Making the Best of What's Left: When We're Too Old to Get the Chairs Reupholstered

By Judith Viorst

From the bestselling author Judith Viorst comes a witty and poignant exploration of the joys and sorrows of life's twilight years--one that leaves us laughing, pondering, and grateful for the moments we have left.

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.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 166806801X
• ISBN13: 9781668068014
• Release Date: April 2025
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Judith Viorst on coping with the last years of life

At 94, Viorst shares personal strategies and advice from fellow travellers about being happy in old age - what she dubs "the Final Fifth." Her anecdotes ring true and offer good pointers to those approaching that stage. My only reservation is that her examples are from people who lead privileged lives. Few of us will be in the enviable position of living in the high-cost care facilities she and her cohorts can afford.