I was looking forward to reading Mary Pipher's new book, Women Rowing North, although I am not yet in the "target" age group. She writes with an optimism that I found appealing, however, the author did not seem to have anything new to say. The case studies Pipher depicted seem to be the bulk of the book, and I had difficulty identifying with the women she depicted. Perhaps other readers may find them interesting and helpful. I was hoping for actual strategies to navigate the river of aging, not a sing-song text.

At first I thought the friendship between an elderly lonely man and an equally lonely teenaged girl would be predictable, boring even. However, after reading several chapters I quickly realized that The Story of Arthur Truluv was anything but predictable. The life lessons contained within these pages unites generations. The prose is rather simple making the story all that more charming. Thoroughly enjoyable.