Juicy Tomatoes

Tales from the Vine: Juicy Tomatoes Talk About Being Female, Over Fifty, and in Full Bloom

Juicy Tomatoes introduces you to a group of women who will happily plead guilty to being female and over fifty. That's because they know that being a fifty-plus woman means having wisdom, passion, and savvy to spare, and that the second half of life can be just as fun and fulfilling as the first. They've seen through the myths that say an over-fifty woman can't have good sex or a new career and they've forged ahead despite societal pressure to quietly step down. These juicy tomatoes are redefining what it means to be a woman over fifty and blazing a trail that promises to change the culture and the lives of those green tomatoes who come after them. Juicy Tomatoes is a refreshing and revealing look at how women meet the challenges and embrace the opportunities that come with age. These stories from life beyond fifty are funny, poignant, inspiring, and unflinchingly honest.

IN BRIEF
A raucous romp through the second half century, this collection offers advice on hot flashes, children, sex, denial, and "those funny things on your neck" from dozens of women from the author's generation and older whose humor, savvy, and determination have brought that old meaning back to life.

Susan Swartz is the author and coauthor of four books. Her columns on outspoken women and boomer angst are distributed around the country by the New York Times News Service. Her work has appeared in More and other magazines. Juicy Tomatoes has been performed on stage in California and Oregon and turned into a radio play. She lives in Northern California where she is a reporter for the Santa Rosa Press Democrat and a public radio commentator. She and her husband have three daughters. Her second book is The Juicy Tomatoes Guide to Ripe Living After 50.