Erica Manfred was fifty-five when her husband announced he was leaving for a younger woman. Luckily, she had a girlfriend who had been through a recent divorcea friend who coached her through the frustrating, frightening process of taking care ofherselfagain. Divorced or separated women need advice not only from experts such as lawyers and therapists, but also from a sage, savvy girlfriend who's been there, done that. This book is that friend. Drawing both on her own experience and interviews with professionals and other divorced women, Manfred covers it allfrom the emotional devastation to the legal and financial hurdles, from dealing with the adult kids to getting back into the workforce . . . and back into dating.