Defying Gravity: A Celebration of Late-Blooming Women

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 288 pages
• Published by: Emmis Books March 1, 2005
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 1578602084
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-1578602087
• Book Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Weighs: 11.2 ounces

Product Review
"…a gorgeously worked mosaic of true stories…" -- Jeanne Ray, New York Times best-selling author --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description
Every day, regular women are accomplishing extraordinary things later in life. Prill Boyle gathered the encouraging stories of twelve daring and determined women who accomplished incredible things at an age when most people are beginning to wind down.

Reader Reviews
This review is from: Defying Gravity: A Celebration of Late-Blooming Women (Hardcover) Defying Gravity is one of the few books about midlife that combines realism with inspiration. Author Boyle interviewed twelve women who were determined to follow their dream, as we are so often advised to do. They didn't win lotteries or buy themselves new careers. They made choices, worked hard and won. Perhaps most famous is the 70-year-old Mesa AIrlines flight attendant, who's been profiled in AARP magazine. She'd always wanted to fly and now that weight and vision restrictions are relaxed, she's up there having a ball. She began with a position as a gate agent, using those contacts to reach her ultimate goal. Ironically, another woman had been a flight attendant, but realized she couldn't complete her college degree while flying. One person's dream is another's past life. Rejected from the Peace Corps in her twenties, another woman finally made it to Eastern Europe as a business consultant. She describes in (literally) wrenching detail her struggle to meet the Peace corps health requirements, going so far as to have three healthy teeth pulled. Academic dreams ranged from law school to a Seven Sisters college. They may have had to apply more than once, but once there, they excelled and rejoiced. Twelve diverse dreams, all achieved by persistence, determination and sacrifice. They knew exactly what they wanted and remained focused. And they're all winners. Author Boyle intersperses the stories with her own journal of writing the book. Rejected by fourteen publishers, she and her agent persisted. As a writer myself, I find these reports a little too close to home, but I'm very glad she persisted. And as a career consultant, I suggest that these women will be role models to those who can cling to a dream. However, we shouldn't be too quick to say, "If they can do it, anyone can!" Women who find themselves adrift, whether through layoffs or their own internal shifts, rarely have a sense of what they want to do. Dreams can't be created in a workshop or even several months of coaching. They have a life of their own. And women who have enjoyed successful careers often want to keep going rather than find new adventure or meaning. They aren't necessarily ready for sacrifice, yet when a job goes away and you're over-fifty, the system offers little help. However, Defying Gravity does suggest a new way to think about the rest of a life: Soar to a dream. Reframe your next move as a great adventure. And, if you really want adventure, go for it!