The novel's trio of women is loosely based on women Devens knows. Like the character Fleur, one of Devens' over 50 friends turned finding a husband into a business project, keeping files on all the men she dated. To create Kat, Devens learned how to weave from a friend who is a fiber artist.
West said that Gwyneth, Fleur and Kat "were all characters to whom I could relate on one level or another. ... They were all fully fleshed out. They were all different. [The story] was just another example of how different personalities can mesh and support one another."
The book may be targeted at women over 40, but Devens said she has a broad spectrum of readers. "They love the book and it's not just women of that age," she said. "...I've had men write me fan letters."
At the Central Library, Devens will talk about the themes of her novel -- coping with aging parents and "what's it like to be dating again in your 40s and 50s. If you're suddenly back in the dating pool ... it is difficult, but it's not impossible," she said.
Elaine Johnson, assistant manager of the central branch, is sponsoring Devens' talk.
"There's lots of humor, but there's lots of sorrow in the book, too," she said. "... It wasn't just a fluff-fluff book. It really was a substantial book."
The characters are what made the book a good read for Johnson. She said the three friends' "interaction was what really made the book work." The women are "people who are over 50 who are not down in the dumps. They're full of life," she said. "They have a sense of humor. ... It was really just an intelligent book."
She warned readers My Favorite Midlife Crisis (Yet) is "not for the faint-hearted" because it talks about face-lifts and sex after 50. "But if you like a well-written book about women who are close friends, who manage to hold it all together, then this is the book for you," Johnson said.
What Devens wants readers to take from her novel is "finding passion in your life. And I'm not just talking about sexual, but a passion to live. People think if you're beyond 50, you're heading down the slope and it's not true anymore," she said. "This ain't your grandma's 50."
The Central Library is located at 10375 Little Patuxent Parkway. Information: 410-313-7800.
