Patricia Gottlieb Shapiro

Heart To Heart:

Deepening Women’s Friendships at Midlife

Friends Matter Again...

Friendships move to center stage at midlife, after years of having been set aside for children, husbands, and careers. As women try to make sense of the kaleidoscope of changes within them and around them- especially the physical and emotional upheaval and shifting family ties-their friends keep them anchored and grounded. Not since their teen years have friends been so crucial to women's lives.

Heart To Heart: Deepening Women’s Friendships at Midlife is the first book to explore why friends matter at midlife, the powerful nature of the bond, and its roots and challenges. Pat Shapiro interviewed fifty women aged 45-60 and blended their stories with research, expert commentary, and her own personal experience.

In Heart to Heart, Pat Shapiro uncovers the hidden benefits of midlife friendship: how it can complement and stablize a marriage or offer strength, support, and security to single women. Through suggested dialogues and guidelines, she'll help you develop the skills you need to enrich your friendships, cope with negative emotions, and expand your network of friends. And most important, you'll learn how to befriend yourself, so you have more to give to all your relationships.