Making the Best of What's Left
When We're Too Old to Get the Chairs Reupholstered
by Judith Viorst
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Pub Date Apr 01 2025 | Archive Date May 01 2025
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Description
In a career that has spanned more than fifty years, Judith Viorst has captivated readers with her bestselling children’s books and collections of poetry reflecting on each decade of life. Now in her nineties, Viorst writes about life’s “Final Fifth,” those who are eighty to one hundred years old. Her signature blend of humor and vulnerability infuses personal anecdotes and observations, drawing you into her world of memories and candid conversations.
She confesses, “I never ever send a text while driving, and not just because I don’t know how to text.” She discusses the afterlife (She doesn’t believe in it, but if it exists, she hopes her sister-in-law isn’t there). She complains to her dead husband (“I need you fixing our damn circuit breakers. I need you! Could you please stop being dead?”). And she explores the late-life meanings of wisdom and happiness and second chances and home.
With a wit that defies age, Viorst navigates the terrain of loss. It’s a poignant dance between grief and levity that will resonate with those in their Final Fifth as well as anyone who has parents, relatives, or friends in their eighties and beyond. This is Judith Viorst at her best.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781668068014 |
| PRICE | $28.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 192 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Literary R, Reviewer
The author's "voice" is as strong as ever in her nineties, as she shares the challenges, joys, and sorrows of living in the Final Fifth (80 to 100 years old.) Her latest book is full of wit and candor, charm and truth, reflecting her feisty spirit that gives me hope about old old age. Highly recommended!
Jackie S, Reviewer
Beautifully written, Judith Viorst shares her personal thoughts at 94 years old on how she and others have adjusted to living in retirement.
It’s been well vocalized: you spend years raising kids and working hard and finally you get to retire and your body starts to fail. Then there’s downsizing from what you’ve worked hard to get. This is what has been called the golden years.
Judith is forthright of how difficult this can be starting with health concerns. She and her husband, Milton Viorst, lived in a stunning home in Cleveland Park, DC for years. What’s not to love with seven bedrooms, five cozy fireplaces and a large wall for books. Much of this had to go when they downsized into a two-bedroom apartment at a close-by retirement center. I can’t even imagine how difficult it must have been to let go of memorable items.
Judith gave several examples of how people treat seniors differently such as speaking slower and louder. She notes that loneliness can be a problem. Then, there was the harsh reality when her husband died in 2022. Becoming a widow, she said, changed her in complicated ways.
Most of the points are helpful on what can happen in retirement. Yet, not everyone has the luxury she’s had of financial security which allows greater choices of where to live with conveniences. She also has another benefit of having a family that is there to help.
She included insightful poems throughout the book related to her experiences. Friends from the retirement center gave her their thoughts on soul-searching wisdom. Overall, no one wants to think about aging, but since we must, it’s good to have the guidance of honest, inspiring and meaningful words.
My thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of April 1, 2025.
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