Mothering Without a Compass: White Mother's Love, Black Son's Courage

by Becky W. Thompson

A lively meditation on creating a multiracial family.

In 1997, Becky Thompson began parenting nine-year-old Adrian at the request of his mother, and her life changed forever. Mothering without a Compass is the moving story of her first year as the white lesbian "sudden-mother" of an African American boy. From the everyday yet sometimes overwhelming tasks of finding Adrian a school and debating the significance of action figures,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0816636354
• ISBN13: 9780816636358
• Release Date: September 2000
• Publisher: University of Minnesota Press
• Length: 180 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.7" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Humorous, Courageous and filled with Integrity

Although Becky Thompson is literally Mothering Without A Compass while raising a justice minded African American boy, she certainly is laying groundwork for others to establish a truly just and multiracial society. This book is a feast to read! From the daily politics of doing homework assignments to the more serious issues of dealing with her son's and her own experiences of abuse, trauma, racism, classism and homophobia, this book is truly a gift. I recommend this to anybody, mothers, fathers, coparents, siblings, teachers, students, activists. Enjoy!