There's a moment in Sandra Tsing Loh's autobiographical narrative on "the change" when, in an attempt to stave off the middle-age belly fat that's a byproduct of her slowing metabolism, she takes every class her gym offers. Loh (Mother on Fire) winds up maniacally screeching "No More!," but her hilarious, absurd memoir will leave readers demanding the opposite, and laughing until they weep (even if their hormones are perfectly balanced).
This brutally candid account of the transition from fertile young'un to seasoned lady may give readers hope that there's a hidden benefit to menopause: becoming courageously outspoken. Loh, a radio host and humorist, writes frankly of the fallout from her extramarital affair, her efforts to support her angry father and the precise timbre of her preteen daughters' voices (which make her completely nuts). She tries everything from yoga to a Greek yogurt diet to calm her careering hormones, but ultimately realizes that acceptance is the true path to enlightenment.
Beyond the bold humor in Loh's everyday life as she tries (sometimes in vain) to steer the roller-coaster of her perimenopausal emotions, the real impact here comes from her moments of personal revelation: Prince Charming sometimes goes back to his wife, parents still have the power to break our adult hearts, and there is no shame in taking a little estrogen to cope. Uproarious but with real notes of human failing and self-examination, The Madwoman in the Volvo offers a raw assessment of an unavoidable change. --Natalie Papailiou