They say age is only a number.

“Twilight,” the best-selling novel by Stephenie Meyer, seems to back up the phrase. Marketed toward teenagers and young adults, with whom the series is very popular, “Twilight” has also enraptured a somewhat unlikely audience—mothers, grandmothers and other adult women of all ages. Fans young and old alike can see their favorite characters on the big screen next Friday when “Twilight” the movie opens nationwide.

The story of star-crossed love has drawn comparisons to “Romeo and Juliet,” the mother of all love stories. Regardless of whether some may think that’s too high a praise for Meyer’s debut novel, the book has evoked a passionate response from readers, so much so the comparison doesn’t seem far off the mark.

Teenagers Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, the hero and heroine of “Twilight,” walk an arduous and dangerous path for their love, a path seriously complicated by the fact Edward is a vegetarian vampire who craves Bella’s blood.

At first glance, it may seem the story of a beautiful vampire falling in love with an average teenage girl wouldn’t have much appeal for women with full-time jobs, kids to take care of and dinner to get on the table. But the attraction of “Twilight” to different generations of readers may rest in Meyer’s ability to create characters readers can relate to, even when those characters happen to be vampires.

April Phillips of Texarkana, a 29-year-old wife and mother, heard about “Twilight” months before she decided to read it.

“I put off reading it for several months because I didn’t want to get into the next trendy book, but I realized the movie was coming out and I didn’t want to see the movie without reading the book first,” she said. “So I went and got the book not expecting to fall in love with it, but after I read it I was completely addicted.”

Like many others who love “Twilight,” Phillips realizes she’s not really part of the target audience.

“It transcends age ... Even though it was marketed to teenagers, I could relate to Bella and how she felt about somebody she shouldn’t want, how she was older for her age and how she was kind of a loner ... I didn’t have a whole lot of friends growing up, so I could relate to her,” Phillips said.

Even people who read all the time feel differently about “Twilight” than they feel about other books.

“I’ll tell you this: I consider myself an avid reader, and I have never been so obsessed with reading like I have with this book,” said Alia Stovall, a 31-year-old married mother of two from Fouke, Ark. “I think with this story, she (Meyer) has such a good way of making the characters connect on an emotional level. I felt totally immersed in the story ... it meant something to me to figure out how she resolved (it).”

One 63-year-old grandmother read the book after it was recommended by her 11-year-old grandson.

“Someone encouraged me to read it. I’d never read a vampire book in my life, but because it was about good vampires, I decided to take a chance on it and I really did like it ... I was drawn in by the characters,” said Sheryl, also from Fouke, a closet Twilighter who declined to give her last name.

Sheryl said “Twilight” made her think about the past and her own time in high school, but she thinks it might have a different appeal for preteens and teens. “I’m sure it causes young kids to dream of their first loves.”

Sheryl said Bella’s character is one reason she was drawn into “Twilight.”

“The feelings of insecurity Bella had, I’m sure every girl can identify with that. She never felt like she was pretty enough or good enough. I know I felt that way when I was growing up ... I could identify with Bella because that’s the way I felt about myself,” said Sheryl.

Like many die-hard “Twilight” fans—“Twi-hards” as some people call them—Stovall and Phillips are having a hard time turning their attention away from the story of Bella and Edward.

“Since I finished reading the series I have no interest in reading any other book. I just want to read them over and over again,” said Stovall.

Phillips admits she’s read the books in the series “several times.”

The obsessive quality “Twilight” seems to bring out in fans is the reason Lisa Hansen, a 35-year-old mother of two who lives in Utah, started a support group of sorts for women who were overwhelmed by the book. Hansen founded the Website TwilightMOMS, “Where friends of Stephenie Meyer at our unique phase of life (balancing family, work AND our “Twilight” addiction) become friends.”

“Originally I just wanted to find someone else that was my age that liked these books as much as I did. Other moms read it and thought it was a good book, but I was just stuck on it,” said Hansen.

She started the Website not realizing it would become a phenomenon in its own right.

“It began first as a MySpace group in October of last year ... I thought it would be five or 10 close friends I would’ve made but it’s grown way bigger than I would’ve thought ... I’m just floored by it,” said Hansen.

The Website now has more than 16,000 members. To be a member of TwilightMOMS a person has to be married, a mom or at least 25 years old. But as with everything “Twilight,” interest in the Website isn’t reserved for a specific age group ... or gender for that matter.

“We hear from all different ages ... I get e-mails from young girls 11 or 12 who say they admire the Website ... We’ve got older women in their 60s and 70s on there,” Hansen said.

Hansen has gained some “Twilight” perspective through interacting with other members of TwilightMOMS.

“From everybody I’ve talked to on the Website, it’s kind of reawakened feelings and enthusiasm that had gone dormant. As moms we go through the motions. You start losing more and more of yourself. You just caught up in life and what everybody else is doing or you get caught up in your job ... Reading that book reawakened those things, turned on that portion of the brain that was shut down over the years,” said Hansen, who admits she’s not much of a reader, a fact that didn’t stop her from falling for “Twilight.”

“I read the books in July of 2007 and I couldn’t stop reading it. I was staying up all night long. You can’t stop. Once I finished “Twilight,” I didn’t know what to do. I was beside myself,” said Hansen.

Like a true addict, Hansen made an emergency trip to her local bookstore and bought “New Moon” and “Eclipse,” the second and third books in the series. “Breaking Dawn” concludes the series.

It seems not only has “Twilight” reached out and touched women of all ages, it may be crossing genders, too.

“With the men it kind of came about really slowly, but we are starting to get more and more men on the site to the point that we had to create a little area for them ... More and more men are starting to read it,” said Hansen. “I think it’s got a little bit of everything in it. It’s not only romance. It has action and cars ... and basic life lessons anybody can relate to.”

(Check out the Website at www.Twilightmoms.com)



“Twilight”

The first book in the series introduces the reader to Bella Swan, a 17-year-old who’s older than her years. Bella moves to Forks, Wash., where she meets Edward Cullen, a mysterious high school student.



“New Moon”

The potential problems Bella and Edward have avoided take front and center in this book. Keep the Kleenex handy. It’s a heartbreaker.



“Eclipse”

Bella feels torn between her friend Jacob Black and the love of her life, Edward Cullen. In “Eclipse” the choice between the two becomes more murky than ever.



“Breaking Dawn”

The last book of the series is just as good as the first and resolves questions raised throughout the series.