Books that center Mature women
Partly to stay sane and partly to avoid aimless social media scrolling, I’ve challenged myself to read at least 2 books a month. Reading has become a welcome distraction and reliable means to escape. I’ve been particularly obsessed with stories that center middle-aged and older women. After all, this is a blog with a 50 and over point of view, so stories from a mid-life, female perspective are particularly resonating. Whether books, television or movies, pop culture tends to overlook older women’s experiences. Even rarer are books that explore themes like menopause and aging.
Here are some books that I’ve enjoyed lately with older women main characters:
Same as it Ever Was by Claire Lombardo: I devoured this book centered around Julia, a woman in her late fifties preparing to send her youngest daughter off to college when her 24-year son Ben announces that he is getting married. The news brings up memories and reflections of the past. It’s a book about the messiness of lives, the baggage we bring to our relationships, the sometimes loneliness of motherhood. There were so many passages that resonated deeply for me, but there’s one particular scene when Julia is watching a reality show with her teen daughter who stressed out by the college acceptance process and has taken out her frustrations on her family, mostly Julia. But in this moment, they are cuddling together on the sofa and the passage describes so perfectly that feeling as a mom of wanting to live in that moment for as long as possible, knowing that soon that child will be leaving home and moments like that one will become few are far between. Interesting fact, Lombardo isn’t a parent but does a tremendous job of capturing motherhood.
All Fours by Miranda July: I’ve just started to read this, barely 1/3 in, so the jury is still out. I will say that the writing so far is funny and absurdly honest. The story centers around a 45-year old semi-famous artist who decides to take a road trip from her home in Los Angeles to New Year, but about 30 minutes into the drive heads off the highway and stays for two weeks at modest hotel where she meets a younger man. This book does have some spicy descriptions of sex so if that’s not your cup of tea, then this one isn’t for you. There’s a passage early in the book that drew me in, which I’ll quote here, partially to avoid copyright infringement: “Twenty years ago I’d been in my twenties; twenty years from now I’ll be in my sixties. I’m no closer to being sixty-five than twenty-five, but since moved forward…sixty-five was tomorrow and twenty-five was moot. I didn’t think a lot about death but…I understood death was coming and that my current preoccupations were naive. I still operated as if I could win somehow. Not the vast and total winning that I had hoped for in the previous decades, but a last chance to get it together before winter came, my final season.” By the way, this book has short listed for the Women’s Prize for Fiction.
Sandwich by Catherine Newman: I read this last summer and the Cape Cod setting makes it a great summer read. Rocky, a 50-something woman sandwiched between her adult children and aging parents, relives memories of past summers together on their annual family trip to the Cape. Similar to Same as it Ever Was, this book explores the complexities of motherhood, life’s transitions and does not shy away from discussing difficult topics like menopause and abortion. Literary Queen Ann Patchett praised this book as “joy in book form. I laughed continuously except for the parts that made me cry…”
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett: Speaking of Ann Patchett, truly enjoyed the Dutch House, so I was excited to read this one. Unfortunately, I did not love this one and almost gave up on after chapter two. I’m glad I stuck with it, because it was compelling, funny and another great exploration of the joys and sorrows of motherhood. Set on a Michigan farm during the pandemic, Lara’s three adult daughters come home to help with the harvest after the seasonal workers are sent home. Stuck together along with her husband and the girls’ father, Lara recalls her time as an actress years ago and her brief affair with a now famous actor. Similar to the themes in the books I’ve already mentioned, the story here also explores how our pasts impact our current lives. But Ann Patchett’s hands, this familiar theme is handled brilliantly. Having said that, I found the adult daughters to be a bit annoying and bit childish for adult women in the 20s and late 20s. I also had an issue with a older man dating a teenager in the beginning of the book, which was I why I almost gave up after two chapters. Once I got past that, I grew to care about these characters and enjoyed the book.
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout: Olive is prickly, sometimes mean and inpatient women in her 70s, although the book goes back and forth in time, who lives in a small town in Maine. Although Olive is the main character, the reader is introduced to some of the other towns people and their experiences. The storytelling is so rich that its so easy to become enamored with these folks.
What books are you reading and do you seek out books that center mature women? Or are you watching anything where older women are just side characters? Leave a comment below.
Happy reading!
