As advancements in health and medicine extend our lifespan, women of the sandwich generation—those balancing the needs of both children and parents—are experiencing a multitude of challenges as they transition out of the workforce and into the promise of retirement. A Beautiful Second Act: Saints and Soul Sisters Who Taught Me to (Be a Badass) Age with Grace contains encouragement and wisdom from saints and contemporary soul sisters who experienced similar challenges during their transition to midlife and beyond, and offers insight into the aging process. These inspiring saints and contemporary changemakers from all over the world will help you, too, embrace your second half and the changes it brings to our health, our personal relationships, our responsibilities, our work, and our faith.

Each chapter offers experiences of female saints and soul sisters as they illuminate different aspects of this season of aging: physical changes in the body, shifts in work and purpose, dealing with aging parents and end-of-life issues, the need for strong spiritual friendships, and the importance of mercy. Drawing from a diverse range of occupations, races, times, and outcomes, Johnson writes about her own struggle to redefine her second act and what it means to trust God as our lives begin to wind down and our ultimate purpose comes into crystal-clear focus.