Opportunities to discover new purpose in our later years are abundant when we learn to meet challenges as gateways to growth. During a life crisis in her seventies, author Karen Roberts discovered that voices of encouragement were difficult to find among the popular paradigms of aging as decline, withdrawal, and disengagement.

To begin to understand our restlessness-a yearning for deeper awareness and connection in our later years-the Blossoming book opens with a provocative discussion of aging that examines the frameworks of gender, culture, and human development. By reframing a life crisis in one's later years as a catalyst for insight and transformation, we can approach old age as a time of profound personal and interpersonal growth. Women, in particular, embark on this passage into elderhood with unique life experiences to guide them.

The journey begins once we identify that we have arrived at a pivotal crossroads. The Blossoming of Women invites you to embark on later life explorations with confidence and enjoy the process of self-discovery. Engaging questions follow each chapter to assist you on the path to a rewarding new life stage motivated by personal purpose.

The Blossoming of Women includes interviews with eight women who confronted daunting challenges, yet their perseverance and inner faith led them to pursue incredible late-life passions. Their stories, told with intimacy and grace, will open you to new possibilities. You will be encouraged to follow the lessons for living beyond loss and growing from crisis and transformation to a deeper self. -- Karen Roberts