Today marks the end of Silver Week 2019, an initiative run by The Silver Line to help raise
awareness of the isolation experienced by many older people and to raise funds
to allow the charity to continue its excellent work. I thought, therefore, that
this would be a good opportunity to look at some books with older people at
their heart.
Three Things About Else, Joanna Cannon
Florence Claybourne is a resident at the Cherry Tree Home for the
Elderly and relies on her lifelong friend Elsie to keep her sane and help her
remember things. When an all too familiar face turns up it throws their
monotonous life into disarray. A tender, heartfelt book that movingly
demonstrates the challenges that come with being labeled ‘old’. Full review here.
The Secret Diary of Hendrik
Groen, 83 ¼ Years Old
Set in a care home in Amsterdam this book takes the reader through a
year in
A Spot of Bother, Mark Haddon
George Hall has recently retired and is convinced he’s going to die
of a cancer that doctors have diagnosed as eczema. A gentle look at the
challenges of parenting adult children and adjusting to retired life.
Grace and Mary, Melvyn Bragg
Bragg’s Grace and Mary is
a touching portrayal of a son desperately holding on to his mother as
Alzheimer’s takes away her memories and sense of self. We see John struggle
with guilt and grief as he attempts to care for his mother as best he can,
reconstructing her life for the reader. The full review can be found here.
I haven’t read the following books but they are popular novels with
older protagonists.
The Hundred-Year-Old Man
Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared, Jonas
Jonasson
A few years back this book seemed to be everywhere, so it’s
definitely about time I picked up a copy. Allan Karlsson escapes his care home
just before his hundredth birthday party, thinking he’ll see how far he can
get. He soon finds himself embroiled in far more than he’d anticipated and
being followed by both criminals and police.
These Foolish Things, Deborah Moggach
Possibly better known by the title of its film adaptation, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, this
book follows a group of British retirees to a residential ‘hotel’ in Bangalore.
It promises to be an amusing, relatable story.
If you have a favourite book that focuses on the older generation
let me know in the comments below.
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