Books With Characters in Their 40s

by Kelly Harms

Amy, 40 years old

Three years ago, Amy's husband left on a business trip and just decided not to come back. Forced into single-parenthood and with no child support, she did what she had to do - cutting back expenses and taking a job as a school librarian. Now her husband has shown back up out of the blue wanting to reconnect with his teenagers. Amy is reluctant to let him have them over the summer, but she finally gives in.

With her newly found freedom, Amy decides to escape rural Pennsylvania to attend a librarian conference in NYC. Overworked and underappreciated, the Amy who arrives in the city describes herself simply as "a 40-year-old mom-shaped-librarian." But her old friend Talia, a fashion magazine editor in the city, wants to help her see herself in a new light. A makeover, a few blind dates, and a trending hashtag later, Amy gets a glimpse of what her life could have been if she had chosen different priorities.

Just as Amy is struggling with whether to stay in this exciting new chapter of her life or return to the life she left behind, a crisis brings her two worlds crashing together.

The Book Girls Say... Amy is totally relatable as a main character, and you'll want to root her on during her escape from everyday responsibilities and her search for romance at 40. This book tops our list of favorite rom coms!

The ebook and audiobook versions are currently free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription as of 4/19/22.

by Steven Rowley

Patrick ("GUP"), 43 years old

When family tragedy strikes, uncle Patrick needs to take custody of his niece and nephew for the summer. Forty-three-year-old GUP (Gay Uncle Patrick) is a former sitcom star and loves the kids, but he's used to them going home after a weekend.

His career is stalled, and his lifestyle in Palm Springs isn't exactly ideal for a 6 and 9-year-old. He quickly realizes that having the kids longer than a few days means he needs to be more of a parent figure, and that treats may not solve everything.

In order to help the kids, Patrick will also have to figure out how to help himself. This means facing some difficult memories from his past and deciding what he wants for his future.

The Book Girls Say... We both rated this book 5 stars for making us laugh, cry, and feel everything in between! Even though the family is recovering from grief and in the midst of another complicated situation, the Guncle is full of heartwarming moments and laugh-out-loud humor. Patrick is the embodiment of what you hope for in a family member or friend. He steps way outside of his comfort zone, leads with open-hearted love, and does his best when in an unexpected difficult situation. The kids are equally fantastic characters!

Steven Rowley is also the author of Lily & the Octopus, which features a 42-year-old writer, Ted, and his best friend Lily, a 12-year-old dachshund. This is a very quirky but delightful read.

by Kristin Hannah

Jolene, 41 years old

This book starts on Jolene’s 41st birthday. She’s been married 12 years and a member of the National Guard for even longer as a Blackhawk helicopter pilot. When she’s sent to Iraq, her husband, who doesn’t understand her dedication to her career and country, tells her he no longer loves her.

She’s heartbroken when she arrives in Iraq but thankfully has her best friend Tami by her side. The two encounter situations just as heartbreaking during their deployment. After reading about Jolene and Tami's time deployed, some readers say they have a greater appreciation for our modern-day troops.

The Book Girls’ Say…While many of us know Kristin Hannah for her fantastic and heart-wrenching historical fiction, she also has a gift for writing stories of friendship. Unfortunately, some reviewers do not enjoy the narration on this one, so it may be better in print or ebook form.

The ebook is currently free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription as of 4/19/22.

by Jodi Picoult

Ruth, 44 years old

Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse with twenty years of experience. After being reassigned away from a newborn patient, she learns that the parents are white supremacists and don’t want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Does she obey the orders of her superiors based on the parent's mandate or does she intervene?

This story is told from three alternating points of view: Ruth, the nurse; Kennedy, her middle-aged attorney; and Turk, the newborn’s white supremacist father.

The Book Girls Say... This book is an emotional roller coaster ride that is painful to read at times, but we promise that it’s totally worth it. You may need to take a little break after reading the first chapter from Turk’s perspective, but after some deep breaths, please, please pick this book back up and keep reading. If we had the power, we’d make this book required reading for everyone!

by Julie Cantrell

Eva ("Lovey"), 45 years old; Bitsy, 48 years old

Sisters Eva and Bitsy grew up in Oxford, Mississippi surrounded by literary history and their mother's stunning perennial gardens. Bitsy was the cheerleader and the homecoming queen who went on to marry a wealthy investment banker. Eva was the one always blamed when things went wrong - like the garden shed fire when she was eleven that changed everything!

As soon as she was old enough, Eva ran far away from Oxford - subverting expectations that she'd attend Ole Miss and instead moving to Arizona. She becomes a successful advertising executive and a yoga instructor, but at 45, she's still alone.

When she receives a phone call from her father insisting that she return to Mississippi for her parents' 50th wedding anniversary, she really can't afford the time away from work, but she also can't say no to her dad.

Will reuniting with her sister after all these years may finally give them a chance to make amends? She's surprised to find that seeing Oxford through the eyes of an adult really does feel like going "home,"

The Book Girls Say... Reviewers praise this Southern family saga for exploring complex family relationships from many different angels.

The ebook is currently free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription as of 4/19/22.

by Juliet Ashton

Anna, 40 years old

The Piper family, including Anna, her promiscuous sister, flamboyant older brother, youngest sibling Josh, and their aging grandma, gather regularly for Sunday lunch with other extended family and friends. The meals are full of food, laughter, and bickering in between.

The lives of all the family members are discussed, but the story is told mainly from the point of view of 40-year-old Anna. She’s unexpectedly pregnant and is also dealing with an unexpected letter from someone in her past.

After reading, you’ll feel like a member of the family as the book is told through the Sunday lunches that you’ll quietly attend as the reader.

by Xochitl Gonzalez

Olga, 40 years old; Prieto, 43 years old

When Olga and her older brother, Prieto, were just teenagers, their mother abandoned them to fight for a political cause. Twenty-seven years later, the siblings have both made names for themselves in their hometown of Brooklyn. Olga is a wedding planner for Manhattan's chic 1%-ers, and Prieto is a popular congressman representing their gentrifying Latinx neighborhood.

Despite the prestige of their public personas, behind closed doors things are far less perfect. Olga spends her days orchestrating the love stories of the elite, but she's still looking for love of her own, Prieto has secrets that could impact his political career, and both are still grappling with their troubled childhoods.

Set in New York City in 2017 - the year that Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico - this story examines political corruption and complex family relationships. It paints a vivid history of Puerto Rico set against the notion of the American dream, and it asks what it really means to weather a storm.

The Book Girls Say... Reviewers praise this novel for its realistically flawed protagonists. Don't be fooled by the light and breezy tone of Gonzalez' writing - like the characters she creates, there is much more below the surface.

by Loretta Nyhan

Paige, 43 years old

This short (248 pages) contemporary fiction novel is about Paige, who was widowed at the young age of 41.

Now, two years later, her trusted boss of 22 years is also gone, and his son has taken over the business. He’s radically changing everything at the advertising firm, including an announcement that he’s getting rid of 2 employees at the end of the summer. Paige is trying to hold on to her job and her sanity for the sake of her teenage son, but her formerly perfect house and yard are both a mess.

As she tries to escape her new work problems on her back porch over a glass of wine, her nosy neighbor pops up with a lecture about the dandelions in her yard. In frustration, she pours another glass of wine and begins yanking out the dandelions one by one…and it felt GOOD. Before long, she was looking for a shovel for more yard therapy.

Paige creates a bigger and bigger hole in her yard, much to the chagrin of her fancy suburban neighbors. But it’s helping her cope with the ongoing craziness at work and her lingering grief. Despite her inexperience in gardening and the pushy neighbors, she finally begins to feel fully alive again.

The ebook is currently free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription as of 4/19/22.

by Sarah Haywood

Susan, mid-40s

Susan Green thrives on order, routine, and predictability. Even her romance is scheduled with a regimented weekly relationship that fulfills her physical and cultural needs without emotions or strings.

Her ability to control every aspect of her life is lost when she finds out she is pregnant. Through this big moment, combined with her mother's passing, Susan has to learn how to live and love, even in circumstances she can't direct.

The Book Girls Say... Some reviews find Susan entirely unlikeable & too prickly, which makes sense as she IS “The Cactus.” However, Melissa found her relatable as a fellow overanalytical introvert and rooted for Susan to find happiness. She recommends the audiobook as the accents add to the feel of the story. However, if you always hate unlikable main characters, skip this one.

by Liane Moriarty

Madeline, 40 Years Old + Celeste, 40s

Someone is dead - but what happened? A murder...A tragic accident...Or just parents misbehaving?

Madeline is funny, biting, and passionate; she remembers everything and forgives no one. Celeste is beautiful, but the illusion of perfection comes at a price. Single mom Jane is new to town and has a mysterious past. She's so young that other moms mistake her for a nanny.

The three women at the heart of this story are very different, but they will all wind up involved in the same shocking situation.

by Laurie Gelman

Jen, 46 Years Old

Class Mom is much lighter than anything else on the list, but an amusing take on life as a 40-something mom of a kindergartener in the 2010s. She also has two daughters in college. It’s a perfect example of the different stages of life women can be in during their 40s.

If you've ever done a little eye-rolling when dealing with other parents at your child's school, this is the book for you. Former rockstar groupie Jen is bamboozled into being the class mom for her daughter's kindergarten class. Her emails recruiting other parent volunteers are full of the things you wish you could say, but hopefully wouldn't.

The Book Girls Say...This fun, irreverent book that will make you laugh out loud as long as you don't take it too seriously. If you're not a fan of snark, sarcasm, or adult language, skip it. It's total satire and not a deep novel, but sometimes, that's just what we need!
If you’ve ever watched Live with Kelly & Ryan (or Regis/Michael) in the mornings, the author of this book is Gelman’s wife, Laurie!

by Jessica Francis Kane

May, 40 Years Old

As a botanist, May prefers spending time with plants over people. She’s a gardener for a local university and likes to observe the lives of others while minimizing her interactions with them. However, in her younger years, she had a group of four close friends.

While it’s not feasible to get the group back together in one place, May sets out to reconnect with them one by one during an unexpected hiatus from work. Part tale of self-discovery and part story of female friendship, this book also explores themes of life’s offline simplicities vs. images of perfection online.

The Book Girls Say…Fans of The Odyssey might catch the ways this book parallels the Greek epic. Except in this modern re-interpretation, Penelope is the one traveling instead of Ulysses. You may also enjoy the references to classic literature and gardening, although you can still understand and enjoy the book without a passion for those topics.

by Lucy Sikes and Jo Piazza

Imogen Tate, 42 years old

Imogen is the Editor of Glossy magazine. After taking a six-month medical leave of absence she returns to work to find that the 20-somethings are trying to turn her fashion mag into an app. Her formerly beloved assistant, Eve, has returned from Harvard Business School, and under her reign, Glossy is rapidly becoming a digital sweatshop that churns out clickbait headlines day and night.

Imogen not only hates the direction that Eve has taken Glossy, but she also feels completely out of her depth. With the higher-ups on Eve's side, she'll have to decide whether to quit or tackle her technophobia in order to save her magazine and her career.

The Book Girls Say... As forty-two-year-olds ourselves, we don’t typically like seeing characters our age portrayed as baffled by technology and the internet, but as career bloggers we’d be lying if we said that we’ve never been frustrated by the constantly evolving social media platforms and the expectation to always jump on the next big thing, even when you can’t see how it benefits your business.

This book was published in 2015, and as we all know, technology is ever-changing, so keep in mind that some of the then-current references in the book may already feel a bit dated. If you notice that - then take it as a good sign that you're more tech-literate than Imogen.

While the Goodreads ratings of this book skew a bit lower than we typically look for, Angela read this book on vacation a few years ago and really enjoy it. This modern take on the 1950's All About Eve is a light and easy, laugh-out-loud funny read that's perfect for fans of the Devil Wears Prada.

by Lori Gottlieb

Lori, Upper 40s

Even a therapist needs someone to talk to! Author Lori Gottlieb is a Los Angeles therapist who helps patients through a myriad of life's challenges, but when a crisis causes her world to come crashing down, she seeks the help of a therapist of her own.

In this very candid and personal memoir, Gottlieb invites us into her world as both a clinician and a patient. She breaks down many stigmas about mental health, sheds light on the benefits of therapy, and paints a vivid and funny portrait of what it means to be human.

The Book Girls Say...This one is great in audio form and made our list of best audiobook memoirs!

This book is published in the UK under the alternate title Winter of Second Chances.

by Jenny Bayliss

Annie, 44 years old

When Annie's 26-year marriage ends suddenly, leaving her single for the first time in her adult life, she's not sure how to start over. Her kids are grown, and there's nothing keeping her in the city where she and her ex-husband were successful restauranteurs, so she answers an ad for a temporary position as a winter caretaker of a historic home in the small English seaside community of Willow Bay.

She's immediately charmed by the house, and the quirky but friendly villagers welcome her with open arms. All except the grumpy nephew of the home's owner who sees her as a roadblock to his plans. But fall turns to winter, Annie begins to formulate her own plan for the next season of her life.

The Book Girls Say... Based on the cover, we were expecting a rom com with a second-chance romance trope. What we found instead was a heartwarming book about Annie building a new life for herself supported by a strong community of female friendships. There is a romance thread running through the book, but it's not the focus of storyline.

by Lauren K. Denton

Edie and Mac, 40 years old

Edie and Mac Swan lead a picture-perfect life. The high school sweethearts have two great kids, good careers (she's an interior designer and he's a pediatrician), and a historic home on a tree-lined street in Mobile, Alabama.

They are living the good life, until Mac's 40th birthday, when a young woman walks into his office and changes everything.

Nineteen years ago, while they were in college, Mac and Edie spent a summer apart. Now, because of that summer, everything is being called into question - their roles as parents, their reputations in the community, and the foundation of their marriage. In order to chart a new course for the future, they'll be forced to face the choices they made long ago.

The Book Girls Say... Some readers call this Southern fiction a bit predictable, but most agree that it's both wholesome and enjoyable read with a good story flow as it moves back and forth from past to present.

by Chibundu Onuzo

Anna, 48 years old

At the age of 48, Anna is an empty nester who finds herself wondering who she really is. She separated from her husband, her daughter is grown, and her mother - the only parent she's ever known - has passed away.

While sifting through her mother's belongings, Anna finds a clue about the father she never knew. In a diary he kept as a student, she learns of his involvement in the radical politics of 1970s London, and she discovers that he eventually became the leader (some would say dictator) of a small (fictional) nation in West Africa of Bamana.

Eager to discover more about her family roots, Anna decides to track down her father. Having spent her life being viewed as Black back home in England, she is surprised to be viewed as white by the Bamanians. This is just the first of many surprises for Anna as she embarks on her moving journey of self-discovery.

by Jennifer Egan

Bix, 40 Years Old

For fans of the 2011 Pulitizer Prize winner, A Visit from the Goon Squad, we wanted to include this new release companion novel. Bix is now 40 and has four kids. His latest technological breakthrough, Own Your Unconsciousness, allows people to access all of their memories, and trade them for the memories of others.

This technology has long-reaching consequences, and the book follows the intersecting paths of some of the memory swappers over time.

by Rachel Joyce

Margery, 47 Years Old

Forty-seven-year-old teacher Margery is fed up with her hard life in the post-WW2 years. It’s 1950, and London is still dealing with rationing and shortages. Despite barely being able to afford basic life at home, Margery decides to take her future in a brave new direction. She posts an ad for a French-speaking assistant to join her on a trip halfway around the world.

Margery is looking for the fabled golden beetle of New Caledonia that her father told her about when she was a young girl. No matter what obstacles she faces, Margery pushes forward in this cross-ocean historical adventure that takes an unlikely duo to the South Pacific.