We hope you are enjoying your summer by passing these long, hot, humid days curled up with a good book—by the pool, on the porch, or in your favorite reading nook in the air-conditioning! Reading is one of my favorite summer pastimes, and, at least for me, can be as rejuvenating as a vacation. I’d like to share some of my favorite books that put older adults and their experiences in the spotlight where they should be!

They May Not Mean To, But They Do  (2017) by Cathleen Schine (a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice)
This is a hilarious and moving exploit starring recently widowed matriarch of the family, Joy Bergman. Schine poignantly and humorously details Joy’s life after the death of her husband and the subsequent meddling of her two beloved children. Despite the many indignities of aging, in this exquisite novel, Joy is celebrated and treated with the dignity she deserves.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (2017)
While not exclusively starring older adults, this epic tale pays homage to the two matriarchs of the family while following eight generations’ parallel stories from the Gold Coast of Africa to the Civil War to Harlem, with many stops in between. Two sisters in Ghana are separated without ever having met: one being sold into slavery in America, and the other remaining at home. This is a beautiful and painful tribute to ancestors and mothers, and the destructive legacy and costs of slavery affecting both countries and millions of their Black descendants.

Henry Himself (2019) and Emily Alone (2011) by Stewart O’Nan
These two novels feature the separate perspectives of a married couple during their later years. Henry’s story is a tender look at aging, loss, love and family. Emily’s story, told after Henry dies, is about widowhood and the challenges and opportunities it can bring. The stories are humane, funny, and heartbreaking. You can’t help but fall in love with them both. If you can’t get enough of Henry and Emily Maxwell, you can read the prequel, Wish You Were Here (2002). They’re all stand alone novels; no need to read them in order.

The Lager Queen of Minnesota (2019) by J. Ryan Stradal
Two estranged sisters, Helen and Edith, take wildly divergent paths after Helen receives all of the family inheritance. Edith is just scraping by in her later years, still working and making her award-winning pies.  An opportunity to help her granddaughter open up a brewery leads to Edith tapping her inner circle of grandmas to pitch in and help make beer… and the results are a huge success!  You’ll be rooting for Edith all the way!

We’d love to hear what’s on your reading list this summer! Please send your recommendations to info@nnvdc.org.