Menopause isn’t one-size-fits-all—and neither are the stories or solutions. For women of color navigating this season of life, finding honest, culturally aware, contemporary voices is essential. These three books on menopause deliver just that. Each author brings their own experience and expertise to the table, creating space for laughter, education, reflection, and empowerment. Add them to your shelf—or your earbuds.
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Menopause by Carol King
If menopause had a stand-up set, this would be it. Carol King, better known to readers as ‘Auntie Carol,’ doesn’t sugarcoat a thing. She takes hot flashes, brain fog, and mood swings and spins them into sharp, laugh-out-loud moments. But beneath the humor is honesty—and a deep sense of solidarity.
King shares her own menopause journey with unfiltered truth, reminding us that our symptoms don’t make us broken or alone. Her voice is rooted in Black womanhood, making it especially resonant for readers who often feel erased from the mainstream menopause narrative. It’s not a medical guide but medicine for the spirit.
Why it’s worth reading:
Because sometimes the most healing thing is hearing someone say exactly what you’re thinking—just funnier.
Generation M by Jessica Shepherd, MD
Dr. Jessica Shepherd is an OB-GYN, educator, and advocate who understands menopause isn’t just physical—it’s generational, cultural, and emotional. In Generation M, she takes a holistic approach, blending medical expertise with real-life conversations about what it means to age in this moment.
What sets this book apart is its clarity. Dr. Shepherd breaks down the biology of menopause in a way that’s accessible without talking down. She addresses everything from hormone therapy to sleep disruption to sexuality, and always through a lens that centers the reader’s agency.
For women of color, especially, her voice is refreshing: rooted in science, shaped by lived experience, and grounded in compassion. Generation M doesn’t just educate—it empowers.
Why it’s worth reading:
Because it gives you straightforward answers and the confidence to ask better questions.
How to Menopause by Tamsen Fadal
Part survival guide, part pep talk, How to Menopause is what happens when a journalist decides to bring menopause out of the shadows. Tamsen Fadal draws from her own experience—both personal and professional—to build a resource that’s as practical as it is motivating.
Each chapter takes on a topic women want to know about: how to handle anxiety, talk to your doctor, advocate for yourself at work, and feel at home in your body again. What’s refreshing is that Fadal doesn’t pretend there’s a one-size-fits-all answer—she gives options and encourages agency.
There’s also an emphasis on visibility: what it means to be a midlife woman in a culture obsessed with youth. For readers navigating menopause while also juggling career, family, or caregiving roles, this book offers more than tips—it provides perspective.
Why it’s worth reading:
Because aging isn’t something to “get through.” It’s something to own.
Afterword:
These three menopause reads don’t all take the same approach—and that’s exactly the point. From Auntie Carol’s raw humor to Dr. Shepherd’s science-based guidance to Tamsen Fadal’s mix of realism and motivation, each voice brings something different to the table.
For women of color, who are too often excluded from health conversations, these books don’t just inform—they affirm that you are seen, are not alone, and deserve care that speaks to you!
Check your local indie bookstore, library, or audiobook platform—and start where you are.
March 2025