Unravelling

This new collection of essays, “Unravelling,” covers midlife transitions from the female perspective.

Camilla Joubert is a lifestyle coach whose own midlife “unravelling” inspired her to collect stories from real women who had navigated the often-murky midlife experience. Her intention is to connect these stories to other women in midlife so they feel less alone at this time. The eleven essays in “Unravelling” tackle many issues that were long considered taboo: divorce, extra-marital affairs, sexual orientation, grief, abuse, careers, mental illness and serious physical illness. The author acknowledges that midlife is not always a stressful time—for some it offers rejuvenation and objectivity. The topics are approached with humour; some are examined philosophically and all with honest, thoughtful introspection. It is not a self-help book. It includes no “sure-fire” method to weather midlife but sympathetically shares the stories. What is most striking is that the diversity of experiences reveals that there is no one way of navigating the middle years. Camilla has a coaching practice in Vancouver to help women going through major changes in their lives. Her purpose is to empower women to meet the future calmly. She lives in Vancouver, Canada with her family and their stubborn beagle.