A forum for women making and creating life transitions.
Join our blog forum!
Review Written by Catherine Rain
A fourth edition and update to the original book published in 1991, Silent Passage strives to debunk the myths about menopause and derail the "taboo" of discussing the physiological, hormonal, and emotional changes women experience before, during, and after menopause.
Sheehy is not only masterful in her approach, but down to earth and in touch with the feelings, questions, and concerns of midlife women. She hits on topics such as finding an informed doctor, recognizing that menopause begins earlier for 21st Century women than in previous generations, the pros and cons of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), knowledge and cultural gaps, and the need to gracefully "let go" of our youthful tendencies while adopting the wisdom and zest of being an "older woman."
As with most of Sheehy’s books, I've treated this one as a "bible" that I live and learn by. I first read Silent Passage when I was 48, and perimenopausal. Recognizing the personal signs of change in myself described by Sheehy, I was determined to "beat my biology"--however, at 55, when I was five years post-menopausal and still trying to understand the changes in my body, perspective, vision, and role, I dove right back into Silent Passage. Rather than serving as a "refresher course", this time Silent Passage provided new insight and meaning for my current life stage and in the context of the progression of change and aging I experienced in the seven years since first reading the book. Sheehy’s book therefore has an institutional quality about it that transforms and translates well across each phase of this unique developmental stage in women. Silent Passage is available in paperbook, published by Pocket Books, a Division of Simon & Shuster, Inc.