The Older I Get
How I Repowered My Life
By Fern Britton

Review written by Louise Cannon (Lou)

We all age, for most people it’s a fact of life. Fern Britton, known for presenting Ready Steady Cook, This Morning, reboot of Watercolour Challenge, My Cornwall, writing novels and more… has lived through a lot of life’s ups and downs and survived. Now, she’s written a non-fiction book that’s not quite a traditional self-help book, more a gentle, wise, guide to the changing phase in life, with lived experiences that has a very human, relatable touch. She is in a stage of repowering her life and shows that anyone can do this in their lives too.

Blurb

Fern had recently entered her 60s when a series of life-altering events threw her into the eye of the storm. Both her parents passed away, her 20-year marriage ended, and the pandemic was looming.

Faced with an uncertain future, Fern decided that if she wanted to start over, now was the time. She moved to Cornwall, where she reconnected with her true self and instead of fearing getting older, she chose to create a glorious new life full of friendship, fun and adventure.

Fern explores the joy and challenges of aging with warmth and humour. She reflects back on all she has learnt, from enduring tough times to embracing new opportunities and learning how to be kinder to herself. This wasn’t a moment of empowerment, for that would suggest she never had any power to begin with. As women, we often put our needs aside, and she feels strongly that it’s time for us to repower and rediscover our happiness.

In The Older I Get, join Fern as she candidly shares her experiences of grief and loss, rebuilding confidence and exploring new passions, as well as the importance of finding friends you can put the world to rights with over a couple of Cosmos.

Review

We all just keep getting older and life changes for everyone, whether you’ve had children or not. Stuff happens! As Fern Britton says, in an aptly named chapter, When the Sh*t Hits the Fan”. She’s been through bereavement, divorce, kids flying the nest, moving house, forging a different part of life. It seems to me like she’s been there and lived it all. We all go through a lot, as she acknowledges, but she shows not everything has to be doom and gloom. She has chosen to repower her life, embrace new and old friendships and has a new place to live.

I like that term, repower. I’ve never heard of it before. Just that word is inspiring, re-energising. I’ve a lot of “get up and go”, but this gives me even more energy in my heart and soul to keep going, no matter what. Keep trying things out, doing things, meeting people, some I know lots about, some I don’t know so well. That word, repower spurs me onwards, some how, even though I am tired as I write this review, after a long, challenging week.

This book harnesses so much honesty and realistic positivity about growing older. Fern Britton doesn’t hide behind a facade, and I love it! What Fern Britton and this book embodies is how she is truly living life and is blooming all over again with her repowering of her positive energies. She explains clearly, in down to earth terms what this actually means, and the perks getting older brings.

The book feels like Fern Britton has taken your hand and said that one way or another, through all the ups and downs of life, ultimately, you’ll be okay.
She bravely writes about mistakes, imposter syndrome and confidence. What she writes is relatable and human. She doesn’t hide behind a facade.
She talks about taking care of yourself (I’ll admit to being a must get better at that part in life). Here she uses another new term, “selfist”, which is an interesting concept and one I hadn’t heard of before. Maybe it’ll make people feel a bit better when they’re taking time out for themselves. I may try thinking about it like that. I like bits about lists. I’ve had lists since I was a teen of places to visit and people I’d like to meet or meet again, some way or another. I’m not in for manifesting, but some of the more seemingly impossible things have happened, like the people I’ve met and now I’m hoping that will somehow happen again.
There are sections about making new friends and living in new places and discovering something different about yourself and your surroundings and the people you meet.

It’s an easy book to read, digest and follow in that it isn’t full of jargon. It feels like it comes from the heart with everything flowing out in a way that makes sense.
Helpfully, there are bullet points at the end of chapters that summarise what has just been read.

I am possibly not the exact target audience for this book, but in a way, being in my 40’s and also been through a lot, perhaps I am. It’s that next stage in life that isn’t too far into the distant future. There are many concepts that can be used for all of life, whether you’re a person at a similar age and stage of life as Fern’s or not. I felt the book is relatable to anyone, some parts naturally more so than others, but it’s nonetheless fascinating, practical and positive.

If you’re contemplating in reading any book in this genre, this is a brilliant one to get into. I can see that word “Repowering” becoming a bit of a trend. It has energy and heart and spirit lifting properties. As we look closer to a new year, this may be the book which helps to gradually change things for the better.