Drawing on stories from diverse long-term single women, including herself, Trimberger explodes the idea that fulfillment comes only through coupling with a soul mate. Instead, she presents an exciting new identity possible for women in the twenty-first century: the new single woman—a woman who is content with her single life. This trailblazing woman is distinguished by six important characteristics: she has a nurturing home; satisfying work; is comfortable with her sexuality; connects with the next generation; finds emotional intimacy with friends and family; and creates a supportive community.

These gripping personal accounts of how single women’s lives evolve over time, combined with Trimberger’s incisive analysis, blend to provide a much-needed cultural roadmap for every single woman who is striving to create a satisfying and meaningful life. Trimberger’s provocative argument that married women and single women are not different or in competition but rather at opposite ends of a continuum that comprises many women, including bisexuals and lesbians, is a paradigm-shifting notion, one that ultimately strengthens and enriches both single women and couples.

“A much needed breath of fresh air. Women have been in bondage to the dream of the ‘soul mate’ for far too long, and Kay Trimberger gives us the inspiration and insight to get on with our lives.” —Barbara Ehrenreich

“Whether you have a soul mate, you’re looking for one, or you don’t and you’re not, this is a book that explores and expands the notion of human fulfillment.” —Arlie Russell Hochschild, author of The Commercialization of Intimate Life

"If Bridget Jones had had a chance to meet Trimberger as a teenager, it's a good bet that her diary might have read very differently. The Good News from Planet Singleton is that despite overwhelming cultural messages to the contrary, it's possible for women to live happily ever after alone. A professor emeritus of women's and gender studies at Sonoma State University, Trimberger bases her book on a qualitative study detailing how 27 women between the ages of 30 and 60 have crafted full and satisfying lives. Nancy, like many of the women in the study, never consciously decided to remain single. But, she explains, 'One of the major sources of joy that I have in my life is that I can take care of myself.' She lives near family, and her network of friends is built around her workplace and people she's met pursuing her hobby, flamenco dancing. Wynona, a mother of four, earned advanced degrees after leaving an abusive marriage. Trimberger's research skills are impressive and her message clear. What's missing is the voices of the women she's describing. She talks at length about them and provides the occasional quote, but her clinical prose style doesn't serve the subject matter well. Still, this is a great resource for social science professionals. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Sociologist E. Kay Trimberger is professor emerita of women's and gender studies at Sonoma State University and is a visiting scholar at the Institute for the Study of Social Change at the University of California, Berkeley. The author of Intimate Warriors, she lives in California.