A New York Times Book Review  Notable Book “Whom to marry, and when will it happen—these two questions define every woman’s existence.” So begins Spinster , a revelatory and slyly erudite look at the pleasures and possibilities of remaining single. Using her own experiences as a starting point, journalist and cultural critic Kate Bolick invites us into her carefully considered, passionately lived life, weaving together the past and present to examine why­ she—along with over 100 million American women, whose ranks keep growing—remains unmarried. This unprecedented demographic shift, Bolick explains, is the logical outcome of hundreds of years of change that has neither been fully understood, nor appreciated. Spinster introduces a cast of pioneering women from the last century whose genius, tenacity, and flair for drama have emboldened Bolick to fashion her life on her own terms: columnist Neith Boyce, essayist Maeve Brennan, social visionary Charlotte Perkins Gilman, poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, and novelist Edith Wharton. By animating their unconventional ideas and choices, Bolick shows us that contemporary debates about settling down, and having it all, are timeless—the crucible upon which all thoughtful women have tried for centuries to forge a good life. Intellectually substantial and deeply personal, Spinster is both an unreservedly inquisitive memoir and a broader cultural exploration that asks us to acknowledge the opportunities within ourselves to live authentically. Bolick offers us a way back into our own lives—a chance to see those splendid years when we were young and unencumbered, or middle-aged and finally left to our own devices, for what they really are: unbounded and our own to savor. New York Times bestseller *One of Flavorwire 's 10 Books That Will Define the Conversation in 2015* *One of Newsday 's Books Not to Miss* *One of Publishers Weekly ’s Top 10 Social Science Titles of 2015* *One of Bookpage ’s "15 Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2015"* *One of Vogue.com’s Recommended Spring Books for 2015* *Featured in Bookish ’s Spring Preview* *Featured in Bustle’ s Spring Preview* “What’s surprising about Spinster is how, in its charmingly digressive style, the book sets forth a clear vision not just for single women, but for all women: to disregard the reigning views of how women should live, to know their own hearts and to carve out a little space for their dreams.” — New York Times Book Review “Awakened and inspired by the lives of five historical women, Bolick revels in her own singledom in this blazingly smart memoir, which argues that “spinster” should be a coveted destination, not a dirty word. Her eloquent, provocative story illustrates how charting a unique course can make any life truly singular.” — People “Bolick weaves memoir, feminist theory, and biographies of five forgone writers into a riveting, essential text. Bolick’s voice crackles with wit, sharp criticism, and breathtaking metaphors as she makes an enticing case for spinsterhood.” — Entertainment Weekly “Bolick’s rich chronicle makes  Spinster  one of the most important works of feminist cultural history of the last 20 years...Let this remarkable memoir stand as an important political reckoning for women's trajectories, and a moving personal effort toward that greater vision.” — National Post “Bolick’s evocation of the untethered state is often beautiful, her metaphors precise and lyrical in the manner of her heroines. More important, she does not flinch from describing just how alone alone can feel...Bolick is adept at spotting the unexamined confusions and curious silences that have arisen in the wake of an incomplete sexual revolution—and that bedevil those of us who are living outside of our culture’s sturdiest institutions.” — Elle “A pleasing, intelligent book. Bolick’s minibiographies of her five awakeners are captivating, and she is great company on the page–perhaps she will prove to be an awakener for a new generation.”— TIME “Often lyrical...a personal story of the pleasures and challenges of being a woman at a time of changing rules and seemingly endless possibilities.” —The Economist “Bolick’s intimate exploration of spinsterhood celebrates the courage of defining for oneself what it means to be happy.” — Newsday “Bolick's cri de coeur dispels the 'conundrum' of the willfully single female.” — O Magazine “In Spinster, a sharp-witted paean to the single life, Kate Bolick explains why she has consciously opted out of coupling.”   — Harper's Bazaar “Provocative...A uniquely American quest for a life without regrets - and without a partner.” — Associated Press “Stemming from Bolick’s fantastic Atlantic cover story, “All the Single Ladies,” Spinster expands on that initial work, in a beautiful piece of cultural history that should prove inspiring and thought-provoking for women of all ages. Bolick takes us deep into her own story as