Saturday, February 5, 2011

Between a Rock and a Hot Place: Why Fifty Is Not the New Thirty by Tracey Jackson

I confess this review is overdue.  As with many of the books that the lovely folks at Harper supply for my perusal, I am probably not in the target market for Between a Rock and a Hot Place: Why Fifty Is Not the New Thirty by Tracey Jackson.  In many ways, it is aimed at the menopausal crowd and I'm a bit shy of that.  I did, however, thoroughly enjoy the ride and give it a confident 4 of 5 stars.

The book is a series of inter-related essays in which Jackson reflects on the reality of aging.  She looks at how advancing age affects many area of life, drawing primarily from her own experience and commenting on things such as beauty, intimacy, and work prospects.  The basic premise is that fifty is still fifty.  Thanks to both medical and societal changes, it is not the same fifty that our grandmothers faced.  But it isn't thirty either.  And we best admit that and move forward. 

The book is well-written, humorous (because we need to laugh at ourselves to survive) and engaging, even for a 33 year-old.  I imagine it would be a great comfort to a woman closer to the fifty mark who might be struggling with the contrast between the societal expectation of eternal youth and the reality of time. 

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