Mid-life Crisis: Men Starting Over with New Families

Forty used to be the wander-lust years for men—those established in long-term marriages, often with teen-age children would leave marriages, take lovers and sometimes even return to the original family. But this can just as easily describe a man in his fifties or sixties. And often these men start new lives with far younger mates who can still procreate. Mid-life crisis and dumping the first wife is happening far later in life, but aren’t boomers calling sixty the “new” forty?

This is exactly what happens in Susan Slater’s novel, 0 to 60. Shelly Sinclair doesn’t see it coming. Instead of a life of cruises, anticipated grandchildren, and enjoying the rewards of a successful life—she’s dumped. And her husband of thirty-five years has proposed marriage to the receptionist who also happens to be the mother of his four-year-old child! Can life get any worse? Well, yes, it can if you throw in aging parents struggling with dementia.

Shelly’s decisions are not new to the myriad of women today whose husbands struggle with a mid-life crisis often leaving their first wives to start again. But how difficult is it for women in their sixties to start over—with new mates or lovers? With poignancy and an attention to detail, Slater paints an intriguing picture of how rewarding life can be after a crisis. It’s not the end of the world but a very enticing beginning. One filled with growth and closure and promise.

Looking for a book about dealing with a mid-life crisis? Get your copy of 0 to 60 today!