RESTARTING YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU ARE NO LONGER A WIFE

Burroughs discusses learning to thrive after finding herself single at age 50 in this motivational guide.

The author’s world as she knew it turned upside down when, at the age of 50, her partner of 24 years left her for a younger woman. The emotional journey toward healing and self-acceptance wasn’t easy; Burroughs shares her experience here to help others who find themselves in the same predicament. From the outset, she emphasizes that this guide is strictly for those women who find themselves alone after the age of 50, “not twenty or twenty-five, where the whole world’s ahead of you and a fresh start means not living with your parents anymore.” Her advice is similarly biting, full of unconventional tips like hiring a “breakup assistant” (“My assistant actually labeled a box, ‘Photos you do not want to look at.’ How great is that?”) alongside more traditional platitudes (“The thing you will realize once you start doing whatever you want without telling a soul is that you are truly now an adult”). The book walks readers through the multiple steps needed to recover from the emotional trauma of being left, from anger to grief to the sheer joy of getting reacquainted with friends and—more importantly—oneself. Burroughs uses copious metaphors to drive her points home, from “life is a moving sidewalk” to an extended comparison between her stolen front yard flowerbox and her stolen husband. While these can occasionally become tedious, the book really shines when illuminating the psyche of a woman experiencing a very specific kind of emotional pain, including her acknowledgment of what she dubs the “Doubt Monster” and her realization that “figuring it all out” won’t ever really lead to any significant understanding of why her husband left. By turns lighthearted and introspective, Burroughs truly bares it all.

A helpful primer for getting over heartbreak after the age of 50 with humor and heart.