Cara Romero thought she would work at the factory of little lamps for the rest of her life. But when, in her mid-50s, she loses her job in the Great Recession, she is forced back into the job market for the first time in decades. Set up with a job counselor, Cara instead begins to narrate the story of her life. Over the course of twelve sessions, Cara confronts her darkest secrets and regrets, we see a woman buffeted by life but still full of fight. But in recent years, we’ve seen a reframing of older women by older women. Again I refer to Hollywood: Meryl Streep starred in Mamma Mia (2008) at age 59, kicking things off for her generation. Helen Mirren is a goddess, Maggie Smith is THE dowager countess, and Emma Thompson just starred in a stunning film about sexuality at age 63. My point here is that despite what culture tells us, the lives of women do not end when we get married or have a kid or turn 50 or retire. There is a whole world out there that — according to my mother and aunts — opens up once we are done with our “youth” and move into womanhood, whatever that means to an individual person. To support this point, I’ve gathered 12 books featuring women over 50 whose lives are beautiful and full, and are, as requested, kicking ass. And there you have it: 12 books featuring women over 50. Maybe someday someone will write about my own exploits in my 50+ years…who knows? If you’re looking for more, check out 50 Must-Read Novels About Older Women and 10 Mystery and Thriller Books Starring Older Women.
