50 After 50 - by Maria Leonard Olsen (Paperback)

About the Book

Middle age blues have an antidote. How about trying 50 new things when you turn 50? Maria Leonard Olsen's 50 After 50: Fifty New Things I Tried After Turning 50 and What I Learned From Them is a blueprint for turning midlife into the most invigorating chapter yet.

Book Synopsis

Middle age blues have an antidote. How about trying 50 new things when you turn 50? Maria Leonard Olsen's 50 After 50: Fifty New Things I Tried After Turning 50 and What I Learned From Them is a blueprint for turning midlife into the most invigorating chapter yet.

Review Quotes

An inspiring read for those who are in or have passed through middle age.

I am so glad Maria Olsen is mapping out her explorations and encouraging other women to go on their own adventures. I work with a lot of women who turn 50 and say, what now? what's next? who am I? I love the idea of explorations, experiments and deep dives during this beautiful stage in life. What a gift to have this conversation. Ageing is really the privilege of a lifetime.

It feels like a miracle! Just as I am entering the final countdown to 50 myself, and as our youngest child has left for school, and am embarking on a career change, Maria Olsen, who I have long admired, sent me her delectable manuscript. This book is now cherished reading and a guidebook to the next chapter of my life. As soon as I put it down I'll be starting my own "50 after 50" list and will get busy checking them off!

Maria Olsen has opened her heart in this deeply personal story that travels from deep despair through an affirming journey to renewal and joy. A compelling story that offers advice and encouragement for anyone seeking purpose, passion and happiness.

Maria Olsen has the courage and knows the importance of conquering fears, fulfilling dreams and taking new steps at every stage of life. I'd follow her anywhere!


Maria Olsen is a brave woman and a brave writer. Her new book 50 After 50 is sometimes raw in its painful honesty, yet always heartfelt and deeply inspiring. Her courage, resilience, and adventures in self-discovery will undoubtedly motivate many other women who've been hamstrung by psychological, emotional or social demons to move forward with passion and purpose in their journey toward self-compassion and self-fulfillment.

Maria Olsen is provocatively honest in her new book, Fifty After Fifty, as she openly talks about delicate topics from her past. I applaud her ability to recreate herself and seek her bliss. This book shows how we can all change our mindset and transform ourselves if we choose. I highly recommend this book for anyone seeking their best life.

Maria Olsen's new book, Fifty After Fifty is powerful, courageous and inspiring. Through her own adventures and experience, Maria shares valuable life lessons on every level--psychological, emotional, spiritual and physical--to help the reader live their most abundant life. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to make the most of life and all that it can offer.

Maria's honesty about becoming herself is inspiring to women of all ages--her journey toward living authentically reads as urgently as a mystery novel, with her true self being the mystery she is solving. I couldn't stop writing down ideas to apply to my own life as I discovered more about her path. This is the perfect book for any women questioning choices she has made and considering -- even just as a daydream -- different possibilities.

About the Author

Maria Leonard Olsen is an attorney, women writing/empowerment retreat leader, public speaker, and a cohost of the "Inside Out" radio show on WPFW, FM 89.3, in Washington, D.C. She has written for the Washington Post, Washingtonian, Bethesda Magazine, Parenting, and other outlets. Olsen also counsels women recovering from addiction and trauma. See www. MariaLeonardOlsen.com for additional information.