The May Queen: Women on Life, Love, Work, and Pulling It All Together in Your 30s [Paperback]

Andrea N. Richesin (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 23, 2006

If recent bestsellers such as The Bitch in the House and Midlife Crisis at Thirty serve as any indication of how women are experiencing their thirties, who can blame women embarking upon this decade in their life for panicking? Yet, as the contributors to this thoughtful and inspiring book attest, it doesn't have to be so scary.

In The May Queen, a wide array of women-including bestselling author Jennifer Weiner and star of the hit independent film Kissing Jessica Stein Heather Juergensen-describe the conflicting emotions they've felt in response to the "anything is possible" message women of their generation receive. And yet, all of the women featured in this book have found their thirties to be a time of great opportunity-a period in their lives in which they're taking the time to consider what they have lost, what they have gained, and what they still need to learn. This book gives a powerful voice to a new generation of women beginning to make its mark on the world.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In these previously unpublished essays, writers, artists, musicians, filmmakers, actors and businesswomen in their 30s take stock of their lives and "consider what they have lost, what they have gained, and what they still need to learn." Ivy Meeropol discusses making a documentary about her grandparents Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, who were in their 30s when they were executed for treason in 1953. Heather Juergensen wonders if she'll be the type of actor who takes the risk of aging naturally; and Veronica Chambers, who is now happily married after ignoring the advice of countless self-help dating books, knows that it's "okay to fall head over heels for one loser after another." Flor Morales, who runs a housecleaning service, fled an alcoholic husband in El Salvador for a new life in California; and prochoice activist Jennifer Baumgardner never considered an abortion when she learned she was unexpectedly pregnant, while Tanya Shaffer scrapped her plans for artificial insemination when the right man proposed marriage. This perceptive if uneven collection gathered by freelance writer and editor Richesin will speak frankly to 30-something readers as they make critical decisions about their own lives. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Andrea N. Richesin began work on The May Queen on the eve of her thirtieth birthday, and has been talking to women from all walks of life about this critical decade in their lives for the last four years. A writer and editor, she lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 269 pages
• Publisher: Tarcher (March 23, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585424676
• ISBN-13: 978-1585424672
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 6.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,429,710 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Andrea N. Richesin is the editor of four anthologies, Crush: 26 Real-life Tales of First Love; What I Would Tell Her: 28 Devoted Dads on Bringing Up, Holding On To, and Letting Go of Their Daughters; Because I Love Her: 34 Women Writers Reflect on the Mother-Daughter Bond and The May Queen: Women on Life, Love, Work and Pulling It All Together In Your 30s. Her anthologies have been excerpted and praised in The New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Boston Globe, Redbook, Parenting, Cosmopolitan, Bust, Good Housekeeping, and Babble. Visit her online at www.NickiRichesin.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and Thoughtful Book, May 4, 2006

By 

Busy Mom (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: The May Queen: Women on Life, Love, Work, and Pulling It All Together in Your 30s (Paperback)

I will have to say this is probably my favorite book in 2006 so far. The essays are wonderfully written and thoughtfully put together. I am sad that I finished this book but am glad that I have it in my personal library. If you're looking for a beautiful gift to give to the reader in your life, this book is it.

These essays are written by women who are in their 30s. They cover over everything; marriage, love, babies, work, relationships with past lovers, family and so on. Some of these writers have written so intimately of their experiences that you find yourself nodding your head and saying, yes. I know what you mean. Others have written beautifully of their dreams, their relationships with their parents and spouses, friends. I can honestly say that there is no writer in there that I did not enjoy. I can try to pick favorites but really can't. They all have shared their intimate thoughts about turning 30 and they all reflect my thoughts as well.

The only thing I disagreed with is that publishing houses is being in your 20s is the prime of life. Not really. I have found that when I turned 30, my life have come together. My writing has come together. I became a wife at 32 and a mother a month shy of turning 33. I know that I appreciate life and everything MORE than I ever did in my 20s. In fact, I don't remember my 20s as well because all I did was play. I worked in menial jobs till I was in my late 20s when I finally got started on my career.

Each and every one of the writers in this book has a unique writing style. I love the titles too: When He's Just That Into You by Veronica Chambers; The One and Only Buddha by Samina Ali; Milk Song, A Nursing Song by Erin Cressida Wilson; the one that brought tears to my eyes because that is the most that resembles my relationship with my mother, Getting Ready by Michelle Richmond. There are more ~~ and gosh, I really enjoyed these thoughtful and insightful essays. I hope they will write again when they approach their 40s. I am three and half years shy of reaching 40 and still find it amazing that life is full as I've always dreamed it would be. I'd love to hear those women's stories again!

With Mother's Day coming up, this is an ideal book for the reader. It's beautiful and wonderful. Their voices linger long after the last page is turned.

5-4-06

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Redefining a Decade..., March 20, 2006

By 

A. Helmes (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The May Queen: Women on Life, Love, Work, and Pulling It All Together in Your 30s (Paperback)

I've been dreading my 30s since my youth, when that television show, "Thirtysomething," depicted people in this age range as neurotic, self-involved, stressed-out, OLD, and generally, pretty miserable. I grudgingly entered my 30s repeating the desperate mantra: "It's the new 20s!" But after reading The May Queen, I can now embrace my age with an entirely new regard for this portion of my life. The essays in this book are witty, contemplative, and entirely relatable. It's a great read that will make you think about where you've been and where you are going -- and will make you feel a lot more comfortable in your 30-year-old skin. This book is also a great gift idea!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Phew, what a relief!, March 24, 2006

By 

Holly73 "Golightly" (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The May Queen: Women on Life, Love, Work, and Pulling It All Together in Your 30s (Paperback)

It's refreshing to find that I'm not the only one making mistakes and trying to learn from them. It is easy to get lost in your own life and feel confused about the path you're on. I am glad I had this opportunity to read the stories of other women trying to find their "grown-up" selves and succeeding - sometimes in different ways than they expected. It helped me to remember that anything could happen and to be excited about that. I truly enjoyed it!