Making the Best of What's Left

When We're too Old to Get the Chairs Reupholstered

By: Judith Viorst

Narrated 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.

Critic reviews

"Listening to bestselling author Judith Viorst narrate her own stories and poems—and share tales from others about life in the “final fifth”—is a special experience. Listeners will appreciate the bittersweet humor and candid reflections on the ups and downs of life in one’s 90s. Viorst shares her own journey, including moving from the home where she raised her children to a retirement community, and, most poignantly, the heartbreak of losing her beloved spouse. Her voice is perfectly suited to exploring both the joys of the happiness curve and the challenges of aging, including the body’s frailty. Viorst speaks with warmth, honesty, and wit, making this an engaging, touching listen. It’s a celebration of resilience, memory, and meaning—rich with life’s final lessons."

Her voice

She’s a grande old dam but someone else might have read it better. I winced too often

Viorst’s Unflinchingly honest comments and perspective about old age.

Viorst’s actual voice, her extensive scope of the challenges and blessings of old age, and her interviews.

Judith Viorst spoke straight to this new widow!

Entertaining and intimate description of the last fifth of our life by a Master observer!

Beautiful story about life and love

Ms. Viorst has loved her life so fully. She suggests, to the reader, that we all need to pay attention to our own good fortune. Poignant and her narration makes it a precious gift,

The honesty of this book is enthralling, exciting, wise and inspirational. Thank goodness we have Judith Viorst.

Her honesty and her grappling with the most profound questions in life. I enjoyed her fight for comments about wisdom and the losses and riches of aging.