Mother courage : letters from mothers in poverty at the end of the century

In 1915 a collection of letters written by members of the Women's Co-Operative Guild, and edited by the General Secretary of the Guild was published.

It described the lives of poor women and the circumstances in which they bore and raised their children.Today in spite of improvements in living conditions, the recent dismantling of the welfare system has impoverished a growing number of mothers.

Nearly one baby in three is born into a family officially categorized as poor.

This book consist of letters from poor women in the 1990s, looking at their personal experiences of childbirth and childrearing.

Nutrition, infant mortality, length of hospital confinement, post-natal care and "maternity poverty" are all examined.