The Astonishing Lives of Older Women: How to Create Pleasure Over Peril in Peak Longevity
$18.99-
A powerful exploration of the financial realities women face as they age — and the resilience, reinvention, and relationships that sustain them.
Women are living longer than ever, but for many, those extra years come with financial uncertainty. This book tells the stories of women who, after raising children, managing households, and working in fulfilling careers, find themselves now alone and surviving on the edge.
A national housing crisis hits harder when the gender pension gap leaves women with significantly less retirement income than men, but this crisis isn’t inevitable. A CEO, a legal scholar, and a feminist economist offer essential advice on careers, pensions, and relationships, while the voice of a young writer from Lainey Gossip reveals why financial independence is non-negotiable.
This book looks at how women can embrace this new longevity with strength and purpose. A wake-up call for women of all ages, it is an inspiring testament to the lasting social and economic contributions of women.
The astonishing lives of older women are not defined by money or men. They are defined by resilience, purpose, desire, and the unbreakable bonds of female friendship.
Available April 7, 2026. PRE-ORDER NOW!
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Moira Welsh is a political reporter at the Toronto Star's Queen’s Park bureau and a former investigative reporter who, for decades, has written about the joys and vicissitudes of a long life. Welsh lives in Toronto and is the mother of two wonderful young men.
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Published: April 2026
ISBN: 9781770418004
Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5 in.
Pages: 216
Reviews
“This book exposes the realities society rarely talks about, not with despair, but with dignity. Moira Welsh empowers younger generations to prepare differently and advocate more fiercely for themselves. A moving, essential read for every woman who wants to enter her later decades with strength, clarity, and agency.” —Sevy Petras, CEO and co-founder of Priority Life Care
“This book is an essential read for any woman. Moira weaves cutting-edge research with the stories of charming women we come to know and love.” — Laura Tamblyn Watts, author of the international bestseller Let’s Talk About Aging Parents
“The Astonishing Lives of Older Women shines much-needed light on a group that is invisible in public policy. It’s a sobering reminder that far too many women are aging into ‘golden years’ that will be marked by poverty and deprivation and will continue to do so until we reform not only outdated employment and pension policies but societal attitudes.” — André Picard, author of Neglected No More: The Urgent Need to Improve the Lives of Canada’s Elders
“The Astonishing Lives of Older Women is a necessary, eye-opening look at what it really means to age as a woman today. Welsh highlights older women redefining intimacy, friendship, sexuality, and purpose. She lifts up experts and advocates fighting to close the gender pension gap, build better housing solutions, and challenge the ageism baked into our systems. What makes this book powerful is its humanity. It reminds us that improving aging in North America starts with centring women — their realities, their resilience, and their leadership. It’s essential reading for anyone shaping the future of aging — and for anyone who believes, as I do, that when women thrive, we all thrive.” — Charles de Vilmorin, SVP of Resident Engagement, LifeLoop
“Through a beautiful blend of stories of lived experience and thoughtful context, Moira Welsh offers a balanced portrait of both the remarkable strength of older women and the myriad challenges we face as we enter life’s final stage. I left inspired by their resilience and resolve — and motivated to prepare for my own future older self.” — Kirsten Jacobs, vice president of Shared Learning Initiatives