Women Rowing North: Navigating Life's Currents and Flourishing As We Age

Women Rowing North: Navigating Life’s Currents and Flourishing As We Age, a New York Times bestseller by Mary Pipher, was first published in 2019. Pipher is a clinical psychologist and cultural anthropologist who has written 11 books and specializes in developmental psychology, trauma, women, and the effects of culture on mental health. Women Rowing North is a self-help book aimed at older women that describes older women’s transition into later life and its challenges, skills, and relationships. The book focuses on the themes of Facing Change With Growth, Adaptation, and Resilience;  Refocusing on Self During Aging; and Intention and Gratitude Support Positive Aging.

This study guide references the Adobe Digital Editions e-book from 2020, published by Bloomsbury Publishing and based on the paperback edition from 2020.

Summary

Women Rowing North: Navigating Life’s Currents and Flourishing As We Age addresses the skills and characteristics women in their sixties and early seventies need in order to live positive and meaningful lives as they transition into later life. It addresses the ageism older women face in concert with sexism and aims to challenge biased, ageist, and sexist societal views.

Pipher guides women through this stage using anecdotes from therapy clients and other American women from various backgrounds, as well as her personal stories, quotes from writers and thinkers, research evidence, and metaphors.