A Beautiful Second Act: Saints and Soul Sisters Who Taught Me to (Be a Badass) Age with Grace

by Maria Morera Johnson

In A Beautiful Second Act, bestselling author Maria Morera Johnson explores the adventure of life’s second half, drawing inspiration from twenty saints and “soul sisters” who faced these challenges with courage. 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 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. Chapter after chapter, 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. The Benedictine mystic Hildegard of Bingen, whose knowledge of natural sciences led her to create “nerve cookies” to help you “open your heart and impaired senses, and make your mind cheerful.” Religious sister and educator Marianne Cope, who at fifty pivoted as an educator of children of German immigrants in New York to tend to the patients of a Hawaiian leper colony. Women of resilient faith like Elizabeth Leseur, whose faithfulness in marriage led to her husband’s conversion after her death. Extraordinary artists like Anna Mary Robertson “Grandma” Moses, whose advanced arthritis drove her to use her creativity to overcome her age-related limitations. Champions of social justice like Dorothy Day, whose conversion drove her to devote her life to a Christ-centered advocacy. Second-act soul sisters like Josephine Bakhita, whose passion for freedom and spiritual insights raised a new generation of evangelists for her homeland.   Each chapter offers experiences of female saints and soul sisters as they illuminate different aspects of this season of 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.

Genres: Nonfiction

160 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 28, 2025

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

My life has been a winding road, and my Catholic adventure has been no different. The joy and delight of the intertwining of God’s will for me and my own interests and passions has long been a fascination of mine, and with A Beautiful Second Act, Maria Johnson opens her heart and her own experience to each of her readers. This book is a treasure trove: in many parts, I felt as though Johnson was beside me, nodding with me and pointing to the Holy Spirit’s nudging in my own life. In a season where I find myself at what feels like a crossroad, this book came and quietly reminded me of the hope and joy so embedded in our faith, in our shared experiences, in our humanity. As a guide, A Beautiful Life companioned me through a difficult time, and it serves as a resource and a bookfriend I will come back to in the future.

[Leslea Wahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much. It was so inspiring to read about so many strong, faithful women who used their gifts and talents throughout their lives.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Beautiful Second Act -Saints and Soul Sisters Who Taught Me to Age with Grace by Maria Morera Johnson
is a nonfiction book for women transitioning to life’s second act…that period of time when you are balancing your life in the sandwich generation and either nearing retirement or have already retired. The author shares her own personal experiences at this stage of life, as well as highlighting 20 Catholic saints and laywomen (whom the author refers to as soul sisters) and their inspiring transitions to second acts in life. I learned some interesting history about these amazing women! Each chapter ended with “questions to ponder,” to help readers think about their changing purpose and the possibility of their own second act. I enjoyed reading this,as a woman pondering my purpose,in this stage of my life. One criticism is that some of the women in the book died young. So, while these young women did inspiring, brave and sometimes unprecedented things, I wouldn’t consider those second acts, as defined by the author. Thank you to #netgalley and #avamariapress for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[S.J. Lomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm drawn to books with women who are aging with strength, purpose, and verve and this book delivers plenty of that.
The narrative is very much like sitting down for a chat with a good friend and talking about her life, while also learning about some magnificent women who inspire her. Information about the featured women is very light and filtered through the lens of what the author specifically finds exciting about that woman. I would have enjoyed a little more depth of information about the women profiled, but as it is, it's a quick, easy, read to fit into a busy schedule.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Women in all stages of life will find encouragement and inspiration in this new book that intersperses the stories of saints and holy women with tales from the author's own life. You'll want to binge-read this one, but I encourage you to take it slowly and consider the questions at the end of each chapter for journaling or discussing over coffee with a friend or three. This is a follow-up to "My Badass Book of Saints" but can be read on its own.

[Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a charming book about a range of women who Maria admires, as she enters her older years. The group are a curious collection. Some well-known Saints are described, along with more obscure women who don’t immediately seem likely to inspire.

In the life of each woman, Maria finds something we can draw inspiration from, as women enter their ‘Second Act’. The book is encouraging and thoughtfully written.

[Janet K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tried to take my time with this one, but just really enjoyed reading through it. I found some familiar friends in this book as well as some new to me saints. It was interesting to think of them as I am navigating a second act.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maria Morera Johnson is a wonderful writer. I have enjoyed all of her books. She has an interesting perspective and story to tell. And I love how she finds these saints and connects so deeply with them. Truly inspiring!!

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 plus stars! Maria has a wonderful writing style that makes this book a wonderful read!