From Amy Schumer to Frances McDormand, women are talking about both the private and public indignities of age, but until now there’s been no go-to book for women seeking irreverent, smart, funny guidance and companionship through experience.

Readers who loved The Hell with Love will buy this book, seeking inspiration that’s honest, wise, and accessible, fun but never dumbed down. With HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? Mary and Elizabeth are targeting women drawn to Amy Schumer’s brilliant feminism, Lena Dunham’s unapologetic frankness, and Lily Tomlin’s deadpan cool. They are marketing an attitude towards aging, a female point of view that celebrates the Tina Fey/Amy Poehler/Melissa McCarthy approach. The book faces aging head-on, with smarts, irony and humor.