What do readers think of Women Rowing North by Mary Pipher? Write your own review.

I was anxious to read this book and delighted by some memorable sentences early on. The first warning bell was on page 24 where the author describes a retreat she attended as one of earth's protectors sent into the desert to find a mystical symbol, in her case a cactus, on which she pricked her finger and offered her blood to all her ancestors. I knew this book was written by someone with academic credentials and this was not what I was looking expecting.

The author states that the book is both descriptive and prescriptive but I found it to be mainly descriptive. As a 'how to think" book, I don't see it offering much. To me it is more of a litany of all the ills that can befall you at this stage of life. You can get sick, your spouse can get sick, people die. No kidding. Sure, resilience is good and a group of women friends can be amazingly helpful, but I didn't need to read this book to know that. Sorry, but it wasn't for me.

As someone in her senior years, I was looking for some advice and inspiration, but I didn't find it here. Instead of practical advice and real insights, Pipher hands out typical pop psych and New Age junk. Take a bubble bath, hug a tree, play with your grandchildren (I don't have any), count your blessings. The anecdotes of aging women are more depressing than inspiring. Not everyone has family and friends to support them. Not everyone has the financial means or insurance to manage health issues or get therapy. I read the first half of the book and found it pretty useless, boring and annoying, so I skimmed the rest. It really didn't get much better.