Raising Grandkids focuses on “skipped generation” families or grandparent-headed households. Collecting together stories from other grandparents and reflecting on his own experience as a caregiver to his step-grandchildren, Gary Garrison paints a compassionate yet compelling picture of the joys, fears, and passions that drive some grandparents to put their later lives on hold to raise their children’s children.

Grandparents in this situation have particular challenges, as they often have to battle their own children for custody, deal with pressures from caseworkers, negotiate their own health and financial issues, and address the guilt and resentment they may feel towards the missing son or daughter who conceived the children now in their care. As well, many fear their grandchildren will be taken away, which keeps them silent and isolated. This fear can be particularly profound for Indigenous and Metis grandparents, who bear intergenerational wounds of racism and genocide, as they struggle to create a better future for themselves and their grandchildren. No matter their background, grandparents looking for comfort, guidance, and wisdom will find meaning in this brave and clear-eyed book.

Gary Garrison worked for the Mennonite Central Committee for almost a decade, coordinating visiting programs in prisons. With a Ph.D. in English from the University of Alberta, he is a journalist and the former editor of Alberta Hansard. He lives in Edmonton.

Gary Garrison's profile page

"Garrison imbues honesty and compassion into his writing, comforting those in similar situations." Library Journal

"Raising Grandkids is an empathetic and knowledgeable book that shows grandparents they're not alone in the challenges they face while raising their grandchildren." Foreword Reviews