When Jancee Dunn hit her mid-forties, she was bombarded by seemingly random symptoms: rampant insomnia, spring-loaded nerves, weirdly dry mouth, and Rio Grande-level periods. After going to multiple doctors who ran test after fruitless test, she was surprised to finally discover the culprit—perimenopause. For more than two decades, Jancee had been reporting on mental and physical health. So if she was unprepared for this, what about all the women who don’t write about health for a living?

Hot and Bothered is the book she wishes existed as she was scrambling for information: an empowering, research-based guide on how women can tackle this new stage of life. Menopause isn’t a disease, but a natural, normal life transition.Why, then, are we still speaking in whispers about something that affects half the earth’s population?