A witty, spirited journey to explore and reclaim the crone as a powerful, savvy, and courageous female guide.
The average cis woman spends a third of her life postmenopausal. If you believe the cultural messages women receive, that’s a long time to survive past one’s expiration date. When Lizzie Stark underwent surgical menopause at thirty-nine, she decided to try becoming an “instacrone”: tough, funny, and no longer concerned about what other people think. Big Crone Energy explores the stories of powerful older women who embody that “crone” archetype as they protest, teach, and dance their way through life’s final energizing act. Stark profiles a panoply of strong women who inspire her, from the mythic Baba Yaga to old-school lesbian artist activists; from aged tap dancers to Las Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo—women who fought Argentina’s fascist regime for their kidnapped grandchildren. As Stark defines it, cronedom is an attitude: be yourself, champion what’s right, and double down on your own fierce joy.
Advance Praise For BIG CRONE ENERGY: A LOVE LETTER TO FIERCE ELDERS
Lizzie Stark has a galaxy brain and she knows how to use it. Her subject matter is always fascinating. Big Crone Energy is a story about power the world never wanted women to have, and nobody could tell it better than Lizzie Stark.
–Laurie Penny, author of Sexual Revolution and Bitch Doctrine
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company
Release date: April 13, 2026