In Queen Menopause: Finding Your Majesty in the Mayhem, Alison Daddo gives an intimate and honest account of her journey through menopause. It was a particularly rough ride for Alison, with debilitating hot flushes, weight gain and insomnia, accompanied by feelings of despair and worthlessness.
Alison tells her story with humour and a friendly, conversational style. She recounts her life as a successful model, a wife and mother and her career in women’s healthcare, and shares entries from her personal journal. Some of the journal entries capture her lowest moments, where in a society that worships youth and physical beauty, the former cover girl suffers a crisis of self-loathing. I found myself flipping to the front cover as I read these entries, unable to reconcile the beautiful, smiling face with the negative view Alison had of herself. It was heartbreaking.
The back chapters of the book are a wonderful reference, with practical support and advice. These chapters feature personal accounts of menopause from some famous women, as well as a guide to treatments, remedies, and strategies for navigating the changes that menopause brings.
In sharing her story, Alison Daddo shines a light on this important part of a woman’s life that is often maligned and silenced. Queen Menopause is an empowering guide for coming through this transition fighting fit and fierce. In sharing our stories of menopause, we help both other women and ourselves.
Long live the Queen!