"More than a Woman"

 More Than a Woman is by Caitlin Moran and all I can say is"Wow". In a series of essays - sometimes hilarious and sometimes heart wrenching - Moran takes us through the realities of life for the middle aged and menopausal woman, a time which she calls Hagdom. This references the Hag who appears in so many old stories and who is a woman beyond child rearing years,usually wizened and/or ugly but who possess wisdom - hard earned wisdom at that - which she uses to good effect. I'm not sure I want to be defined as a Hag - these women tended to be outcasts of society and often feared - but I get what she means. These are women who have moved past relying on their youth and appearance to live with acceptance of who they are as they age. In another time and place they would be the healers or the wise women of their society but in our youth obsessed world they are the largely invisible glue holding society together.

I found myself identifying with so much of what she wrote that I was reading aloud bits that strongly resonated to my sometimes bemused husband. Apparently a quote out of context can be confusing. Who'd have thought. Moran talks about many of the things that men and women have to deal with in the present world, some of them troubling, others amusing, and shares some very personal moments and experiences along with the ubiquitous To Do List that she quite rightly says every woman has either mentally or written down.

While I'm still not too sure I want to be a Hag I have to admit I have today's To Do List in front of me so maybe I've already missed my chance to be anything else. 

Jokes aside I do highly recommend this book. While it's aimed at women men would also gain a lot from it, if only a glimpse and some insight into the reality of women's lives. 

More Than a Woman is published by Edbury Publishing.