5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic read
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2023
I was initially drawn in by the cover. It's lovely. The author drew me in from page one. She has created a book with a multitude of fabulous, well detailed characters that seemed so very real, they are each different from one another and yet I can see myself in each of them, each one of them. The characters all meet accidentally and soon develop a friendship that enriches them each, as they don't only learn about one another but they learn more about themselves. This is a beautifully written book about friendship, camaraderie and self-discovery. I hated for it to end.

Thank you, Nino Lobiladze for such an in depth, thoughtful review. I'm so glad you enjoyed The Crone Club.

4.0 out of 5 stars Mature women are not irrelevant!
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2023
“We don’t have problems because we’re getting older—we have problems because we’re human.” With this statement, Cassandra demanded that the group she named the Crone Club, still needs to seek adventure and fulfillment.
Cassandra met the women on the island of Ibiza, a Mediterranean island known for wild bacchanals during the summer tourist season. Seemingly random events put all three women on Ibiza in the off-season. Each is deep in self-doubt and questions what she should do with her life as a middle-aged single woman.
They meet in the waiting room of the local emergency room. Cassandra twisted her ankle when her stiletto heel caught in a crack in the cobblestones. The same cobblestones claimed Pamela who was walking with her granddaughter. Blaithín (pronounced blaw reen) passed out while touring the Phoenician cemetery on the hill above the town.
A friendship grows among the women. Ultimately, they all admit to being afraid of the future and angry and becoming invisible just because they are “past childbearing.” The ancient mother goddess Tanit’s visit galvanizes Cassandra to use her formidable organizing skills to create the Crone’s Club. The Crones support each other while they follow their artistic and sexual passions—occasionally with a nudge from Tanit.
With Tanit’s assistance, the Crones foil a greedy real estate developer, permanently establishing themselves on Ibiza.
The characters are engaging, Ibiza is faintly magical, and the story kept me waiting to see what would be next. Buried in the gentle story is a demand that women not allow themselves to become invisible. It’s not a strident call to arms but a steady, gentle push.

4.0 out of 5 stars Vivid, lovely characters
Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2022
Verified Purchase
From the first page, the myriad characters in this novel jump off the page, each one distinctive and easily recognizable, as well as endearing. We follow them as they meet by chance and develop a friendship that teaches them all something they didn't realize they needed to learn about themselves. As they embark on this journey of friendship and self-discovery, they examine their pasts and consider their futures, and realize that while many years are behind them, their lives are not over: there is love, laughter, passion, and joy available to them if they can only find the courage to step up and take the reins over the direction of their lives.