Bloody Hell! Adventures in Menopause from Around the World

Menopause is both “shit” and “amazing,” according to this spirited anthology edited by journalist Eltahawy (The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls). Aiming to present an “antidote” to a type of taboo-busting feminist approach to the topic that mainly appeals to “white, wealthy, cisgender, heterosexual, able-bodied women,” Eltahawy gathers a variety of perspectives on both menopause and the transitional period before it. Jenn Salib Huber, a registered dietitian, takes aim at diet culture in “The Curse of Puberty,” asking, “Is it really so hard to accept that it’s normal for human bodies to change?” In “Sex and the Menopausal Vagina in the Suburbs,” public speaker Susan Cole, who is HIV positive, describes her chemotherapy-induced menopause during treatment for breast cancer, noting that she “didn’t expect to be alive to go through the menopause.” “My Bleeding Life” sees filmmaker Emmett Jack Lundberg outline the symptoms of menopause, which he entered “just shy” of his 30th birthday while undergoing hormone replacement therapy. It adds up to a fascinating look at not only the physical aspects of menopause but the social and political; readers seeking a shame-free approach to the subject will find solidarity in no short supply. Loud and proud, this hits all the marks. (June)