Fishtails Men Who Bite, Dates That Suck, And Other Cautionary Tales From A Mid-Life Fishing Expedition by Nanci Williams

FISHTAILS is a collection of essays that chronicle one woman’s hilarious - and often poignant - journey through a very modern midlife. Pushed into singlehood right before her 50th birthday, she begins Internet dating on a site called Plenty of Fish - which is appropriately named since her “pond” is a Northern California city that boasts more men than women. Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany’s is her single life role model, and her fishing buddies include a platonic male roommate and a band of female friends who call themselves “The Tail Club” and assign points for every cocktail you don’t have to pay for. Using the metaphor of fishing (for men, for a soul mate, and for a better second half of a life,) FISHTAILS tackles sociological issues like the myth of monogamy and “cougardom” with humorous veracity. As our “Holly” encounters many fish; like one who nearly bites off her lower lip, another she thinks will someday kill her, and a polyamorous paramour who invites her to live on his ranch with his wife and two girlfriends, we learn that dating at mid-life has more drama than dating in high school.