Book Review: Period Queen

"I’ve never heard someone say luteal phase more in my life.”

My colleagues are pretty used to me talking about periods. It’s not a taboo conversation in our office.

In pursuit of this interest, at the end of 2024, I read Lucy Peach’s ‘Period Queen’.

I was wary of the title. It put me on guard for woo woo, pussyhat-wearing gender essentialism.

But period stigma is an important issue. Why divorce half the population from valuable information about how we move through the world? Peach points out that period shame also compounds, only worsening for those experiencing disadvantage and poverty.

She believes there are strengths to every phase of the menstrual cycle, not just when we are energetic and productive in the traditional sense. She separates it into four phases and offers advice for making the most of each:

🩸DREAM (Bleeding)
Surrender to slowness and stillness. Take the path of least resistance. Look inwards, tapping into your intuition and incubating ideas. Recharge. Reflect and set intentions.

🏃‍♀️DO (Pre ovulation)
With 6x more motivation than usual, tackle tasks efficiently. Exercise with intensity. Try new things. Pitch. Present. Take charge. Ask for what you want and say what you mean.

🌸 GIVE (Around ovulation)
Emphasise connection and nurturing. Share the fruits of your labour. Spend time with loved ones. Birth projects. Collaborate. Enjoy social events.

🙄 TAKE (Premenstrual)
Prioritise yourself. Say no. Make use of your critical eye and sharper senses. Take note of your frustrations. Channel big feelings into creativity.

Does this breakdown resonate for you? I’m still testing how true it feels personally. I have Bipolar 1 Disorder so my energy levels fluctuate regardless of hormones. But a lot of it does ring true.

The book is accessible to adolescent audiences, but there’s stacks of great information about our hormone cycles, and the effects on our bodies and minds as they rise and fall – that people of any age can learn from.

I like the audiobook in particular because Lucy Peach's Australian accent, enthusiasm and soothing sincerity made me feel like I was hanging out with Missy Higgins.

It’s a recommend from me.