Part I. The big decision. "Why can't I have what I want?"
Liminality and the courage to change: making the decision to become a single mother
Moving on: when baby makes two
Part II. After baby, now what? Introduction: "Where do we fit"
Romance, intimacy, and pregnancy: father involvement outside of marriage
Conclusion: Ordinary lives, extraordinary circumstances
Part III. Composing a family. Introduction: recycling and reconstituting families
Downshifting careers while financing motherhood: relying on the gift-giver, the roommate, and the careworker
A world without men, amen?
Conclusion: What does it mean to be a good mother?
Conclusion: Projecting single mothers into the future
Epilogue: Completing families, completing lives
Appendix 1: Demographic appendix: featured women
Appendix 2: Methods and sampling.
