniquely flexible familial role. The aunt-niece/nephew relationship--though often overlooked--is critical and complex one that appears at the core of a resilient healthy family life.</p><p>In this engaging book Laura Ellingson and Patricia Sotirin construct a consideration of aunts that moves from noun to verb. Aunts is more than a group of people or a role; instead to aunt is a practice something people do. Some women aunt as second mothers friends or mentors while others play more peripheral roles. In either case aunts nonetheless significantly impact their nieces and nephews' life choices.</p><p>Drawing on personal narratives that represent a rich cross section of society Ellingson and Sotirin construct a cohesive story of the diversity of aunting experiences in the contemporary United States. Skillfully written <i>Aunting</i> recovers the enormous potential of this dynamic kinship relationship and offers a model for understanding and supporting the variety of families in society today.</p>