The Blasphemy Box

“You know that nightmare you’ve always had? The one where you wake up one day to find yourself fat, frumpy, fifty and alone? I’m living it.” Maddy Nelson has an idyllic existence: a handsome husband, great kids, a comfortable lifestyle. One morning soon after she turns fifty, however, she wakes up in her San Francisco home to find her husband Steven announcing that he’s leaving her for a woman half her age. And half her size. Ouch! Feeling totally unmoored and grieving for her married life and husband, Maddy finds herself thrust into the unfamiliar and uncomfortable world of middle-aged singledom. There, she must come to terms with her situation and embark on her new life: divorce proceedings, single parenting, internet dating, and trying to earn a living. It’s enough to drive her over the brink. To help her cope, she shares her struggles in a smart, wry blog named The Blasphemy Box, after her ex-husband’s obnoxious habit of having her drop a quarter into a wooden box every time she said something off color. Chronicling her often funny, but always heartfelt experiences as she navigates the world as a single divorced Mom, Maddy’s madcap middle-aged adventures find her devoted readers who identify with her challenges. Her life ultimately blossoms with a dream writing career and supportive man, her story one that will resonate with many women of a certain age.