Best Books on Menopause
Here are some of the best books I’ve read over the last few years on perimenopause and menopause.
(As at July 2023. I’ll add more as I read them…)
*Please note this page contains affiliate links to buy from Amazon and from Bookshop.org. I may make a small commission if you make a purchase via these links. I only recommend books that I have read and found useful. And of course, other booksellers are available..
A Psychological View
Second Spring: The self-care guide to menopause by Kate Codrington (2022).
This is my absolutely favourite book I’ve read so far. Guiding you through the psychological phases of the menopause transition Second Spring is practical, kind, down-to-earth and written with humour.
After reading many books on peri/menopause this book came as a massive relief after reading way too much about all the grisly potential 'symptoms'!
And while Kate does not shy away from addressing the potential physical and emotional impacts of this transition it is both comforting and inspirational to read about how the whole process can be embraced as a deeply transformational rite of passage into your truest self - the kind of person you want to be.
BUY on Bookshop.org (UK) to support local indy bookshops.
A Radical View
Wise Power: Discover the Liberating Power of Menopause to Awaken Authority, Purpose and Belonging by Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer and Alexandra Pope (2022).
A trailblazing guide to menopause from the menstrual cycle awareness pioneers and founders of Red School Alexandra and Sjanie.
It’s filled with nourishing wisdom and practical advice to help you thrive as your empowered, confident self and takes you by the hand through the psycho-spiritual stages of the menopause transition journey.
BUY on Bookshop.org (UK) to support local indy bookshops.
An OB/GYN’s View
The Menopause Manifesto: Own Your Health with Facts and Feminism by Dr Jen Gunter (2021).
If you’re looking for science-based information about the peri/menopausal hormonal shifts and their impacts on your body, mind and emotions, from an expert and feminist who knows what they’re talking about, then this book has got it all covered.
BUY on Bookshop.org (UK) to support local indy bookshops.
An Inclusive View
What Fresh Hell Is This?: Perimenopause, Menopause, Other Indignities and You – Heather Corinna (2021).
Informative, humorous, and inclusive of those who are too often left out of the discussion (such as queer, transgender and non-binary people, people of colour, those with disabilities, and working class / people without economic privilege).
BUY on Bookshop.org (UK) to support local indy bookshops.
An Historical View
Hot Flushes, Cold Science: A History of the Modern Menopause – Louise Foxcroft (2010).
Warning, this one will make you really angry!
If you weren’t full of rage already you will be reading this book! A history of the menopause, medicine and misogyny. But it’s invaluable in putting in context how and why we’ve got to the point where menopause is seen as a medical problem to be fixed (and why that’s not a good thing).
BUY on Bookshop.org (UK) to support local indy bookshops.
A Mythological View
Hagitude: Reimagining the Second Half of Life by Sharon Blackie (2022).
This is a book which encourages us to reclaim midlife and menopause as a liberating alchemical time in our lives.
It’s rich with Sharon’s signature combination of myth, landscape and eco-feminism and explores mythic figures and archetypes ranging from the Wise Woman and the Creatrix to the Henwife and the Trickster, as well as modern mentors.
BUY on Bookshop.org (UK) to support local indy bookshops.
A Soulful View
Red Moon Passage: The Power and Wisdom of Menopause – Bonnie J Horrigan (1997).
Sadly/annoyingly this is out of print but see if you can get a secondhand copy because this is a treasure trove of perspectives on approaching peri/menopause as a sacred rite of passage.
It contains interviews with a varied group of mature, wise women from various spiritual traditions provide an affirmation of the aging process and the wisdom that can come with menopause.
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