Grumpy Old Menopause by Carol E. Wyer

AMAZON UK
AMAZON US

Any book by Carol Wyer comes with an unwritten guarantee:  it will be exceptionally good, it will be funny, it will be witty, it will be entertaining, and will always leave you wanting more.  Grumpy Old Menopause delivers on all counts, naturally.

Though I have been frightfully fortunate to not have become captive of the vice-like grip of the menopause (at the time, I really didn’t know what the fuss was about!), reading about all the possible symptoms was quite an eye-opener.  Good grief, some women morph into something unworldly.

Carol lays out, in her customary methodical manner, an alphabetical list of symptoms, chapter by chapter, some of which she herself has experienced (hilariously described).  She explains clearly what to expect, provides remedies, most of them utterly sensible, some of them homeopathic/alternative.  Best of all she suggests a whole boatload of activities to divert the mind and body from the alien that is menopause which invades the female of the species at a certain age. So if you’re suffering from brittle bones, bloating, or body odour, then beer, belly dancing, bungee jumping or bare back-riding might just be your succour.

But more importantly, throughout, she stresses the importance of laughter.  He who laughs...lasts, she says. And she is the mistress of providing merriment: her advice and anecdotes are peppered with jokes.  Some of them Christmas-cracker-type jokes (but funny), some of them corny (even funnier) and some of them really clever (very, very funny).

This book just doesn’t help the menopausal woman.  With her wit and humour, Carol entertains and brightens up your day.  She’s a tonic that should be bottled.