This intriguing collection of original essays by women in their thirties celebrates this often maligned period in a woman's life as, in fact, a productive, dynamic, and vibrant time of self-invention and personal and professional creativity.

If recent bestsellers such as The Bitch in the House and Midlife Crisis at Thirty serve as any indication of how women are experiencing their thirties, who can blame women embarking upon this decade in their life for panicking? Yet, as the contributors to this thoughtful and inspiring book attest, it doesn't have to be so scary.

In The May Queen , a wide array of women-including bestselling author Jennifer Weiner and star of the hit independent film Kissing Jessica Stein Heather Juergensen-describe the conflicting emotions they've felt in response to the "anything is possible" message women of their generation receive. And yet, all of the women featured in this book have found their thirties to be a time of great opportunity-a period in their lives in which they're taking the time to consider what they have lost, what they have gained, and what they still need to learn. This book gives a powerful voice to a new generation of women beginning to make its mark on the world.