Known for her psychologically perceptive relationship books, Sills (Excess Baggage
) turns her attention to dating for women of a certain age, particularly those recently out of long marriages. The author advises older women how to get back “out there” and how to contend with the anxiety that can ensue after a long period of celibacy. While Sills addresses the ugly truths that older women have to work harder than men to find eligible partners, she argues that courtship, companionship and sex are all available, especially if women remain “open to a wide variety of partners who are not necessarily prospects for love. They are practice, stimulation, and possibly even pleasant company.” Sills's clinical psychology background comes to the fore when she dissects the scenario of a suddenly single woman who has been used to socializing with a group of couples but now may be perceived as a threat by other women, or an opportunity by the men, suggesting behavioral strategies for keeping boundaries clear. Sills also addresses transitional relationships, the heartbreak of rejection or of premature attachment to a new partner and includes welcome male perspectives. (Feb.)
