Unaccompanied Women: Late-Life Adventures in Love, Sex, and Real Estate

I'm totally puzzled by all the negative reviews here. A lot of people just don't seem to "get" Juska's wry sense of humor. For example, when she talks about getting a rich husband to buy her a house -- and MAYBE she'd let him live there with her -- obviously she was joking -- duh! Yes, the book is a bit "all over the place," but I just love her writing style. She really lets you into her inner self and, to me, she feels like a friend. And, regarding her so-called "Anti-Arab" prejudice: the only men she's critical of are Iranian men, and she's had considerable experience with them, so I think she knows whereof she speaks. I do agree with those who find her situation sad, and frankly I hope I don't end up like her. But I think she writes well, and her books have resonated with lots of women -- AND I think they're very funny in parts.

From the first sentence, I was hooked. Her outlook is so unusual, quirky and her style an academic/down-to-earth melange is enchanting. I enjoyed every "embarrassing" moment.

UNACCOMPANIED WOMEN: LATE-LIFE ADVENTURES IN LOVE, SEX, AND REAL ESTATE follows on the heels of Jane Juska's best-seller A ROUND-HEELED WOMAN, surveying women's fears of growing old, being alone, and never settling down. Stories of women who, like her, have yet to find love but are determined to find it provides insight, humor and irony and will make the perfect gift for any unaccompanied older woman still looking for love. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

I am only half way through this book, and I have to applaud Jane. If you are expecting her to be perfect, or perfectly happy, go elsewhere. At just over half her age I know many women in stale, sad marriages who embody the quote "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation". These women are every bit as pathetic as some people purport Juska to be. It's nice to hear from someone who doesn't think that marriage will make them whole, and who goes after what she wants, despite possibly getting her heart broken. Jane Juska doesn't glamorize her choices, as she has been accused of...she has had plenty of bumps as well as successes. THAT is what makes a human story. I hope that I have 1/5 of her courage when I am her age!

Reading this book was like having a good long visit with the author, whose "Round Heeled Woman" was an utter delight. Her voice comes through so strongly and engagingly; the writing is gorgeous; the stories are fascinating, the characters unforgettable--especially the main character: Jane Juska. The book's enjoyable without its references to "Round Heeled Woman," and yet it draws the reader back into "RHW" in a way that made me want to go back and read RHW again.