When Lahad and May began researching how contemporary aunts navigate their very nebulous and complicated role in families and society, they found there was very little available data. One good resource, however, was advice letters written to the website Savvy Auntie, which bills itself as “the first community for aunts”. The website is run by New York-based author, marketer and entrepreneur Melanie Notkin, who in 2008 launched a bold attempt to redefine the contemporary aunt.