Edited by Dianne Norton and illustrated by Mig
Mature women writing on a wide range of thought provoking subjects. With contributions from Jan Etherington, Germaine Greer, Anne Widdecombe and sixteen extraordinary ordinary women.

Visit the Wonderful Older Women page for more information and resources of interest to older women.

Of interest to groups who want to read and discuss together as well as individuals who just want a stimulating read. Readers are challenged to think about their own lives in a variety of ways – write your own ‘alphabiography’, obituary or soap opera.

Gwen Parrish writes:

When Dianne Norton (one of the four founders of U3A in the UK) invited a cross-section of older women to write about their life experiences for her recently published Third Age Press book “Defining Women”, she struck an exceptionally rich vein. Apart from three ‘celebs’ – Jan Etherington, Anne Widdecombe and Germaine Greer – the contributors are sixteen extraordinary ‘ordinary’ women, demonstrating Dianne’s point that older women are as distinctive as men and women in any other age group and it is insulting for the media to lump us all together as “the elderly”, no longer worthy of individual attention.

Dianne’s aim in producing the book was not only to prove this attitude absurd, but to ‘light a spark in other people’s minds’ and stimulate interesting and fruitful discussion about relevant issues. (Discussion group leaders please note – this could prove a very useful book).

The contributors rose magnificently to the occasion, delving deep into their personal experiences and laying bare their innermost feelings as they met a variety of challenges: taking a gap year off from domesticity to trawl the world solo, marathon running, bog snorkelling and wing walking (at 70-plus), and caring for partners with degenerative diseases. There are reports of research into the film industry – why aren’t older actresses chosen more often to play appropriate parts and why are younger models used to advertise cosmetics and other items specifically aimed at the 60- plus market? Marriage is put under the spotlight and so is grandmothering. The quality of writing is superb. Mig’s cartoons are a delight.

The book includes details of over twenty organisations of interest to older women, starting with “Growing Old Disgracefully’ (not as shocking as it sounds) to U3A, Age Exchange and Older and Bolder (NIACE), not forgetting the Fawcett Society and Grandparents Plus.

160 pages