A Glorious Freedom

September 1, 2017
Stephanie Young started medical school at age 53. Seventy-four-year-old Fay Westenhofer found her passion for distance walking when she was in her sixties. Competitive swimmer Dara Torres staged an Olympic comeback at age 41. Like author Laura Ingalls Wilder, chef Julia Child, and social-advocate Anna Arnold Hedgeman, these women either didn't discover, or didn't indulge, their life's passion until they reached or passed middle age. At a time when the cultural norm deems women in their forties and beyond to be less-than-fully-contributing members of society, Young, Westenhofer, Torres, and others illuminated in Congdon's revelatory spotlight experienced an epiphany that inspired them to finally pursue lifelong dreams. Overcoming emotional trauma, battling physical setbacks, and challenging naysayers, these intrepid women bravely defied convention. Through crystalline profiles, probing interviews, and candid essays, the remarkable women celebrated in Congdon's vibrantly illustrated collection trace the genesis of their journeys of self-discovery and offer stirring words of encouragement to any woman, of any age, longing for personal, professional, creative, or emotional fulfillment.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)