Fierce Voices: Women Reflecting on the Pleasures and Indignities of Aging

Fierce Voices: Women Reflecting on the Pleasures and Indignities of Aging has deepened my understanding of the aging process. A number of themes emerged from the reflections of the women who contributed to this book. Themes include retaining agency and autonomy, letting go and living on, finding a lifeline in friendships, family and laughter, ignoring shoulds, leaving a legacy and facing mortality and what lives ahead. When the world assumes that older women have slowed down, many of the writers show that this is absolutely not true. With wit and warmth the women discuss what feels richer now, what they are no longer willing to tolerate and how aging has sharpened their sense of self. The contributors offer a clear-eyed view of later life that is neither sentimental nor instructive, but fully lived. This book is not a how to book or lessons learned but rather the honest voices of women who have lived fully and want to share their personal experiences. The thirty-seven contributors bring very different experiences and voices to this book and will help you the reader feel seen, understood and less alone. Enjoy!!