Ageneration-definingexplorationofthenewmidlifecrisisfacingGenXwomenandtheuniquecircumstancesthathavebroughtthemtothispoint,WhyWeCan’tSleepisalivelysuccessortoPassagesbyGailSheehyandTheDefiningDecadebyMegJay.WhenAdaCalhounfoundherselfinthethroesofamidlifecrisis,shethoughtthatshehadnorighttocomplain.Shewasmarriedwithchildrenandagoodcareer.Sowhydidshefeelmiserable?AndwhydiditseemthatotherGenerationXwomenweremiserable,too?Calhoundecidedtofindsomeanswers.Shelookedintohousingcosts,HRtrends,creditcarddebtaverages,anddivorcedata.Ateveryturn,shesawapattern:sandwichedbetweentheBoomersandtheMillennials,GenXwomenwerefacingnewproblemsastheyenteredmiddleage,problemsthatwerebeinglargelyoverlooked.SpeakingwithwomenacrossAmericaabouttheirexperiencesasthegenerationraisedto“haveitall,“Calhounfoundthatmostwereexhausted,terrifiedaboutmoney,under-employed,andoverwhelmed.Insteadofbeingheard,theyweretoldinsteadtoleanin,take“me-time,“ormakeachorecharttogettheirlivesandhomesinorder.InWhyWeCan’tSleep,CalhounopensuptheculturalandpoliticalcontextsofGenX’spredicamentandofferssolutionsforhowtopulloneselfoutoftheabyss--andkeepthenextgenerationofwomenfromfallingin.Theresultisreassuring,empowering,andessentialreadingforallmiddle-agedwomen,andanyonewhohopestounderstandthem.
