Nanaville: Adventures in Grandparenting

Anna Quindlen‘s reflections on becoming a grandmother, as well as on her son and daughter-in-law becoming parents, is funny, wry, loving, and moving.

Nanaville is an ode to the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren, but it also centers around the question: “When you have been a mother for so long, how is being a grandmother different?” Quindlen suggests that a grandmother or “Nana,” is not the primary decision maker but rather a supporting role to the parents. She admits that this is an ongoing practice for her, but she can see how it has helped foster a close relationship with her son and daughter in law, and thus her grandson. I particularly enjoyed Quindlen’s musings about her own grandparents and about how grandparents today are the same, but also how they differ. She also touches on how vital grandparents are for young families in many ways and the joys and challenges modern inter-generational families face.