The purpose of this book is to approach lone parenthood from a life course perspective. Its chapters address the interdependence of multiple life domains across individuals and between individuals and institutions, as well as the relevance of individual agency and historical context. This introduction describes the phenomenon of lone parenthood across Europe through an account of the changes in prevalence and duration of lone parenthood across cohorts and contexts. Secondly, without any pretention to be an exhaustive review of the literature, it presents an overview of the main topic debated in the literature on the causes and consequences of lone parenthood. Third, it portrays the position of lone parenthood within various forms of social and family policies. It ends with an overview of the chapters included in the volume, highlighting their specific contribution.