Gen Xers, both women and men, grew up in a rapidly changing world,
but perhaps it was changing most for women. WWII was over, the men
were home, many women were stay-at-home moms, but there were plenty
of them to share experiences with in their neighborhoods. Their
daughters grew up looking for something more, encouraged to stretch
for the stars, have it all.
Now the Gen Xers are
middle-aged. Many have more than their parents, but they’re not
happy, and they don’t know why. They succeeded, perhaps not as well
as they hoped, but they have jobs, they’re married and have
children. There are many reasons for this malaise some real, some
imagined. Calhoun does an excellent job of researching the causes and
presenting her findings.
I think the best
part of this book is making people feel that they’re not alone, and
they’re not imagining things. Being sandwiched between aging
parents and children entering the job market is stressful. The
prevalence of communication is new. Growing up many Gen Xers had
only television with rabbit ears on the top, or an antennae on the
roof. Now they can carry their entertainment around in their purse.
Neighborhood coffee klatches may have had problems for their mothers,
but social media contacts are a whole new phenomena, not always
pleasant.
If you’re a Gen
Xer, this is a must read. If you’re in one of the generations on
either side, this can be a helpful book for you, too.
I received this book
from Net Galley for this review.
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