By midlife, many women have become very good at keeping things moving.
Work gets done. People are taken care of. Plans are made. Problems are handled. And even when there is finally a little space to stop, it can be surprisingly hard to actually rest without thinking about what still needs attention.
That is part of why I chose Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto by Tricia Hersey for our November Wild New Way Book Club.
Hersey asks us to take a closer look at grind culture and the ways we have been taught to value productivity, busyness, and constant availability. She challenges the idea that rest is something we have to earn after we have done enough, helped enough, or checked enough off the list.
But this book goes far beyond taking more breaks.
Hersey places rest within a larger cultural and historical conversation and asks us to consider what happens when we stop measuring our time, bodies, creativity, and worth by how much they can produce.
When we meet, we’ll talk about:
Why slowing down can feel uncomfortable, even when we are exhausted
How productivity becomes connected to responsibility, success, and worth
The pressure to stay useful, available, and on top of everything
What Hersey means when she describes rest as resistance
The difference between resting so we can get back to work and valuing rest for its own sake
What can shift in our relationships, boundaries, creativity, and choices when we make more room to pause
For women in midlife, I think this opens up an especially interesting conversation. Many of us are carrying years of expectations about what it means to be dependable, capable, generous, productive, and needed. This book gives us a chance to look at those expectations more closely and decide which ones still deserve our energy.
You do not need to agree with everything Hersey writes. In fact, I’m interested in the parts you question just as much as the parts that resonate. There is no pressure to arrive with the “right” interpretation.
And you do not need to finish the book before joining us. Read what you have time for and come ready to listen, share, and be part of the conversation.
Event Details
📅 Monday, November 30, 2026
⏰ 5:00 to 7:00 PM
📍 Four Leaves Winery | 528 Main Ave, Durango
We’ll gather at 5:00 PM so there’s time to settle in and connect before the discussion begins at 5:30 PM. Beverages will be available for purchase from Four Leaves Winery if you’d like to enjoy one during the evening.
FREE to attend, but registration is required.
Register here: https://wildnewway.myflodesk.com/nov2026inpersonbookclub
Need a copy of the book? Get 15% off Rest Is Resistance at Maria’s Bookstore when you mention the Wild New Way Book Club.
I’m looking forward to this conversation and to hearing what this book brings up for you.