You can have the career. The house. The money. The passport. The freedom.

So why do so many women still hesitate before eating alone in a restaurant, taking the trip, speaking their mind, saying no, or doing something simply because they want to? Because somewhere along the way, we learned that freedom came with rules.

At seventy, Angel Cicerone thought she was free—until one seat at a New York City bar made her question everything. What began as going out alone became a funny, surprising, sometimes uncomfortable exploration of the invisible rules women inherit and carry long after they've supposedly been set free. The rules that tell us to be Present. Useful. Chosen. The rules that make us ask: Is this allowed? Is this selfish? What will people think? Do I need a reason?

With sharp humor, personal stories, and hard-earned wisdom, You Don't Need a Reason is a permission slip to stop performing your life and start participating in it. You don't have to become someone new. You might simply need to meet the woman you've been all along.

You don't need a reason.
You never did.