Fiction about menopause is only recently gaining ground, after wellness guides and memoirs led the way. Five novels now tackle its early stages with force. Fran Littlewood's Amazing Grace Adams follows a 45-year-old London woman who, after her husband leaves and she loses her jobs, storms across the city on foot after a hot flush. Miranda July's All Fours sees an artist redefine herself during a secret detour from a road trip. Joanne Harris's Broken Light gives a menopausal woman newly activated psychic powers. Victoria Hannan's I Love the Whole World!
Former magazine editors Shoshana Berger and Nina Willdorf have founded the Aged Intelligence Society, which hosts invite-only dinner parties where women over 40 learn to use AI tools for midlife problems. Each event caps at roughly eight to 12 guests, and attendees bring a laptop and a personal problem to work through together. Berger says the tools help with caring for ageing parents and managing heavy workloads. The founders say women over 40 are well suited to AI because of their experience and sharp questioning.
Comedian and actress Mary Coustas says her GP suggested antidepressants when she described her symptoms in her late 50s. She later realised she was experiencing menopause. Coustas has co-founded Unpause, a telehealth platform with doctors who focus on menopause and midlife health. She urges women to push their doctors and to find another if needed. She also argues that the issue matters for employers and the workforce.
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Woman's Day's midlife guide argues that socialising supports happiness and wellbeing, and that staying connected to the local community may help keep people physically younger. Amber Bramble notes that around 15 per cent of Australians admit to feeling socially isolated, and suggests joining clubs as an effective way to meet people. Options include walking and swimming groups, dance classes such as ballroom and salsa, book clubs, team sports including walking netball, and volunteer roles. Lifestyle Editor Janine Donovan recounts how rowing with her children became a community that gave her lasting friendships in midlife.
