I loved this book. I enjoyed reading these short bios and interviews with inspiring older women. Some will be familiar, others are long forgotten and some were new to me. The text is accompanied with sketches. This book will make a wonderful gift. Enjoy

As I inch towards 50, I feel like I am not only my best self inside and out but I want to empower other women to experience a sense of self satisfaction and appreciation for the bodacious women in our midst. This is the book you will want to share with all of your besties as a reminder that we are not only enough but we are all that and more!

A Glorious Freedom is aptly named. It is Glorious, Inspiring, and Eye-Opening! Sometimes a book finds you exactly when you need it. I needed this book. I needed to read about women reaching for their dreams and exceeding them as they enter their 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond. The women profiled in this book are diverse and each one has a story worth reading. I especially love that the profiles included women who are not famous - we all need the reminder that our lives can be extraordinary without beciming a household name. I loved A Glorious Freedom and cannot recommend it highly enough.

Youth is so valued in American culture that it can be easy to forget that there are benefits to aging too. A Glorious Freedom was compiled and illustrated by artist Lisa Congdon. It features interviews, essays, and profiles from extraordinary women over forty who found success during the second half of their lives. The benefit of experience has given these women the wisdom to know what they want and the confidence to go and get it.

I’ll admit that at the second mention of "life coaches" I thought this book might not be for my demographic. But as I kept reading, I found relatable situations and wonderful advice. I haven't had children at this late point in my life, so I really appreciated the different approaches to family life: women who had their children when they were young, women who’ve had their children later in life, and those who decided not to have children at all. On that last point, one essay that really interested me was The Unexpected, Exhilarating Freedom of Being Single at 41 by Glynnis MacNicol. There are also stories of women who completely changed their careers, proving that it's never too late to pursue your dreams. One woman left her dentistry practice to become a writer at age 50, and another left her writing career to go to medical school at age 53! They talk about the pivotal moments that inspired them to alter their life's course and how they made it happen.

One of the biggest inspirations to me was Betty Reid Soskin, who at 95-years-old is the oldest park ranger in the United States. In her interview, she speaks about the importance of staying active. She has been blogging about her experiences since 2003 (Why she started her blog). Many of the interviews and essays were from creatives, especially writers, so I enjoyed the profiles the most because there was a wider range of experiences: from Sister Madonna Buder, who at 82 years old become the oldest person to complete an Ironman triathlon, to Katherine Johnson (Hidden Figures), who against all odds became an indispensable member of NASA's manned space mission team at age 40.

Middle age is not the end of the road—it’s just the beginning. As a woman in my mid-30s who’s starting to get a little nervous about what’s waiting for me around the corner, I found this book to be a source of comfort and inspiration. It made me see that some things that seem like flaws when you're young, such as invisibility or vulnerability, can become your greatest assets. This beautifully-illustrated book would make a great gift. I could see Oprah featuring it on one of her book lists!

You can see Lisa Congdon’s artwork, including some illustrations from this book, at her website. I recommend checking out Chronicle Books catalog, because they publish a ton of unique, giftable books.

Lisa Congdon offers portraits and interviews with women who embody the phrase, "It's never to late to be what you might have been."

A Glorious Freedom presents an array of inspirational biographical stories about a wide number of diverse women: artist, writers, athletes and wannabes, social activists and other women who embraced the dreams that had set anchor in their souls and reached for the stars. Many are or were quite senior in age when ultimately stretching forth to grab to make them reality.. Reading this brings hope, courage, and freedom to women reading this so that they too can embrace their inner callings to perform, to create, to be the women they were meant to be. Hand drawn illustrations show portraits of the women, and quotes are interspersed in this books pages.