Period Power by Maisie Hill

Last updated: 26 August 2026

The Pitch

Most of us were taught roughly one thing at school. The cycle lasts about a month, and one part of it is inconvenient. Maisie Hill's argument is that this is a wasted opportunity. The cycle has four distinct phases, each with its own hormonal weather. Once you can name them, you can plan around them instead of being ambushed every few weeks.

Hill borrows a seasons metaphor to make that stick. Consequently it reads less like a biology textbook and more like a manual for your own energy. It is also very funny. That matters more than it sounds, in a genre that tends towards either clinical or twee.

Why the Period Power book still gets recommended

It came out in May 2019 and it has not been displaced. Partly that is the framework, which is genuinely useful and easy to remember. Partly it is the tone. Hill is direct about pain, contraception and the bits of gynaecological care people get fobbed off on.

Notably, other authors keep pointing at it. Sarah Graham's Rebel Bodies carries a Maisie Hill endorsement on its cover, and Jen Moore's Endometriosis does too. Books date fast in this field. Being the one other writers cite is therefore a fair proxy for holding up.

What is inside

The book runs to 352 pages, organised around the four phases of the cycle. Each phase gets its hormones, its likely effect on mood and energy, and what to do about it. Alongside that sit sections on period pain, heavy bleeding, PMS and PMDD, contraception, and how to get taken seriously by a clinician.

Hill writes from practice rather than from a lab. She is a doula and a women's health practitioner. So the book is strongest at the lived, practical end, and lighter on research. Bear that in mind and it is a fair trade.

Who should read it

Firstly, anyone who has a cycle and has never been given a decent explanation of it. Beyond that, the book suits two groups in particular. First, people whose symptoms get waved away, who want the vocabulary to push back. Second, people who suspect their energy runs on a pattern and would rather plan around it than apologise for it.

It also works if you do not have a cycle yourself but live with someone who does. Equally, it is not a diagnostic manual, and it is not a substitute for a GP.

What it is not

This is a general guide, not a clinical text. Chasing a specific diagnosis? A more targeted book will serve you better. Try Jen Moore's Endometriosis for endo, or Dr Ellie Cannon's The Little Book of HRT for menopause. Nothing here is medical advice either. Persistent or severe symptoms are a reason to see a doctor, not to read another chapter.

Quick Facts

Prefer to listen? The Period Power audiobook is narrated by Maisie Hill herself. That suits a book written this conversationally.

Browse our full collection

The Period Power book is one of five titles in our roundup of the best women's health books. There we explain who each one suits, and where each falls short.

FAQs

How much does the Period Power book cost in the UK?

As of 26 August 2026 the paperback is £14.24 on Bookshop.org and £12.08 on Amazon UK. RRP is £14.99. Prices move, so check before you buy.

Is Period Power worth reading?

If nobody has ever explained the menstrual cycle to you properly, yes. The four-phase framework is the part readers remember, and it is useful for planning. However, if you already know the biology well, much of the first half will feel familiar.

Is Period Power suitable if I have endometriosis or PCOS?

It covers both, but only in general terms. For endometriosis specifically, Jen Moore's book goes much deeper. Use Period Power for the overall picture, and something targeted for a named condition.

How long is Period Power?

352 pages in the paperback. It is written in short, self-contained sections, so it works as a dip-in reference rather than a straight read.

Is there a Period Power audiobook?

There is, and Maisie Hill narrates it herself. The writing is conversational, so the author narration suits it.

Is this medical advice?

No. Period Power is a general guide written by a practitioner, not a diagnostic manual. Neither the book nor this page replaces professional medical advice. See a GP about persistent or severe symptoms.

More from CoolCuration

A few other things worth your time:

• Best women's health books - all five picks, and who each suits.
• Nineteen Eighty-Four - our Book of the Month, with every current UK edition.
• Gifts for bookworms - for the reader who already owns everything.
• Best audiobooks August 2026 - ten UK listens worth a credit.
• Service guides - every guide we have written, in one place.

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