Stephanie Sullivan: Review - Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old

Review - Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old

January 17, 2025

TITLE: Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old (audiobook)

RATING: ★★★

Summary (from Goodreads): Brooke Shields has spent a lifetime in the public eye. Growing up as a child actor and model, her every feature was scrutinized, her every decision judged. Today Brooke faces a different kind of scrutiny: that of being a “woman of a certain age.”

And yet, for Brooke, the passage of time has brought freedom. At fifty-nine, she feels more comfortable in her skin, more empowered and confident than she did decades ago in those famous Calvin Kleins. Now, in Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old, she’s changing the narrative about women and aging.

This is an era, insists Brooke, when women are reclaiming agency and power, not receding into the shadows. These are the years when we get to decide how we want to live—when we get to write our own stories.

With remarkable candor, Brooke bares all, painting a vibrant and optimistic picture of being a woman in the prime of her life, while dismantling the myths that have, for too long, dimmed that perception. Sharing her own life experiences with humor and humility, and weaving together research and reporting, Brooke takes aim at the systemic factors that contribute to age-related bias.

By turns inspiring, moving, and galvanizing, Brooke’s honesty and vulnerability will resonate with women everywhere, and spark a new conversation about the power and promise of midlife.

REVIEW: As a 54-year-old female, I appreciate a book that's geared toward women my age. Brooke did a very good job highlighting not only the trials that she's been through with "ageism", but she also gave sound advice and encouragement to those of us in this stage of life. There were many times I caught myself shaking my head in agreement, especially the part about becoming an empty nester and the wide range of emotions that come with it. Brooke has a soft, engaging voice that's nice to listen to, and she's funny too. There are some parts where you can detect an underlying bitterness in her tone, especially when it comes to men. I'm not a diehard feminist, but I do understand her point of view where some things are concerned. Overall, I'm glad I listened to her story, and I would recommend it.

(DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this title from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.)

4 comments:

Lark January 17, 2025 at 10:37 AM
I think I have to read this one now just to support women my age.
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SusanJanuary 22, 2025 at 1:31 PM
I'm a few years younger than you are, so it sounds like this is a book I would relate to as well. Celebrity memoirs aren't really my thing, but this one sounds interesting. I might just pick it up!
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