Cary J. Hansson Books In Order

Publication Order of The Midlife Books

Publication Order of Postcards From Midlife Books

Publication Order of The Gen X Books

Cary J. Hansson
Cary J. Hansson writes these stories about ordinary people that live their lives of extraordinary courage and she promises two things: no flying cars and no knights in shining armor. Her fictional characters save themselves, as in the end we all have to do.

She is a former waitress, dancer, actress, fax machine operator. TV presenter, and double-glazing sales rep. You name it, she has cleaned it, sold it, served it, or sent it.

“Stand in Cinderella” is the first story in the “Postcards from Midlife” series and was released in 2021. A woman takes a trip back to her hometown and has this unexpected encounter with a childhood friend, for whom she was an understudy, some 40 years ago.

This meeting exposes some long-buried feelings of shame while she remembers the way that she behaved back when they first met, however the way forward to a reconciliation appears to be impossible. The friend’s dying. This is a deeply moving story, heartbreaking, and uplifting.

“The Tea Set” is the second story in the “Postcards from Midlife” series and was released in 2021. Annie is at the midpoint of her life. Sandwiched between the needs of an elderly mom and her own family, she hardly has time for a fast swim, much less a leisurely chat about this neglected tea set.

What’s the point anyway? Her mom can’t remember what day it is, much less how the set could have wound up in a box at the end of the garden for thirty some years.

However while her mom talks it is obvious a few memories remain. Quickly enough, the modern world falls away, and it is 1939, and Annie’s great-grandma has just met her great-grandpa.

“A Midlife Holiday” is the first novel in the “Midlife Trilogy” series and was released in 2022. What she wanted was a change. However is a girls’ trip to the Mediterranean be able to recapture her joy?

Helen Winters has been worrying that the walls are closing in on her. With her kids all grown and her selfish husband absent for her 50th birthday, she regrets not taking the more exciting paths that she dreamed about in her youth. So when this well-meaning gift reveals a rather depressing image of what her future has in store for her, she takes this leap of faith and heads off to Cyprus with two of her lifelong friends.

Basking in the crystal blue waters and the glorious sunshine as she enjoys the attention of all the handsome men, she begins feeling truly alive. However her best friend is not in Cyprus for the sunshine, and once Helen learns the real reason, some tensions threaten their lifelong bond and she is fearing nothing is ever going to be the same ever again.

Can she shake off years of disappointment and claim her well-deserved and earned happiness?

“A Midlife Baby” is the second novel in the “Midlife Trilogy” series and was released in 2022. Helen has just returned from her Cyprus vacation, feeling like she is a new woman, and is determined to reclaim her future and enjoy the second half of life. However right when the freedom of divorce is right in her grasp, this unexpected surprise enters into her life.

Kay is fighting for some free time in her life, and is wracked with guilt at the choices that she has to make on behalf of her elderly parents.

Caro is successful, wealthy, and 50, and is right on the verge of fulfilling what first appeared to be an impossible dream.

Attempting to walk the tricky tightrope of family responsibilities, Helen pours out her heart to her loyal girlfriends. However once this close group attempt to help her move forward, they find they are instead on this direct path to conflict while strained friendships and family ties collide in one act of unforgivable pain.

“Back to Her Future” is the first novel in the “Gen X” series and was released in 2023. Maryam Saylan has learned how to look out for number one. Abducted at the age of 14 from England by her Turkish dad and forced to marry this man twice her age, she gets divorced some 30 years later and works this lucrative yet unconventional job in Dubai.

However this hardened survivor is left reeling by her father’s stunning deathbed confession: her mom never actually abandoned her. Learning that her mom wrote her dozens of letters that wound up returned unread, a furious Maryam tracks down this childhood friend in London so she can get answers. And welcomed back by her old group while they attend this Eighties weekend and rock out to George Michael, she struggles to reconnect as forgotten memories and stunning revelations open up some unhealed wounds.

Is tearing through the layer of painful secrets going to bring her peace finally?

Boldly and beautifully written, Cary merges everyday circumstances, history, and aching tragedy into this unforgettable narrative. And with some brutal honesty accompanied with wry wit, she takes her readers on a heart-wrenching journey of self-discovery and healing.

“Close to You” is the second novel in the “Gen X” series and was released in 2024. Jo Swainson, a party planner, takes pride in her own optimistic outlook. Almost 50, she’s come to grips with both her childlessness and the estrangement from Bobbi, her cold mom. However after getting blindsided by Bobbi’s sudden dementia diagnosis, she becomes devastated as her husband announces to her that he is leaving so that he can start a family with another.

Puzzled by this photo of a newborn she finds in Bobbi’s handbag, she gets further shocked to discover that her mom was once hospitalized for a psychotic breakdown. Ever revelation just leads to further mysteries, and Jo quickly realizes that her mom is a stranger that she longs to know. However with dementia now tightening its grip, the clock is running out for both of them.

Gripping and poignant, Cary weaves such a memorable story that is equally heartfelt and haunting. Tackling sensitive subjects in a relatable way, the reader gets taken along this path of self-discovery where some personal truths get challenged and enlightenment is waiting at journey’s end.