Sarah Jane Barnett taps directly into the zeitgeist with this personal essay, in which she unpicks aspects of womanhood, ageing, health, friendship, midlife, gender and the patriarchy. It's an intelligent and informed book, with elements of Barnett's own life experiences woven throughout. She draws on and critiques other writers both contemporary and historical, and reaches some profound and unsettling conclusions, but most of all what the reader gets from this book is a sense of deep and hard won wisdom. It's so timely, and an important addition to our cultural life.