When this hugely popular book first appeared in 1976, journalist Gail Sheehy's insights into the common crises of adult life became a road map for millions, making sense of the near-universal passages we experience as we mature. Sheehy describes our Trying 20s, leaving the safety of home behind to try on various identities and find partners in search of a suitable life; the Catch 30s, in which illusions are shaken and we make, break, or deepen our life commitments; the Forlorn 40s, turbulent times in which our dreams of youth demand reassessment and partners fall out of sync; and the Refreshed (or Resigned) 50s, offering the best of life for those who release old roles and find a renewal of purpose.

"A stunning accomplishment.... The hope, wit, and demythification of adulthood that permeates Sheehy's book makes Passages a work of revelation."—Washington Post Book World