For people in the public eye, any visual signs of aging are amplified, scrutinized and criticized. In her latest book, actress, model and author of There Was a Little Girl and Down Came the Rain, Brooke Shields pens a manifesto on what it’s like to grow older in front of an audience. Shields’ life has been on display since she became the youngest Vogue cover girl in history at 14. Now at 59, she provides an honest perspective on getting over the myths that accompany aging as a woman. Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old: Thoughts on Aging as a Woman, is refreshing, revealing and surprisingly relatable.
Backed by research studies, statistics and real-life stories, Shields’ memoir is introspective, insightful and confident. From her own life, she shares tales of surgeries gone awry, mothering college-age daughters and her decision to shift her focus to what she feels comfortable with rather than what she assumes will please others. Some of what she’s learned sounds simple but is in fact hard won: “One of the joys of getting older . . . is the ability to say ‘no’ to the things you don’t want to do. ”
Women in entertainment are speaking up about aging more than ever—see Julia Louis Dreyfus’ podcast Wiser Than Me, for example—and addressing a question many women reckon with as they grow older: Do I still have value? Shields explores this and its rippling effects in depth. “Why are we forever criticizing ourselves and our bodies while seeking ridiculous perfection?” she writes. “And why, when we finally take the pressure off or count our blessings or just enjoy who we are, is it practically too late?”
Combining a variety of genres such as memoir, self-help, parenting and health and wellness, Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old offers tips on how to self-advocate, feel more grounded and embrace one’s maturity, wisdom and experience. This wide range of topics will appeal to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the aging process and how to develop a sense of enlightenment and ownership of their present and future selves.
