Customer Reviews

Single Woman of a Certain Age: 29 Women Writers on the Unmarried Midlife--Romantic Escapades, Empty Nests, Shifting Shapes, and Serene Independence

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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.

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.

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.

I found the honesty in this book to be very inspiring. I found both humor and sadness echoing my own experiences with navigating the single life as a woman in her late forties. It is a wonderful book in the sense that the truths to the stories are geniune and unique-- yet offer a sense of community with the single mid-life women like me. A great read!

This book resonates with emotional intensity like those moments in real life when every emotion seems almost painfully bright. When you look inside and try to find answers to questions that make you uncomfortable. The book is deeply reassuring - full of honesty and humor. Its an easy read, one that will hold your attention and get your empathy.

This compilation of essays is at times very interesting and at other times just plain odd. Being a semi-single woman on the verge of marriage, I find anything about the study of singledom to be fascinating. It was interesting to me to see the various situations that led to the singledom of these women and in many instances the stories were humorous enough to keep me reading long past my bedtime. In a culture where being single is both frowned upon and secretly admired, I was not surprised to see those sentiments reflected in the essays. Most of the stories are written by women in their 40's that live on the West coast. They are either single by choice, divorce, or death. Some don't want to be single at all and that is just their lot in life. This would be a good women's book club selection as it is sure to provoke discussion.

I've read about 70% of the book so far, and I really like the companionship inherent in reading other women's experiences with this stage and form of life. Most of us never expected to be single, and so we go through stages of being very "green", vulnerable, unsure of what we ultimately want. I have been astounded at how similar all our paths have been, in terms of feelings and experiences, despite our diversity and how dissimilar we may be in the conclusions we draw and the future paths we then choose.
I started a book club on this book alone -- for diverse, single (mostly) women of a certain age (mostly). It's a rich demographic, in terms of what we provide for EACH OTHER emotionally and psychologically... chatting about dating, divorce, empty nests, pets, menopause, sex drive, cougar syndrome, single woman economics, hobbies and joys, etc.
It was the book (having heard an interview w/ an author and editor on NPR like 6 months ago) that inspired the club, even before having read it myself. And the book has fulfilled my expectations, and then some.

Compiled and edited by San Francisco journalist Jane Ganahl, Single Woman Of A Certain Age: 29 Women Writers On The Unmarried Midlife-Romantic Escapades, heavy Petty, Empty Nests, Shifting Shapes And Serene Independence address the challenges and rewards of growing older as a single woman. The contributors address such germane issues as sex, loneliness, motherhood, financial struggles, blossoming careers, menopause, and more. The twenty-nine essays comprising Single Woman Of A Certain Age range from desperation to optimism, from bad moods to good grace, from the glamorous to the mundane, all the while keeping a focus upon the benefits and travails of living solo in a coupled world. This is highly recommended, thoughtful and thought-provoking reading.

Single Woman of a Certain Age is one of the most entertaining books I've read in a long time. Read it if you want to laugh out loud.