Thinking about reading Rising Strong by Brené Brown? Discover my honest review, key lessons, research-backed insights, and why this powerful book is especially meaningful for women over 40 rebuilding confidence after life’s setbacks.
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Rising Strong by Brené Brown Review: Why Every Woman Over 40 Should Read This Book at Least Once
“Failure isn’t the opposite of success. Sometimes it’s the doorway that finally leads us to ourselves.”
That isn’t a quote from Rising Strong, but after closing the final page, it’s the sentence that kept echoing in my mind.
Some books give you advice.
Others give you permission.
Rising Strong gives you something far more valuable:
Permission to stop believing that falling apart means you’ve failed.
If you’re a woman over 40, there’s a good chance you’ve survived at least one chapter you never saw coming.
Maybe it was a divorce.
A career that suddenly ended.
A friendship that quietly unraveled.
A relationship that looked perfect from the outside but slowly chipped away at your confidence.
Or maybe life simply didn’t follow the script society handed you.
As child-free women, many of us have learned that our lives don’t always fit neatly into traditional expectations. That doesn’t make our stories smaller. If anything, it gives us the freedom to write entirely new ones.
And that’s exactly why Rising Strong feels so relevant.
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What Is Rising Strong About?
Brené Brown, a research professor best known for her work on vulnerability, courage, shame, and resilience, argues that the most important part of any setback isn’t the fall.
It’s what happens after.
She describes a simple but profound process:
The Reckoning.
Recognizing your emotional response instead of pretending everything is fine.
The Rumble.
Getting curious about the story you’re telling yourself.
The Revolution.
Choosing a healthier, more truthful story moving forward.
It sounds deceptively simple.
It’s anything but.
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The Lesson That Changed My Perspective
Most of us believe we’re reacting to facts.
Brown suggests we’re often reacting to stories we’ve created in the absence of complete information.
That idea stopped me in my tracks.
How often have we filled in the blanks?
She didn’t text back.
He seemed distant.
I didn’t get the promotion.
My friend cancelled dinner.
Our brains immediately begin writing a screenplay, often starring ourselves as the villain.
What surprised me most is that Brown doesn’t tell us to “think positive.”
She encourages us to become curious instead.
That’s a much more realistic goal.
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Why This Book Speaks to Women Over 40
One of the unexpected gifts of getting older is perspective.
We’ve accumulated experience.
We’ve survived disappointment.
We’ve earned honorary PhDs in spotting red flags.
But experience alone doesn’t automatically create emotional resilience.
Sometimes it creates emotional armor.
Brown gently challenges that armor.
Not because vulnerability is easy.
Because remaining emotionally closed often costs us more than opening ourselves ever could.
That message feels especially powerful during midlife, when many women are redefining careers, relationships, identity, and purpose.
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Brown’s work draws on years of qualitative research into vulnerability, shame, courage, and human connection.
Her ideas align with broader findings from organizations such as the American Psychological Association, which has consistently found that resilience can be developed through healthy coping strategies, supportive relationships, and emotional awareness.
Researchers also continue to find that naming emotions accurately can reduce emotional distress and improve psychological well-being.
The science doesn’t suggest that resilience eliminates pain.
It suggests we become better at moving through it.
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What I Loved
I appreciated that this book never promises a perfect life.
Instead, it offers practical ways to navigate imperfect ones.
Brown writes with warmth, honesty, and humor, sharing stories from her own life alongside research findings.
Rather than positioning herself as someone with all the answers, she openly discusses moments when she got things wrong.
That humility makes the book feel refreshingly human.
It also makes the lessons easier to apply.
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Is It Perfect?
Not quite.
Some readers may find portions of the book repetitive.
Brown revisits key concepts several times, which reinforces the message but occasionally slows the pace.
If you’re looking for a step-by-step self-help workbook, this isn’t it.
It’s more reflective than instructional.
Personally, I think that’s one of its strengths.
This isn’t a book to rush through.
It’s one to underline, revisit, and occasionally leave open on your nightstand.
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My Favorite Takeaway
The most liberating idea in Rising Strong isn’t that you’ll stop falling.
It’s that falling no longer has to define you.
There comes a point in life when we stop asking,
“Why did this happen to me?”
and begin asking,
“What can I build from here?”
That’s a very different conversation.
And perhaps one that becomes even more meaningful after forty.
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My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
If you’ve experienced heartbreak, career changes, disappointment, reinvention, or simply want to become emotionally stronger, Rising Strong deserves a place on your bookshelf.
It’s thoughtful.
Research-backed.
Deeply compassionate.
And one of the most valuable personal growth books I’ve read.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rising Strong worth reading after 40?
Absolutely. Its themes of resilience, emotional courage, and reinvention resonate particularly well with women navigating life’s second act.
Is this book based on research?
Yes. Brené Brown’s work is grounded in years of research on shame, vulnerability, courage, and resilience.
Is Rising Strong easy to read?
Yes. Brown writes in a conversational style, blending storytelling with research. While some concepts are revisited throughout the book, it’s accessible to most readers.
Who should read Rising Strong?
Anyone recovering from disappointment, navigating change, strengthening relationships, or seeking greater emotional resilience.
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Final Thoughts
Life after forty isn’t about having all the answers.
It’s about asking better questions.
Rising Strong reminds us that setbacks don’t erase our worth.
They often become the foundation for our strongest chapters.
Sometimes the bravest thing we can do isn’t avoiding the fall.
It’s standing up again with a little more wisdom, a little more compassion, and a much better story to tell.
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Continue Your Journey
If you enjoyed this review, explore more articles on Forty Plus and Childfree about confidence, financial independence, travel, healthy relationships, wellness, and creating an extraordinary second act.
And if you’re looking for fiction that celebrates love, healing, and new beginnings after 40, be sure to explore my contemporary romance novels written under L.A. McFarlane.
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External Authority Sources
- American Psychological Association (APA): Resilience and mental health resources
- Brené Brown’s official website
- Greater Good Science Center (UC Berkeley): Research on resilience, empathy, and well-being
- National Institute on Aging: Emotional wellness resources
#WomenOver40 #BookReview #BreneBrown #RisingStrong #PersonalGrowth
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