For a long time, nobody talked about menopause, and there is little evidence in the historical record of how women would have experienced this life stage in the past, if they even lived long enough to experience it. Using audio extracts from interviews with contemporary women as a starting point, Helen Foster explores the uncomfortable and sometimes violent history of menopause. By examining the historical record through these six themes, she uncovers the myths, taboos and concerns that still resonate with people's experiences of menopause today.