Issue #13. Crone Book List as recommended by, or written by Crones ✊

Recommendations for the Bookish crone/hag/witch in your life, as recommended or written by Crones Clubbers! Support a creative crone this Crimbo! #CroneEconomy

Pictured @CathiRae, not afraid to wear her poetry lightly (pic with thanks to @cathirae and @Ray Grumbley Photography).

Welcome new Crones, we are so glad you are here, and thank you to older ones for your support this past year, especially paid subscribers! I couldn’t keep this going without you! 💚 There’s exciting news coming in the new year, with an update of where we want to take www.croneclub.org and Tits to the Wind. But for now, I just wanted to say thank you. 🙏 Right, onto the order of the day…

Oh no! ‘Not another ruddy Christmas list’ you may be thinking? But if you’re a relative or friend of a Crone or a Crone-in-Training, and/or if you’re a bookish Crone looking to treat thissen for Chrimbo, we know you’ll appreciate some thoughtful recommendations from like-minded women ‘OF A CERTAIN AGE!’

In fact, let’s just call this issue ‘Greg Wallace’s worst nightmare’.

We also wanted to take an opportunity to cheer on some new writing from older women from our Facebook group, Insta and Crone Club Sheffield; including Crone Carole Taylor’s first novel based on her experience of being forced to give her baby away in the 1960s, to Insta legend @Cathi Rae’s poetry pamphlet about midlife.

(Please note - none of this content is sponsored and I don’t get a penny from celebrating these wonderful women and promoting their work. It’s just what Crones do, innnit. #CroneSupportingCrones. Also apologies for those I’ve missed or not had space to include. DM me if you’d like to pitch for next years! 😘 Also, I’ve put in links to most of the books and/or a review of them. Most links are to Amazon, just for ease, but if you can find somewhere more ethical or even buy direct from the crone in question, so much the better!)

First up, some Crone Essentials…

‘Hagitude’ by Sharon Blackie - recommended more times that you can shake a (witches) stick at by our Facebook Group members, this is quite possibly the most beautiful gift you can get a woman who is approaching 50 or 60. As Sharon says: “There can be a perverse pleasure, as well as a sense of rightness and beauty, in insisting on flowering just when the world expects you to become quiet and diminish.’ ✊

‘The Women Who Run with Wolves - the power of the wild woman’ by the Godmother of the reclaiming crone movement - Clarissa Pinkola Estés. A Mestiza Latina (Native American/Mexican Spanish) in her seventies, she explores the myths and stories for the ‘wild woman archetype.’ Many of our Crone Lyn Hodnett’s paintings have been influenced by this crone classic. If, like me, you struggle with tiny writing, she does some great audiobooks too, some of which she reads herself in quite possibly the best crone voice ever, and are available from her website.

‘Crones don’t whine - concentrated wisdom for juicy women’- 13 crone qualities to aspire to by U.S feminist legend @Dr Jean Shinoda Bolen. First published in 2003, this was the first Crone book I read that gave me a positive roadmap to getting older as a woman - something to aspire to, rather than fight against. It’s a quick read, and a great introduction to some of the joys and qualities of Cronedom - the perfect gift for anyone having a wobble about a ‘significant’ birthday.

‘Gift from the Sea’ by Ann Morrow Lindbergh. First published in 1955, and more recently republished by her daughter, this was a book gifted to me by my mum, and is a celebration of the necessity of solitude by the sea for creative women. Get the hardback one with the nice cover. It’s guaranteed to make you feel better about being pulled in all directions, even if you don’t actually have time to get to a break by the sea yourself. (This book also informed Issue 2. A room of one’s own - shesheds for solitude if you’re in need of a solitude day dream!)

‘If Women Rose Rooted’ by Sharon Blackie,’ recommended by Crone Fanny Eaton-Hall and Crone Karen Abi-Karam. A forerunner to her more mainstream hit ‘Hagitude’, Blackie explores myth, landscape and eco feminism.

‘Hags - the demonisation of middle-aged women’ by Victoria Smith. “What is it about women in middle-age and beyond that seems to enrage - almost everyone?” asks Victoria. Hand over this book to the beloved feminist in your life, then bid a hasty retreat. Grego, this one’s for you 😘

Crone Fiction recommended by Crone Club members

‘All Fours’ by writer, artist, director, actor, Miranda July. I was first introduced to this artist through my good friend Crone Jos, through the film ‘Me, and you, and everyone I know’ which July wrote, directed and starred in back in 2005. We became a bit obsessed. Having now just turned 50 herself, we eagerly awaited the release of her novel about midlife. A couple of Crone Clubbers said they’d devoured it in one sitting, so I hastily bought it as a present for a friend, and copy for myself. Hand on heart, I can’t say I ‘enjoyed it’, and the Victorian Lady in me struggled with the rude bits 😳 😂, but I did FINISH IT, which is an achievement in itself these days. I’ll leave it up to you to decide. Let us know what you think in comments below!

'Today a woman went mad in the supermarket' by Hilma Wolitzer A collection of stories recommended by Crone Nicola Freeman who says: “She seems to have been overlooked for as long as I've been alive (five decades plus) as despite a working life in libraries and bookshops, I had never heard of her. Have just this afternoon given her back to the library with a rave review and a request that they put her in the window come daffodil season as she has a lemon hand grenade cover! Well worth a borrow.”

‘The Eyrie’ by Stevie Davies, also recommended by Nicola “I found this in a free book shelf, and remember thinking 'I want to be you when I grow up'. My reads are usually found rather than bought and a bit random but I gave that one back knowing she was gone but would not be forgotten…” Amazon agrees: “Nobody at The Eyrie is quite like Red Dora - in her eighties, she's a Scots ex-Communist, ex-Trotskyite who fought in the Spanish Civil War. A madly patriotic Welsh woman with a brass dragon on her door. With her fiery brand of radical anticapitalism, she conjures plans of political sabotage and computer hacking...”

All three of the Olive Kitteridge books by the wonderful crone, Elizabeth Strout - ‘Olive Kitteridge’, ‘Olive Again’ and ‘Tell me Everything’. Recommended by Crone Ann Blackburn who says: “An ordinarily unique life, beautifully observed. Once read, Strout’s characters are with you forever.”

A Year of Marvellous Ways by Sarah Winman. Recommended by Crone Ellie Keegan (who also recommends any Margaret Atwood). Ellie says the book has a “Great crone character lead”, described on Amazon as “an eighty-nine-year-old woman who lives alone in a remote Cornish creek, spending her days sitting by the river, peering through a telescope. It's about the magic in everyday life and the lure of the sea, the healing powers of storytelling and sloe gin, love and death, and how we carry on when grief comes snapping at our heels.”

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, a historical fantasy novel, which re-tells the Arthurian legends from the perspective of the female characters. Recommended by Crone of Corwen and Sheffield, artist, Lyn Hodnett.

The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan, recommended by Crone Karen Abi-Karam. One woman’s quest to reunite the thousands of objects with their rightful owners.

Crone Non-Fiction as recommended by Crone Club Members

From left: Viv Albertine (now 70), Palmolive, Tessa Pollitt and Ari Up of the Slits in 1975. Photograph: Ray Stevenson/Rex Features

Three great music books were recommended by Crone Lyn Lockwood - “all by amazing crones who have lived fascinating lives.” Viv Albertine’s two autobiographies: ‘Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys’ described by The Guardian as ‘More than a punk memoir, this honest, defiant book from the Slits’ guitarist is a lesson in how to look back from middle age,’ and ‘Throw Away Unopened’ (2018), described by The Guardian as a ‘Chronicle of outsiderness’ - ring any bells anyone? Lyn also recommends the autobiography of indie band Lush’s Miki Berenyi, ‘Fingers Crossed: How Music Saved Me from Success’, (Check out the Guardian Review here).

‘She I Dare Not Name’ by Donna Ward, recommended Crone Rebecca Hutten for crones who single childless/childfree. Amazon describes it as: “a compelling collection of fiercely intelligent, deeply intimate, lyrical reflections on the life of a woman who stands on the threshold between two millennia. Both manifesto and confession, this moving memoir explores the meaning and purpose Donna Ward discovered in a life lived entirely without a partner and children.” For other childfree/childless Crone recommendations, check out

Jody Day

's Substack, who writes beautifully on this topic.

‘Crossing to Avalon, A Woman's Midlife Quest for the Sacred Feminine’, by Dr Jean Shinoda Bolen. Recommended by Crone Jeweliette B Marguerite. Sleeve notes: “Dr Jean Shinoda Bolen's memoir celebrates the pilgrimage that heralded her spiritual awakening and leads readers down the path of self-discovery. In this account of her journey to Europe in search of the sacred feminine, she unveils the mythological significance of the midlife search for meaning and renewal”.

'Braiding Sweetgrass' by Robin Wall Kimmerer recommended by Crone Stella Bolam who says “it's so beautifully written. I want to read her 'Gathering Moss' one next” and seconded by Crone Ann Blackburn: “I loved that book so much. Despite talking about climate change, it was so full of hope.” Amazon review: “Braiding Sweetgrass is poised to be a classic of nature writing. Kimmerer brings two lenses of knowledge together to take "us on a journey that is every bit as mythic as it is scientific, as sacred as it is historical, as clever as it is wise" (Elizabeth Gilbert). Drawing on her life as an indigenous scientist, a mother, and a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living beings offer us gifts and lessons, even if we've forgotten how to hear their voices.”

‘Eve - How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution’ by Cat Bohannon, recommended by Crone Fanny Eaton Hall. Longlisted for women’s prize for non fiction, the New York Times describes this as: “A page-turning whistle-stop tour of mammalian development that begins in the Jurassic Era, Eve recasts the traditional story of evolutionary biology by placing women at its center…The book is engaging, playful, erudite, discursive and rich with detail.”

'From the Beast to the Blonde' by Marina Warner, recommended by Crone Lyn Hodnett. “It’s about Fairy Tales and their tellers”. Why are storytellers so often women, and how does that affect the status of fairy tales?

'The Salt Path' by Raynor Winn recommended by Crone-in-Training Hester Singer and others. Hester says: “I found it totally inspiring.” Amazon review: “Just days after Raynor learns that her husband of 32 years is terminally ill, their home is taken away and they lose their livelihood. With nothing left and little time, they make the brave and impulsive decision to walk the 630 miles of the sea-swept South West Coast Path, from Somerset to Dorset, via Devon and Cornwall… The Salt Path is an honest and life-affirming true story of coming to terms with grief and the healing power of the natural world.”

‘Somewhere Towards the End’, by Diana Athill, recommended by Crone Diane Rolf who describes her as ‘Always inspiring.’ Winner of the Costa Biography prize, it’s described on ‘Slightly Foxed’ as “Written in her nineties, when she was free from any inhibitions she may have once had, Diana Athill reflects frankly on the losses and occasionally the gains that old age can bring, and on the wisdom and fortitude required to face death. Lively, fearless and humorous, Somewhere Towards the End encapsulates the vibrant final decades of Athill’s life. Filled with events, love and friendships, this is a memoir about maintaining hope, joy and vigour in later life, resisting regret, and questioning the beliefs and customs of your own generation.”

‘Raising The Skirt - the unsung power of the vagina’ by Catherine Blackledge. Recommended by Crone Nonika Nonika, Amazon describes the book as a “revolutionary view of female genitalia and points the way to a new understanding of what it means to be female. An inspiration for millennia, the vagina is actually a muscular marvel of engineering - sensitive and strong, fluid and flexible. Far from being a passive vessel, female genitalia control the most important role of all: the survival of the species.”

‘Daughters of Copperwoman’, by Anne Cameron, also recommended by Crone Nonika Nonika. One Amazon review describes the book as a collection of: “native American stories, which reveal that the native women of Vancouver off the coast of British Columbia were both more cultured and civilised than the Europeans who invaded their land and all but destroyed their culture. We owe a great debt of gratitude to Anne Cameron for retelling these stories with vivid readability and making them available to a much wider readership.”

‘The Art of Gathering’ by Pia Parker Recommended by one of our wonderful younger Crone Club friends, Laura Lightfinch. Perfect for any Crone interested in the art of ritual and the power of coming together.

Crone Books written by Crone Club members

x3 volumes of poetry by Crone Flloyd Kennedy, Aussie-born, Liverpool-based actress, singer-songwriter and performance poet (turned award-winning podcaster ‘Am I old Yet’). "Sunsets & Kites" memories from a life uproariously lived and wryly observed; "Home is Where I Hang My Pot" and "It's Only a Matter of Time".

‘Just this side of sea worthy and other poems’ by Crone Cathi Rae (pictured in the lead pic). A poetry pamphlet ‘which focusses on age, ageism and the ageing process’. To buy one, contact her via her fab insta account @cathiRae or email cathirae62@yahoo.co.uk. Cathi is also a guest writer for TTTW - check out Issue 5. The Age Positivity Movement - are we part of the problem? ‘Your cleaner hates you’ is also being re-issued next year, plus you might get to see her reading some at the CroneLines Disco Celebration on 22 Feb in Sheffield. Watch this space!

‘A Little Book of Painfully Bad Menopause Poems’ by Crone Stephanie aka @Wax_Whips_and_my_hairy_bits’. The perfect Crone stocking filler!

MOUTHING OFF, on the flip of a century, a poetry collection by Crone La Nonnika - ‘a celebration, a call to arms, a diatribe and a lament from a black, working class bohemian, mother living in Inner City London’. Available to buy from Amazon.

‘Heroine’s Anthology’ A poetry collection featuring our Crone Vicky Morris in this interesting collection of female writers available for pre-order here.

‘Dear Blacksmith’ by Crone Beverley Ward’s book tracks her journey of love and loss and is helpful for those experiencing bereavement of a loved one.

Midowed, a mother’s grief, by Crone Debbie Enver. When her 15-year-old Dan dies unexpectedly, Debbie Enever’s world shatters. Turning to the solitude of memories and the company of her dog, Debbie pens a journal to help her cope with all the grief. As she writes, the voice of her lost son talks back to her, helping Debbie chart a course through the most difficult experience of her life. Debbie’s book explores parenthood, friendships, organ donation, and finding unexpected love, Midowed celebrates the joyous bond between a mother and son.

‘Perfectly Imperfect - the story of two J’s’ by Crone Carole Taylor. This is her first novel published this year aged 79. Carole was forced to give up her baby in the 1960’s as so many single women were. She gave a Crone Club talk about her experiences, and has written her first novel based on her experience and the experience of others.

Feeling inspired to write?

Looking to write something mischievous? Check out Crone @stella.fosse’s book ‘Aphrodites Pen - the power of Writing Erotica after Midlife’ - out now! Get the book Joan Price called a "lively and motivating erotic writing course” - the first book that empowers older women to write about erotic experiences. Oo matron.

We were excited to have Leicester based publisher Jen Parker of Fuzzy Flamingo join our Facebook group last month. Jen is on a mission to make publishing “more accessible, less intimidating and more inclusive” and is keen to give a voice to older women writers. It’s never too late to get started! Drop her a line!

Talking of making books, check out Sheffield Crone Heather Dewick aka Heather Bookbinder! “My books (journals, sketchbooks etc) can be found in the Sheffield Makers Shop in the Winter Gardens. All made in my she-shed!”

There’s also a new writing award for women 60+ that’s worth a punt if you want to get your work out there! The Bridport prize for writers over 60+ (thanks Crone Ann for the recommendation).

Dates for the diary

23-27 December 2024 Women only Christmas retreat in Bodlondeb North Wales, led by lovely Steph for Crones looking to be kinder to themselves this Christmas. 🥰 She’s also running a New Year women’s only retreat. A few of us have been to Bodlondeb and it’s truly wonderful. Drop her a line for more info.

Sat 22 Feb, 2025 from 2pm-7pm, get your best crone/hag outfit ready for the first CRONELINES AFTERNOON DISCO 💃🏾, at a secret location in Sheffield, UK. This is celebration is for crones across the UK to honour the women who have influenced us, and connect with new ones! Leave us a comment if you want to be the first to know when the tickets go on release (limited numbers, paid subscribers get priority!) Huge thanks to The Tramlines Trust for supporting us on this joyful venture. 🥳

‘Coming Home’, 1 April, The Sheffield Crucible opens it doors to crone-tastic day and the chance to watch Crone Imogen Ashby’s one-woman show ‘Dry Bits’. We’ve got a stand there, plus a talk too, and a second chance to see Crone Donna Mackenzie-Smyth’s and Crone Laura Page’s menopause exhibition ‘Scrapheap’. Also in attendance, the Me-no-pause dance group, United Women Affiliation and Crone Ola Fagbohun. We’re looking for volunteers to chat with visitors about Crone Club and the joys that can be found in getting older as a woman! Let me know if you can come along! Plus, of course, you’re all invited!

And finally, can you help keep this going?

Justine does the Crone Club Private Members Facebook group, the Insta, the meet ups, the online events and Tits to the Wind at the expense of doing paid freelance work/a real job. She currently has 95 paid subscribers (🙏 to you so incredibly grateful), but realistically, she needs to get this to 500 paid subscribers by April next year to be able to carry on. Can you help?

Gift a subscription to Tits to the Wind! 👇🏽 The perfect gift for the crone or crone-in-training in your life! DM me your address and I can send you a Crone Club Membership card to give on the day too. 😘

Or upgrade to paid if you possibly can! 👇🏽 🙏

Much love, thanks and Christmas Croneage, Juzza and Crone Club. xxx