Saturday 21 July 2012

#299: Senior Sex: A Fifty Shades' Footnote

As I considered the possible appeal of E. L. James Fifty Shades of Grey for older readers (post #297)  I was reminded of a provocative book about sex where the major players actually are several shades of grey.   A Round Heeled Woman, by Jane Juska, catalogues the true, late-life sexual adventures of a cultured, semi-retired, single teacher.  It created quite a stir when it was first published in 2003.

A Round-Heeled Woman: My Late-Life Adventures in Sex and Romance
Check your local library or purchase from Amazon.  Available in large print! 

Juska's memoir about a final sexual fling begins when she places an ad in her favourite paper, The New York Review of Books: Before I turn 67—next March—I would like to have a lot of sex with a man I like. If you want to talk first, Trollope works for me

As it turns out, she has sex with several men (some older, some younger) and writes about them all. The result is an entertaining, thought-provoking account of her adventures.  It had taken her years to reach the point where she could embrace her sexuality, and you cannot help but be curious, fascinated, and amazed as she writes about her brave experiment and the life that lead her, finally, to pursue passion with a vengeance.

Bonus:  Juska writes really well.   I don't recall that she ever rolls her eyes or bites her lip.    

1 comment:

  1. Thank you - by the end of the book I was stifling screams every time she rolled/bit/blushed... With so many great and steamy novels out there , I can't figure out why this one stands out. Repetition is a weak literary tactic, yet that's all the writer does.

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