Crones Don’t Whine is a delightful introduction to a phase of life that can be highly productive and rewarding for the women who’ve reached this point in their lives.
Aging can be a time of empowerment for older women. Despite our culture’s obsession with youth, and beauty, Dr. Jean Shinoda Bolen points out that never before in recorded history have older women had so many choices about how they will spend their time, talents and resources. We all experience change, some very traumatic, but its how you chose to process the changes that distinguish a wise crone from a whiner. Attitude does count!
Dr. Bolen, a psychiatrist and Jungian analyst, whose previous works include Goddesses in Everywoman and The Millionth Circle, writes with common sense and humor about thirteen qualities to cultivate that will make your journey through the third phase of your life more fulfilling for you and the people and communities around you.
The key to this book is the subtitle: Concentrated Wisdom for Juicy Women. The thirteen qualities to cultivate are each given their own chapters, short and to the point. This slim book is a terrific read for someone addressing the emotional and social changes that often accompany menopause, and should be a springboard for seeking in-depth information on this topic.
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it. As a woman beginning menopause I am particularly interested in health and social issues surrounding aging. This is a huge, huge topic; with no one book able to address all concerns. But Crones Don’t Whine “concentrates” several attitudinal issues that can make a positive difference in your perception of yourself and the role you choose in today’s society. “Crones are connoisseurs of life’s good moments” according to Dr. Bolen, and I definitely agree with that.
~review by Karen Phillippi
Author: Jean Shinoda Bolen, MD
Conari Press, 2003
pp. 113, $14.95 US
