Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old: Thoughts on Aging as a Woman
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
From generational icon Brooke Shields comes an intimate and empowering exploration of aging that flips the script on the idea of what it means for a woman to grow older
Brooke Shields has spent a lifetime in the public eye. Growing up as a child actor and model, her every feature was scrutinized, her every decision judged. Today Brooke faces a different kind of scrutiny: that of being a “woman of a certain age.”
And yet, for Brooke, the passage of time has brought freedom. At fifty-nine, she feels more comfortable in her skin, more empowered and confident than she did decades ago in those famous Calvin Kleins. Now, in Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old, she’s changing the narrative about women and aging.
This is an era, insists Brooke, when women are reclaiming agency and power, not receding into the shadows. These are the years when we get to decide how we want to live—when we get to write our own stories.
With remarkable candor, Brooke bares all, painting a vibrant and optimistic picture of being a woman in the prime of her life, while dismantling the myths that have, for too long, dimmed that perception. Sharing her own life experiences with humor and humility, and weaving together research and reporting, Brooke takes aim at the systemic factors that contribute to age-related bias.
By turns inspiring, moving, and galvanizing, Brooke’s honesty and vulnerability will resonate with women everywhere, and spark a new conversation about the power and promise of midlife.
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Community Reviews
First off, let’s address the obvious: Brooke Shields is aging like a bottle of top-shelf wine sealed in a vault somewhere (and probably blessed by skincare wizards), so her insights on the struggles of midlife feel a bit, well, aspirational for the rest of us mere mortals.
This book is a mix of personal anecdotes, societal observations, and a healthy dose of “you can do it too!” energy, which alternates between empowering and slightly exhausting. Shields is funny, charming, and candid as she recounts her journey from being ogled in Calvin Klein ads to embracing her 59-year-old self. But let’s be real: it’s easier to age gracefully when you have a personal trainer, a glam squad, and the kind of cheekbones that don’t quit.
The book’s best moments are when Brooke gets personal—she opens up about her life in the spotlight, the pressures of Hollywood, and how society loves to slap an expiration date on women like it’s a clearance sticker at the grocery store. Those parts feel real and relatable, even if you’ve never graced a Vogue cover. But sometimes, her “you’re as young as you feel” mantras feel a little like being handed a $20 candle when your house is on fire.
To be fair, Brooke’s wit and self-awareness are charming. She acknowledges her privilege, though not always with the depth you’d hope for. At times, it feels like she’s saying, “Aging is liberating!” from a luxury spa while the rest of us are standing in the drugstore aisle debating if we should spend $30 on an anti-aging cream that promises to fix our entire lives.
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