Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old: Thoughts on Aging as a Woman

by Brooke Shields

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Aging is not an easy process for most, but Brooke Shields sure makes it look easy. Here, she shares her thoughts on how to gracefully grow older as a woman, with inspirational and insightful takes on how to overcome the challenges you'll face.

"From Brooke Shields, the icon who has inspired generations of women, comes a thoughtful, intimate, and candid exploration of the humility and power of aging"--

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781420521979
Publisher:	Gale, A Cengage Group
Publication date:	02/05/2025
Edition description:	Large Print
Pages:	396
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

BROOKE SHIELDS is an actress, author, mother, and wife. She is the author of two previous books, Down Came the Rain and There Was a Little Girl. She resides with her family in New York City, where she was born.

Editorial Reviews

"A surprisingly funny book about aging as a woman in Hollywood from the superstar actor and model."

—NPR

"Vulnerable . . . a love letter and a manifesto, encouraging the taboo topics about womanhood and aging."

—USA Today

"[Brooke Shields] confronts the realities of middle age, not just as a celebrity famed for her looks but also as a woman dealing with the pressures and symptoms of her time of life... For those readers in the throes of middle age, Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old won’t change their life, but it might make them feel a little more understood."

—The Guardian

"A sharp, funny memoir on getting older."

—Real Simple

"Striking a tone that’s both wise and approachable, Shields encourages women of all ages to reclaim their power. It’s hard not to be inspired."

—Publisher's Weekly

"[Brooke Shields is Not Allowed to Get Old] paints a three-dimensional portrait of a very real woman, with aspirations, problems, and points of pride that will feel relatable to her target audience."

—Kirkus

"Engaging and down-to-earth . . . Inspirational."

—Library Journal

"Refreshing, revealing, and surprisingly relatable . . . this wide range of topics will appeal to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the aging process."

—BookPage (starred review)

From the Publisher

In her latest memoir, the now 59-year-old actor Brooke Shields candidly narrates her experiences entering middle age, illuminating both her personal experience and research into topics like healthcare, sex, and parenthood. Shields's candid stories--like the ones about her exercise-induced femur break, her journey parenting adult children, and more--are narrated with wry humor and humility and are made all the more powerful by hearing them in Shields's clear, husky voice. The overarching themes of empowerment and comfort in one's own skin even if it is no longer wrinkle free are a perfect listen for those who enjoy celebrity-narrated memoirs. B.A.G. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2025 - AudioFile

2024-11-21
The iconic former child star would like to change the narrative on “women of a certain age.”

“At fifty-nine, I’m the one making the calls in my life—not my mother or the media or Hollywood or my family—which is something I’ve never felt before.” Shields’ third memoir (her first two were about postpartum depression and her relationship with her mother) paints a three-dimensional portrait of a very real woman, with aspirations, problems, and points of pride that will feel relatable to her target audience. Though she is proud of her accomplishments, and of the 2023 Hulu documentary (Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields) that reviews them, she can be self-deprecating: “My whole life has been Brooke Brooke Brooke, and there’s been this image of me as larger than life, and to be honest it can be a lot. I get a little sick of me.” She is quite specific about her health issues, which include a grand mal seizure and a broken femur, but these stories are told in service of a point about taking the reins of one’s medical care. In a chapter called “More Than Just a Pretty Face,” she writes about taping her thighs to her Spanx to improve the appearance of her knees, though she’s well aware of the irony of railing against beauty standards she helped establish. In “What Could Have Been,” she laments the limitations of her career as an actress: She has no Oscars or Emmys, she compares her accomplishments negatively to those of Natalie Portman and Jennifer Lawrence, but she also admits that the “commodity aspect” of her celebrity has its upside, at least financially. To wit: her new postmenopausal hair care product line, hopefully more successful than the 1980s blow dryers she says are still stacked in her garage. Though the reliance on research sometimes veers into the silly—studies show women criticize themselves eight times a day!—and the pep talk aspect can be a bit much, Shields’ engaging candor generally saves the day.

Read the book, watch the movie, order the shampoo. A Brooke Shields festival!

Kirkus Reviews