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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A diverse collection on dating, identity and life for singles over 40, October 7, 2005
This review is from: Single Woman of a Certain Age: 29 Women Writers on the Unmarried Midlife--Romantic Escapades, Empty Nests, Shifting Shapes, and Serene Independence (Hardcover)
Although I am no longer single, I have often wondered what would happen and (like so many of the women in this book), I lost my spouse unexpectedly, jarring my usual lifestyle.
Once the worst of the grief passed, hoow would life be different than when I was a youthful, idealistic 20 year old just starting out on my path in life, choosing my career and looking for a possible partner? How had I changed since then? How would that affect my life now? How would I forge a new identity, date, possibly open myself up to remarriage?
I was also curious about how living as a single woman over 40 would compare to being single in one's 20s, when viewpoints (and, possibly, physical appearance) can be quite different from women who have aged, gone through several relationships and, as a result, possibly matured and grown wiser.
This book didn't disappoint. While some selections were bittersweet, otherw were humorous, matter of fact or deeply honest. When I finished this book, I felt better for the experience. I also loved the fact that it can be picked up and read in sections, not having to go through it in any particular order.
Several selections stood out but I particularly liked Joyce Maynard's account of an online dating experience with a guy who seened promising online but, in person, presented a much different personality than she expected, making a simple discussion over cup of Chai seem...painful and baffling. She portrays the baffling world that can confront women who bravely risk dating but with different perspectives than when they were younger. As I read her account, I felt like I was right there, living every uncomfortable and agonizing moment (but it was written with a light touch and parts were humorous). This is just one of many standout pieces in this collecton.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A whole new culture, November 21, 2005
This review is from: Single Woman of a Certain Age: 29 Women Writers on the Unmarried Midlife--Romantic Escapades, Empty Nests, Shifting Shapes, and Serene Independence (Hardcover)
The success of "Sex and the City" and the apparent success of books like this one surely must be indicative of a whole new culture in America, that of single women over 40. Can it be that we're fast becoming a force to be reckoned with? In this youth-centered world we call America, we have to be the fastest growing group.
That is one reason I was hoping for a little more from this book. These 29 women are survivors. They haven't been beaten down by our being regarded as disposable items. But surviving isn't the same as living. They've found their niche in life, so to speak, with satisfaction but sometimes there's no joy. Are their voices subdued because they're afraid if someone hears, they might lose it all?
There is a lot of disappointment here. But there is also hope. Each one still has a long way to go in this life, many years in which to live, not only survive. And they seem strong enough, determined enough. Surely they have already experienced many positive events or moments. Those are what keep them going. And those I would have loved to read about more.
I can relate so strongly to the underlying sadness in many of these stories. There is joy in their wisdom, greater freedom and independence. And the attitude that says I got through this, and I can get through whatever else comes along, can encourage us all.
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Women Entering Their Stride--and damn funny to boot, October 31, 2005
This review is from: Single Woman of a Certain Age: 29 Women Writers on the Unmarried Midlife--Romantic Escapades, Empty Nests, Shifting Shapes, and Serene Independence (Hardcover)
In Europe, women "of a certain age" are revered for their life experience, their sexiness, curves and elegant wrinkles. We forget this in our youth-obsessed culture, but this book reminds us why women in midlife are show-stoppingly truthful, witty, wry, beautiful, and powerful.
I loved Susan Griffin's poetic travelogue; Cameron Tuttle's gravity-epiphany; Irene Sherlock's heart-wrenching (and familiar) reentry into the dating world; and the unforgettable Ms. Gonick and her cowboy!
Almost all of the essays are excellent, though, representing different voices, experiences, and places we land in our lives. This book is a great gift to women.
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