Age does not define us. We’ve been hearing that for years. So, why does age fifty still have to mark the beginning of THE END for so many? A lonely suburban housewife, Amanda Wilson indeed thought life was nearly over as she approached fifty—that is until she found a voice, a community, a guardian angel and even an old flame in an unlikely place, at an unwelcome age. She put down her wine and found sanity in a new take on life—after the big five-oh.
Carol E. Wyer, a celebrated UK-based blogger and author, brings her new award-winning, tongue-and-cheek novel to the United States, Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines. The pithy musings of a seemingly washed-up woman, who is soon turning fifty, is loosely based on Wyer’s own experiences and personal blog. Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines charts the perils and pitfalls of growing old gracefully through the hilarious blog entries of a woman fast approaching her sell-by-date but determined to face her next big birthday with humor.
The journey of Amanda Wilson, Wyer’s heroine, reflects similarities in most of our lives, from the teen to twilight years, and is a light-hearted, humorous, even inspiring novel written as a series of blog posts. Ironically, the unique work highlights our society’s mindless denigration of older women and the shame attached to aging. Wyer bravely but amusingly confronts taboo issues often facing mid-life (and older) women, including the fear of loneliness, financial insecurity, fading interest in physical relationships and the isolation from contemporary culture. She uniquely illustrates how these feelings have been prematurely imposed upon the elder generation and brings to light, through Amanda’s blog, the coping mechanisms of the lost midlife generation’s attempt to reconcile their vigorous and vibrant lifestyles with their increasing mileage.
“There are some wonderful life-lessons contained in Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines,” says Wyer. “My goal, through Amanda’s journey of self-discovery, was to identify things we wish for, yet are already within our grasp. These things may not come beautifully gift-wrapped or perfectly packaged but it is how we perceive and handle them that will make all the difference in our maturing lives.”
Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines also covers the following themes:
- Identifying a treasure in an otherwise toxic relationship
- Family comes first: ways to show our loved ones they are appreciated
- Getting older does not necessarily mean becoming duller
- How to nurture and value friendships and why they are so important to women
- Don’t waste time searching for happiness
- The formula to staying youthful is to appreciate and laugh at life
- Learning from your elders… no matter how old you and they are
- The grass is not always greener on the other side
- Mid-late-life self discoveries
Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines has been in the top five Amazon paperback charts under the category of Women’s Popular Fiction and has achieved the number one rating in the Amazon Kindle charts under the category of ‘aging parents’ several times including January 13-20, 2012. The novel has also made the top-ten best selling charts on FeedARead for the last three months. Check out Wyer’s blog here!
