Turmoil © lynette sheppard
Menopause facts abound now on the internet. Menopause myths are prevalent as well. And now, drumroll, there is menopause fiction.
I confess to suffering (read enjoying) a full-on fiction addiction. So when I was lucky enough to read two books recently where the heroine was afflicted by the Big M, my two passions came together in perfect synergy.
In Hot Flash Woman by Adrianne Ambrose, menopause bestows superpowers on an unsuspecting woman of midlife vintage. It’s not enough that the Big M has reared its ugly head, but Barbara’s job sucks, her husband is not working, except as a couch potato, and she is dealing with teenagers at home. Her hot flashes cause actual fires and a government agency whisks her away to study or use her power. Hilariously funny and a great take on menopause (I WISH I could have had superpowers with my hot flashes), my only complaint is that I want more. Book 1 is short enough to read at one sitting – now I want to know what happens next. While I will have to wait for book 2, you can get book 1 by clicking here: Hot Flash Woman.
Shelly Hickman’s Menopause to Matrimony is a wonderful story of high school acquaintances who rediscover one another later in life and fall in love. Anna and Kiran plant to marry. Still, love is complicated by midlife issues. Kiran suffers health problems and undergoes a personality change. Was there residual damage, a midlife crisis, or does she not know the real Kiran? Anna goes through her own set of traumas that we menopause goddesses know all too well: moodiness, hot flashes, and ugh, facial hair. Menopause to Matrimony is a great read and Anna’s afflictions are our own. Funny and poignant, this is great therapy and entertainment for all women facing or coping with menopause. Get it on Amazon here: Menopause to Matrimony.
Shelly also wrote a prequel to this book called Vegas to Varanasi. I’ve downloaded it, but haven’t had a chance to read it yet. I’m saving it for a treat for a rainy, spa day at home.
