The Midlife Book Club

What happens when unrealized potential sediments inside us "like tar or asbestos, slowly releasing its poison"? Croatian novelist Lidjia Hilje examines this haunting question in her hypnotic debut, Slanting Towards the Sea, a love story spanning twenty years along Croatia's stunning Dalmatian coast. Following university students Ivana and Vlaho through marriage, dissolution, and an unusual friendship triangle, the novel explores how family secrets and unspoken truths shape our most intimate relationships. Join host Katie Fogarty and Hilje as they survey the peaks and valleys of midlife reassessment, how geography shapes identity, and the poetry of place. Hilje also shares...

What does it mean to be truly "grown" when we're constantly evolving? Join host Katie Fogarty and novelist Sarai Johnson as they explore Grown Women, a gorgeous debut spanning four generations of complex Black women navigating motherhood, intergenerational trauma, and healing. From Charlotte's teenage flight from abuse to privileged Camille's awakening, Johnson’s characters grapple with forgiveness, the cost of emotional and physical scarcity, and how the ties that bind shape both our happiness, sorrow and sense of self. Sarai reveals how writing Grown Women transformed her own parenting and why moving forward—not moving on—allows us to progre...

Can midlife be a portal to our most powerful selves? What if menopause came with superpowers? Join host Katie Fogarty and author Kirsten Miller as they explore "The Change," a razor-sharp feminist revenge fantasy about three women who navigate the thickets of menopause and small-town murder with superpowers unlocked by midlife. Miller crafts a tale that's equal parts thriller, feminist manifesto, and pacy, page-turning magical realism—a recipe that landed "The Change" as a GMA Book Club pick. We explore how righteous anger can be alchemized into creativity and action, why women in their forties and fifties represent "the mo...

Family secrets shape our lives before we even know they exist, as Carmen Rita Wong reveals in her memoir "Why Didn't You Tell Me?" After learning at age 31 that her Chinese father wasn't her biological parent, Carmen set off on a quest to uncover both her true origins and her mother's motivations for concealing such a fundamental truth. Part detective story, part emotional excavation—host Katie Fogarty and Carmen explore the layers of a story built on secrets and now told with unflinching honesty. We dive into the intricate terrain of mother-daughter relationships, cultural identity across Dominican and Chinese he...

Bestselling author Claire Lombardo knows drama lurks behind every family's closed doors. Join host Katie Fogarty for an engaging dive into Lombardo's latest novel "Same As It Ever Was," which deftly explores long-term marriage, motherhood, and how our lives both change and stay exactly the same over decades. A writing teacher and indie bookseller turned literary star (and Reese Witherspoon book club pick), Lombardo shares her secrets for building rich characters through "emotional homework" and reveals why the most authentic relationships are often the messiest. A must-listen for readers navigating midlife transitions, empty nesting, and anyone who loves peering...

What happens when we look back at our coming-of-age stories from the vantage point of midlife? Bestselling author Joanna Rakoff (My Salinger Year, A Fortunate Age) joins host Katie Fogarty to explore how we define and find our way in the world through the dual lenses of memoir and fiction. The conversation sparkles with insights about the electric, messy brilliance of being young and how time reshapes our understanding of our younger selves. We dive deep into the creative process, examining how writing from a place of love shapes authentic characters and why some stories are better told as...

Getting (and staying) healthy in midlife looks waaay different than in our 20s and 30s.

One of the country’s top docs, Dr. Sharon Malone pulls out a prescription pad of straight talk for getting and staying healthy at midlife and beyond from her NYT-bestseller, “Grown Woman Talk.”

We dive into the intersection of aging and health, the top health concerns she hears again and again, and why our fast-changing healthcare system means you need to become your own primary caregiver. You and only you are in the driver’s seat of your health...

Mixed feelings about midlife? Do not miss this jolt of inspiration from midlife OG and NYT bestselling author Chip Conley.

We explore Chip’s latest book, “Learning to Love Midlife: 12 Reasons Life Gets Better with Age,” an optimistic blueprint for making your 40s to 70s the best decades of your life. Drawing on fascinating social science research, inspiring stories, and timeless wisdom across cultures and perspectives, Chip will convince you that aging is a superpower and that you are poised, not on the brink of a crisis, but on the precipice of joy and transformation.

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Need a summer escape? Grab your sunblock and pull up a beach chair for our chat with bestselling author Annabel Monaghan. We're diving into her latest rom-com, “Summer Romance,” which follows Ali Morris, a professional organizer whose life is anything but organized. Smart, bingeable, and laugh-out-loud funny, “Summer Romance” is a refreshingly cold dunk into a smart and steamy summer read. Join host Katie Fogarty and Annabel as they explore the magic of second chances, the power of decluttering our homes (and midlife mindsets), and the surprising benefits of a chaotic writing process.

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Welcome to The Midlife Book Club! In our debut show, author Catherine Newman brings us to Cape Cod's salty, sandy shores to crack open her instant New York Times bestseller Sandwich. The book unspools over a weeklong family vacation as the main character, Rocky, navigates memories, menopause, and the push and pull of life sandwiched between her half-grown kids and fully aging parents. Evocative, hilarious, and tender, this coming-of-middle-age story bursts with insights into what it means to be a woman, why we keep secrets from our families, and how we can learn to love our people better. Host...