On My Own: The Art of Being a Woman Alone

In today’s society, there’s no shortage of dialogue from women about the downfalls and loneliness of being single. Romance and the stability and reciprocal affection it brings is arguably one of the most fundamental desires for many.

On My Own reconstructs what is means to be a woman alone, and emphasizes the value of solitude. Her book is a notable publication that efforts to debunk the double standard of single men as strong, coveted bachelors and single women as undesirable spinsters. Containing short personal anecdotes and memoirs to analyses of cultural and pop culture pieces (both historical and contemporary) that refer to women being alone, Falk resists the notion that to be female and single is something to be ashamed of - that single is not an adjective connotative of failure or personal shortcomings. Instead, she insists that to be single is a valuable opportunity with capacity for self-growth, introspection and empowerment. She uses literature ranging from Ibsen’s A Doll House to Steve Martin’s Shop Girl, which perhaps was methodologically used to relate to women of diverse backgrounds, age groups and interests.

There is analysis given to a number of issues women often face, such as a desire for attention from others and the tendency to be hard on oneself. Falk is, after all, a psychoanalyst with two decades’ worth of experience. Thus depending on the reader and their personal experiences, this book can either resemble a liberating self-help book or a piece that simply offers new insights into one’s relationship status.

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