Sad truth: you’re not ever going to get younger.
Age happens to the best of us and there are few choices: we can rail against it, or we can accept it. First, it might be a nice idea to learn about it, and these great books are a good place to start…
Getting older has its benefits, of course, but there are also many things outside of the physical that need minding. In “The Astonishing Lives of Older Women” by Moira Welsh (ECW Press, $21.95), you’ll see that your “extra years” are a gift that may come with a price — quite literally.
Take, for instance, your financial future. If you haven’t gotten a handle on it yet, you’ll really need to be mindful as you continue to age, and there’s advice to think about here. Then there’s housing, where you plan to live and with whom. You should be thinking about work that you may still wish to do, and family “duties” that might become an outsized part of your life. Yes, and never forget that you’ll also want to think about taking care of yourself. This book, wide and wise, can help.
If you are getting older while caregiving for a loved one who is older, too, then “Aging Out: An Exploration of Caregiving, Community, and How Americans Grow Old” by Lucy Schiller (Flatiron Books, $29.99) is a must-read.
While tending to her grandmother at the end of her life, Schiller noticed a few things: medical care for our elderly loved ones has a different “attitude” than does care for someone much younger. After her grandma’s death, Schiller grieved but she was also spurred to find out why Americans seem to fear death, and how race, class, physical and mental ability, and politics have a lot to do with care, survival, and longevity in this country.
This is an eye-opening book, one that anyone who hopes to live healthy and longer will want to read now.
And finally, if you’re the caretaker for a parent with whom you’ve had a tumultuous relationship (or if you’re that parent), then “Dad, Love, Me” by Matthew Quick (Avid Reader Press, $30) is a book you need to check out.
You may know Quick as the successful author of a novel-turned-movie, but for most of his life, Quick was told that he was “worthless.” He spent years fighting alcoholism and depression, and he avoided his extended family as much as possible. Therapy was the next step, and learning why generations of men in his family was the way they were — therapy that arrived as Quick’s father was starting to suffer from dementia. This book about forgiveness, compassion, and understanding a once-abusive but now-dying parent just can’t be missed.
If these books aren’t enough, or if you’re looking for something more direct and focused, then be sure to ask your favorite librarian or bookseller for more. They’ve got the books you need, and they can put those books directly in your hands. For a reader like you, that’s a happy truth.
Books on Aging and Caregiving by various authors c.2026, various publishers $21.95 – $30 various page counts