This week’s Sapphic Book Bingo category is a true book unicorn: sapphic books with a main character who is going through menopause.
Even though menopause is a natural part of getting older for women and many nonbinary, intersex, or trans people, it’s not often depicted in sapphic books (or any book for that matter).
For this category, read a book about a menopausal or perimenopausal main character. Menopause or perimenopause needs to be explicitely mentioned; it can’t just be a book with a character in her fifties, where you assume they’re probably in menopause.
15 sapphic books with a character going through menopause
Below, you’ll find 15 sapphic books in which the main character is going through menopause.
Strange Attractors by Ana K. Wrenn
Fierce and frosty high achiever Professor Sonja J. Storey is on the verge of seizing power in her department. She has exacting plans to remake her backwoods North Carolina university, just as she has painstakingly remade herself.
Sonja’s perfectly ordered life takes a dramatic turn when she meets laid-back, magnetic junior professor Crystal Byrd.
But then come threatening notes, sinister emails, and shadowy nocturnal figures, and suddenly, Sonja’s controlled world starts to tremble like a butterfly in a storm.
Is someone out to get her? Is it a specter from Sonja’s past? It’s hard not to be suspicious of everyone, even intoxicating Crystal with her temptingly warm presence.
Seeing danger everywhere, Sonja must hunt down the source of the chaos before she loses her brilliant mind, and her chance at the one thing she’s never known—love.
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Broken Beyond Repair by Emily Banting
Sydney MacKenzie, personal assistant to the rich and famous, is looking forward to a well-earned break to go travelling in her beloved VW camper van, Gertie — that is, until Gertie cries off sick. When her boss calls in a favour, one that will pay Sydney handsomely and put Gertie back on the road, she can’t refuse.
Internationally renowned actress Beatrice Russell — adored by her fans and despised by those that know her — is splashed across the tabloids, all thanks to her broken leg. She limps back to her palatial English country estate to convalesce for the summer, where she finds herself in need of yet another new assistant.
Enter Sydney, who doesn’t take kindly to the star’s demands, attitude, or clicking fingers — much less her body’s own attraction to the gorgeous diva. If not for that, and Gertie’s worn-out engine, she would leave tomorrow. Or so she tells herself.
As the summer heats up, the ice queen begins to thaw, and Sydney glimpses the tormented woman beneath the celebrity bravado, drawing her ever closer to the enigmatic actress — sometimes too close.
Can Sydney reach the real Beatrice and help heal her wounds before the summer ends and she returns to filming in the States, or is the celebrity broken beyond repair?
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With a Twist by Georgia Beers
Amelia Martini’s favorite things are traveling, animals, and peanut butter. When she left her job to explore the world with her wife, she didn’t expect Tammy’s plans to include leaving her. Now, Amelia is starting over again and facing middle age alone. It’s a struggle, but she doesn’t want to be bitter forever.
Thirty-something Kirby Dupree loves life. Not always easy when you’ve lost as much as she has and carry as much sadness as she does. But she made a promise to always look for beauty, so she does her best…even when she has to squint to see it.
When Kirby’s job as an interior painter brings her into Amelia’s life, they don’t exactly hit it off. Amelia finds Kirby irritatingly cheerful, and Kirby thinks Amelia’s far too serious. Forced to work together, they start to see beyond their first impressions and prove opposites really do attract. But are they brave enough to go after the love they really want?
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Roller Coaster by Karin Kallmaker
Two very different reasons brought Laura Izmani and Helen Baynor to the Beach Boardwalk for a symbolic ride on the biggest wooden roller coaster on the west coast. They part strangers, but only after sharing an experience that shifted both of their lives onto new tracks.
Their paths cross again decades later when Laura interviews with Helen to become the private chef for the Baynor household. Given what Laura revealed during that fateful coaster ride, she’s relieved that Helen seems to have forgotten her.
Fiercely protective of her children, Helen—now a famous stage actress and widow with teenaged twins—divides her time between home in a sleepy California enclave and the bright lights of Broadway. Continuing her carefully managed life until her children leave for college is all she wants.
Their first roller coaster ride together may turn out to be only a prelude…
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46 by Lynn Ames
It’s November 3, 2020, and Emma McMasters has just been elected the 46th president of the United States. She’s facing a divided Congress and nation, allies that no longer trust America, enemies that have been emboldened, and the legacy of destruction left by the last administration. She must rebuild and reestablish trust in government, in the media, and in the electoral system, all the while carrying the mantle of first female president, and along with it, the hopes and dreams of millions of women and little girls who need her to prove that a woman can get the job done.
Palmer Estes has devoted her life and her career to the military, rising to become the highest-ranking female officer in the US Army. An enigmatic, battle-tested hero, she’s the perfect choice to brief the new president on one last, urgent, highly sensitive mission before she retires.
Two strong women, both driven to serve the country they love, neither prepared for the sparks that fly between them.
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Starting Over by Nance Sparks
Sam Phillips is going through the motions. She was happily married for thirty-four years when a car accident stole her wife and destroyed her perfectly planned future. Now, it’s all she can do to exist day by day. The one thing that keeps her going is her IT administration job at Walsh Software Design. All seems lost when software stability issues threaten her career, until a hotshot programmer struts into her world and makes Sam want to feel again.
Jennifer Delgado doesn’t do cold and snow, but when a fluke February wildfire in the Southwest means evacuating for the third time in two years, it’s time for a change and she accepts a contract job in Minnesota. The weather is nothing compared to the unexpected feelings she develops for Sam. Jennifer has no idea if she can mend Sam’s broken soul, but it’s never too late for starting over.
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Deus Ex Mechanic by Ryann Fletcher
Alice is the best mechanic in the corrupt coalition regime, and enjoys her quiet life. When she’s taken by one of the most infamous pirate crews in the near systems, everything is thrown into chaos, and it’s not long before hard questions arise about where she stands in the fight against injustice, and her growing attraction towards a certain crew member.
Violet is the captain of the pirate ship, the Cricket, and damn proud of her reputation. When she reluctantly kidnaps a brilliant mechanic, things start to spin wildly out of her control, secrets get spilled, and she has to make the tough decision on whether to follow her growing feelings for a coalition employee, or put her crew first.
Will the pirates prevail, or will they be destroyed by the Coalition… or rival pirates?
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The Fate of Stars by S D Simper
A devout mermaid. A disgraced princess. A feud as ancient as the gods.
Worlds collide when Tallora is kidnapped from her ocean home and forced to be a pet to a tyrannical foreign empire. Her only hope for rescue lies with a sworn enemy—Princess Dauriel, infamous for her stone heart and conflicted past. But when Dauriel’s kingdom comes to the cusp of war, could their uneasy alliance be the key to defeating a common foe? Or will their growing feelings for each other lead them to ruin?
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Criminal by Proxy by S.E. Smyth
Christine is on the hunt to find out more about her great aunt, Rose, hoping to decipher their severed relationship and the murder Rose committed, for which June is in prison. With a stroke leaving Rose incapacitated, it’s a rush against time to find the truth.
Things are doubly complicated when Christine’s girlfriend Terrie is accused of assaulting someone. Nervous about what she might do next, Christine and her friends avoid Terrie. With everything at stake, Christine must stick to the cold hard facts, reminding herself not to let her emotions get in the way.
Christine must evaluate everything happening in her life. The weight of the events buried by her aunt so many years before and the shame of the actions of the love of her life rest squarely on her. If the eyes of the law are always 20/20, how do love, emotion, and insecurities distort fact?
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Silver Moon by Catherine Lundoff
Becca Thornton, divorced, middle-aged and trying to embrace a quiet life, discovers that there are still plenty of surprises to be had when her menopause kicks in with bonus lycanthropy. And she’s not the only one. The seemingly peaceful and dull town of Wolf’s Point has its own all-female werewolf pack and Becca has just become its newest member. But it’s not all protecting Wolf’s Point, midnight meetings at the Women’s Club and monthly runs through the woods. There are werewolf hunters in town and now they’ve got Becca and the Wolf’s Point Pack in their sights.
As if that wasn’t enough, Becca’s cute lesbian werewolf neighbor, Erin, is starting to haunt her dreams as well as her doorstep. What’s a newbie werewolf to do, between the hot flashes and the unexpected physical transformations? Can Becca overcome her fears and help the werewolves defeat their greatest enemy?
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No Other Love by Harper Bliss
Annie McLean’s struggling book shop has been saved by joining forces with the Pink Bean.
Her wife, lesbian romance author Jane Quinn, finds her quiet life and steady routine challenged by the introduction of the Pink Bean and its many colorful characters. Both her mind and body seem to be struggling with the new situation.
While Jane figures out how to navigate and adjust to the many changes affecting her, Annie has developed more than a keen interest in Pink Bean owner Kristin.
What happens when a long and enduring relationship is put to the test? Can Annie and Jane rescue their marriage and in the process find themselves, and each other, again?
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The Words Shimmer by Jenn Matthews
Yorkshire anatomy lecturer Ruby Clark considers her life low-maintenance. She teaches at the local university, has two well-behaved teenage daughters, and what she doesn’t know about human anatomy isn’t worth knowing. Unfortunately, that knowledge doesn’t stretch to plants, and she’s been asked to help out on a school garden project.
Being a paramedic doesn’t do Melissa Jackson’s back or knees any favours, so she’s looking into university courses to try a less strenuous line of her work. But the brash, proudly out, down-to-earth woman’s biggest challenge is keeping her dyslexia a secret. That, and living down the stigma that follows her when people find out.
A university open day throws the two women into each other’s orbits. When Mel, an expert green thumb, makes a few helpful suggestions on Ruby’s garden project, Ruby convinces her to team up to make it a success.
Personality-wise, they couldn’t be less compatible. Mel’s brazen attitude, cocky jokes, and affinity with earthworms immediately rub the hyper-professional, straight-laced Ruby the wrong way. Can they ever find common ground?
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Choosing Yellowstone by Carol Anne Douglas
In Choosing Yellowstone, Professor Elaine Flaherty’s opportunity to teach journaling in Yellowstone National Park conflicts with her plan to volunteer with her partner at a Syrian refugee camp. Elaine and Pam must come to a decision that serves their personal needs yet honors their relationship of fifteen years. Elaine chooses Yellowstone while Pam flies to the Middle East. Through emails, they eloquently share details of their summer apart—and worry that something could go wrong. Something does. And Elaine’s misogynist English Department chair makes everything even worse.
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The Perfect Blend by Teresa Purkis
Georgina owns an independent coffeehouse. Her co-owner, ex lover and sometime friend with benefits, has recently died in a car accident. Grieving, and trying to keep the business going, she finds out the half share has been willed to a complete stranger.
Catherine has flitted from job to job, always searching for an important missing piece in her life. Dumped by her boyfriend, jobless, single, penniless and soon to be homeless, Catherine receives a letter which could solve all her problems.
Georgina has said she would never again date a straight woman. So why is Catherine continually invading her thoughts? Catherine knows she isn’t gay. So why is she feeling something more than friendship towards Georgina? Will Georgina let her past control her future? Will Catherine acknowledge a future different to her past?
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Acts of Contrition by Elena Graf
The Russians have invaded and Berlin is in ruins. Nearly everything Margarethe von Stahle has sworn to protect has been lost. After being brutally abused by occupying Russian soldiers, Margarethe must rely on the kindness of her friends to survive. Fortunately, the American Army has brought her former protégé, Dr. Sarah Weber, back to Berlin. Slowly, Margarethe heals and begins to rebuild her life, but as she confronts painful events that occurred during the war, she must learn to forgive and be forgiven.
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Leave a comment and let us know what book you’ll be reading for the “sapphic character going through menopause” category.
If you know other sapphic books with a menopausal main character, let us know in the comments below.
I’ve read “Acts of Contrition”, and this entire 4 book historical fiction. If you haven’t read it yet, I urge you to start at book one an d watch Margarethe grow and evolve through 2 World Wars and rapidly changing times.