Doing It All (Hardback) - Ruby Russell

Doing It All is a call for single mothers to take pride in their identity, and for society to recognise their value and respect the decisions single mothers make over how to raise our children.

A feminist exploration of single motherhood and a passionate call to reclaim the power of mothering.

Nearly a quarter of UK families with dependent children are single-parent families, and around 90% of single parents are women. Yet the single mother is still cast as victim or welfare queen, sexually irresponsible or too independent by half.

Tracing a history through Victorian brothels, welfare rights activism and Black feminist traditions of othermothering, Ruby Russell tells a different story: of motherhood defined not by marriage or men, but as a nexus of solidarity beyond the patriarchal status quo.

A personal quest for empowerment, Doing It All is also a fierce critique of the structures that leave single mums marginalised and exhausted - and a call to reclaim mothering as the life force of sustainable, connected and radically responsible communities.

About the Author

Ruby Russell is a single mum from London, living in Berlin. She has a background in photobook publishing, running participatory storytelling projects, and journalism. For the last decade, she has reported on the ecological crisis.