Customer Reviews

Endings. Beginnings... When Midlife Women Leave Home in Search Authenticity

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Ani is my friend, so when she asked me to read her book and critique it, I was glad to oblige.
It is truly a guidebook for the woman who, at midlife, is looking at her life, and wanting to know who she is, other than the roles that we have taken on or
been given, as wife, mother, daughter, associate.
This book gives us meaningful insight and validation to "leave home", either figuratively or literally. It takes courage to do this, and most of us need all the help we can get.
This book is written for women, but isn't anti-men. It is compassionate, and rich.

Talk about validating one's midlife angst! This book was so helpful in saying to me: its all right, you're not crazy, you just see something new and different as you pass into mid and later life. I recommend this book for all women going through a major transition or just thinking about it! New job direction, leaving a long term relationship, a call to a new spiritual direction. Ms. Liggett's words will imprint on your longing and give you hope for your future whether that is a defined future or a whisper in your ear. Ms. Liggett puts spirituality, psychology and feminism in the mix and comes up with a real winner.

At last, "midlife crisis" has been redefined as a developmental passage
toward wholeness and authentically. In a world focused on
appearance and image, Endings. Beginnings... can fill the hunger for what's genuine, for what's real.
The book casts light on the probability that women's midlife stirrings may
be less about a relationship, and more about spiritual awakening.
Drawing on interviews with numerous women and her own experience, Dr.
Liggett helps the reader understand what is happening and guides her
to discover and deepen her individual quest for wholeness.
Endings. Beginnings... may be the best self-help book available for midlife women.
I wish I had had this encouraging guide to accompany me on my journey.

From the introduction on, the clear prose and the author's warmth, confidence, and openness drew me in. Ani's revelations of her own home-leaving and the meandering trail of her authentically lived life--including excerpts from her journals--are bravely vulnerable and touched me deeply. As did the courage and creativity of each woman documented in the book in mid-life transition. The variety of situations and approaches gives the book a broad sweep.

Besides being thought-provoking and enjoyable, Endings. Beginnings...When Midlife Women Leave Home in Search of Authenticity provided unexpected validation in a mid-life work decision. (I was reading for the pleasure of these compelling stories, not seeking guidance.) Ani's writing gave me pause and inspiration to look inside myself to determine the direction of my business. When I chose to ignore the advice of "all the experts" and honor what feeds me as a person, I felt supported by Ani and the women she'd interviewed. (That decision opened doors into opportunities, invitations and collaborations unimagined--so my story parallels that of the women in Endings. Beginnings...When Midlife Women Leave Home in Search of Authenticity!) This book, like any circle of women, provides sustenance.

Carolyn Jennings,
author of Hunger Speaks a memoir told in poetry