The Invisible Woman (Paperback)
Taking on the Vintage Years
Helen Walmsley-Johnson
‘Stylish and wittily written … a brilliant read that should encourage us all to challenge the cult of youth, and learn to love ourselves a little more along the way.’ My Weekly
There’s nothing middle-of-the-road about middle age. From coping with bodies that are ‘heading south’ to rampant ageism in the workplace, this time in our lives, in the words of Bette Davis, ‘is no place for sissies’.
From family, finances and work to cosmetics, fashion and sex, 60-year-old Helen Walmsley-Johnson – the irrepressible voice behind the much-loved Guardian column ‘The Vintage Years’ – shows, with warmth and a wicked sense of humour, how we can reinvent middle age for the next generation of women.
Helen Walmsley-Johnson is the author of the Guardian’s ‘The Vintage Years’ column, which has 65,000 regular readers. Now 58, Helen relocated to London aged 45, worked for Cameron Mackintosh and the Telegraph, before joining the Guardian as Alan Rusbridger’s PA for seven years. She is a passionate believer that there’s nothing middle-of-the-road about being middle-aged.
The Invisible Woman always speaks to me, and for me. It's about saying up yours to the cult of youth, but also about seeing the life of the 50+ as hilariously funny (not unlike the life of the 15 year old, when you come to think about it).Mary Beard
We love the way Helen writes. She tells it as it is because she KNOWS how it is. At Gransnet we constantly battle against the misconceptions and prejudices around ageing. We are delighted that Helen is helping to set the record straight and embrace her philosophies wholeheartedly and with gusto.Gransnet
The Invisible Woman in The Vintage Years reminds us that style and wit begin in youth but are mastered in middle-age. You can roundly stick your 20's. Hers is a voice for proper grown-ups not yet ready to come down, and I'm in.Alison Moyet
Stylish and wittily written, it's a brilliant read that should encourage us all to challenge the cult of youth, and learn to love ourselves a little more along the way.My Weekly
The Invisible Woman remains a warm, companionable book with a tart aftertaste.Guardian
I immediately wanted to give it to someone in their early 40s to say "Look! this next bit can be challenging but it's also great fun!" Written in her funny and frank style it's a joy and full of properly useful words of wisdom.The Women's Room
Helen Walmsley-Johnson has a gift for writing, and she tells it like it is with great humour … I urge you to buy it for yourself and give a copy to all your fifty-something friends!The Good Book Guide
A funny look at those of a certain age who are fed up with being overlooked.Good Housekeeping
