Who were our mothers, how were they shaped by the society they lived in, and what impact did they have on us, their children?

In this sequel to the popular book Our Fathers, twenty-five sons and daughters who shared a classroom fifty years ago relate their mothers’ stories. Some mothers performed war service before retiring to the kitchen. Others had professional careers and juggled work with family duties. A few had miraculous escapes from war-torn Europe, then struggled with a new language and society.

Everyone remembers their mothers’ cooking skills (or lack of them). Recipes typical of the times are scattered through the book.

Mothers were at the heart of family life in the 1950s. Our Mothers tells some of their stories and reflects on their powerful influence on the next generation.