This book for the aging woman takes a unique approach. The author recounts compelling myths and folktales from a variety of cultures, and then explains their hidden symbolism. For example, the Japanese story of an old woman who chased a rice cake, or the British tale of the old woman in a vinegar bottle, are traditional stories that contain messages passed down from one generation to the other and hold valuable lessons on how to deal with growing older, facing mortality, accepting limitations and getting in touch with the "masculine within" and the "dark feminine"--two parts of every woman that the author believes may be buried deep in the unconscious. She advocates self-knowledge as the path to aging creatively and happily. --PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Women often view aging with misgivings, even dread. Yet, aging is inevitable. How we deal with it can have a profound impact on the quality of our lives. It's time to embrace aging, even to love it, because it is part of us.
Ann Thomas, psychologist, author, and mentor shows us how to embrace the act of growing older. She shows us how to confront our fears and dispel them. Through the stories and myths of many cultures and ages, and through her insightful interpretations of them,she teaches us how to achieve strength, comfort, self-acceptance and joy.
Ann G. Thomas, Ed.D., is an interpretive writer, storyteller and licensed psychotherapist in private practice in California. She has worked with women in midlife and beyond for more than thirty years.
She is a speaker and group leader on issues in the lives of women as they age, and a storyteller in settings as diverse as nursing homes, cruise ships and health care professional continuing education programs, and is the former owner of a home for frail elderly.
Dr. Thomas is available for interviews, to schedule a speaking engagement, or training group at 925-820-792l or by contacting Volcano Press.
Her book, THE WOMEN WE BECOME was first published by Prima Press iln 1997, and is now available in a Volcano Press edition.
From the author:
We all need stories and it is stories that a writer tells. When a story touches the reader, it is because the writer has found some truth that affects the reader in a way that inspires, enlightens, entertains or connects us to each other.
It is the writer's challenge to hold the tension between the character's uniqueness and his/her universality. When that is successful, the story can belong to the reader, whether that reader is a child being read to, a parent, or a grandparent.
It is my hope that somewhere in my writing, whether it is a children's story, a non-fiction book about aging, a short story or a romance, you will find something that resonates
