cover image Venus After Forty: Sexual Myths, Men's Fantasies, and Truths about Middle-Aged Women

Venus After Forty: Sexual Myths, Men's Fantasies, and Truths about Middle-Aged Women

Rita Ransohoff. New Horizon Press, $20.95 (276pp) ISBN 978-0-88282-034-7

A psychotherapist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, Ransohoff examines the status of older womenwho are sometimes considered sexually unattractive, and may think of themselves that way. The author argues persuasively that American women over 40 often accept rejection, thereby helping perpetuate the myth that men desire only young females. Case histories and copious quotes from various publications illustrate the sorry results of such entrenched attitudes. There are stories from lonely, unsatisfied women and from older men who come to regret deserting their wives for younger mates, once the appeal to male ego diminishes. As encouraging contrasts, the book includes interviews with couples whose unions have grown through trust and care for each other. Particularly relevant to the six million single women in America, from ages 45 through 65, are accounts of active, independent females who are too busy to think of the passing years as enemies. Author tour. (November)