Canadian author asks big questions about midlife in debut novel

Canadian author Catalina Margulis discusses her debut novel and why it's important for mid-life women to see themselves in books.

Books are among the most popular Mother’s Day gifts and buying from homegrown authors is an easy way to support Canadian.

Catalina Margulis’ debut novel “Again, Only More Like You” shines a spotlight on middle-aged women who are often underrepresented in fiction.

“(It’s) a story about best friends who are turning 40 just as their lives are beginning to fall apart,” Margulis said.

“It’s about all the things we experience in midlife.”

Margulis said she wrote the book she needed when she couldn’t find content to help her explore her own deep questions.

“Ultimately it’s about creating a life you love even if it’s not the life you imagined.”

It’s exciting to see stories about women going through transitions in a youth-centric culture, said Margulis.

“We’ve also seen a lot of men in books and films going through midlife, but we haven’t seen a lot of women go through it.”

Margulis said she hopes people who read the novel will feel like the best is yet to come. She said she thinks there is a growing interest in middle-aged characters because 40 is when the “juicy stuff” in life begins.

“The stakes are so high,” she said. “You have marriage and divorce and parenthood and career changes and career transitions. So I think it’s so rich for drama and humour.”

Changing demographics could also account for the popularity of midlife characters, Margulis said.

“Gen X and millennials are growing up and they refuse to fade into the background; they refuse to disappear. They want to see themselves reflected in all their messy glory.”

Margulis said women are seeing themselves in her story and that’s why she wrote the book – to share all of the existential angst that helped her create a fulfilling life.

“I’m so happy to be one of those people that gets to encourage other people. You can make your dreams happen, even later in life.”