Customer Reviews

When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is a great gift for that woman (or sensitive guy) who is celebrating one of the Big Birthdays - whether 30, 40, 50, 60 or more.

Along with the usual boring gifts that joke about being over the hill, this gift is a welcome and much needed aid to the transition that birthdays mark. The well-loved poem encourages the reader to appreciate each moment of life while it is happening.

I have received this as a gift, loaned out mine, given copies as gifts. It always seems to be appreciated. Its a nice gift by itself. For someone really special to you - mother, sister, friend, lover - it could be given with a small piece of purple - a scarf, tie, t-shirt, flowers, earrings. Everytime the purple gift is worn, the gift and the poem will be remembered, and the moment will linger....

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" the opening line from "A Tale of Two Cities" could well describe this book. If you are afraid of growing old, read this book. If you are afraid of growing old, DON'T read this book. I loved it! It made me laugh (Especially the short story "The trouble was Meals" I hated it! It was depressing, well, maybe poignant and sad would be better choice of words.

It is an anthology, a collective from different contributors. Some are great, some did not suite me. At times it made me feel how hard it will be to grow old and the difficulty of life as an older woman. Then again, I found it wonderful when I found the message... " Lighten up and enjoy life while you are still able and healthy" And yes I agree with another reviewer that "...women of all ages can and should enjoy life to the fullest; but at times it will make you sigh. More often it will make you think, and I guarantee it will make you smile!

I sent the book to my intellectual 50+ sister, I knew she would love it. I didn't send it to my sensitive younger sister, I knew it would upset her. I gave a copy to my well-read best friend on her 50th and she loved it. I would NEVER give it to my 80+ mother, she'd be depressed for weeks.

If you give it as a gift, read it first! As for me, since I read it, I find my 52-year-old self, wearing a little more purple!

I gave this book to my mother on her 75th birthday - she will be eighty soon, and refers to the title everytime she does something out of the ordinary, like gardening in the rain, line-dancing, wearing jeans while watching the sun set in Key West, riding in my convertible with the top down right after she had her hair "done", etc. I just bought two copies for my aunts who are in their eighties, and would never dream of doing what their "baby sister" does. Maybe they'll lighten up and enjoy life while they are still able and healthy. This book encourages women of all ages to enjoy life to the fullest.

This little (?) book, tells so much and teaches such a great lesson of life. In so few pages, aging and what it means is addressed. Live life each moment.

Living in a retirement community for over 11 years, I have found so much truth to the stories. Some make you laugh, some make you cry. Some might depress you, others are so uplifting. It is difficult to read without having any emotion at all. Now at age 55 I am a member of AARP, but not ready to stop living, that is for sure!

So what that this is the "down" side ..... the freedom and wisdom to chose and chose more wisely at that..... means so much more than a date!

What is the old expression about you start to die from the moment you are born? That is true, so you might as well get the most out of the ride, yes?

hmmmmmmmm I think I see a new scarf awaiting me... and yes, it is purple.

I loved the poems and stories in this book. They seemed to capture so accurately the way I feel about growing older. Sometimes I feel sad or angry or frightened but then, just like some of the women in the stories, I feel like I am so much freer than when I was younger. I especially love Jenny Joseph's poem. My mother always loved purple. We read this poem at her funeral and everyone laughed and cried at the same time. I keep this book by my bedside and refer to it over and over.

We're all getting old and fat! This book just makes you feel less alone about the ordeal!

I found this book to be an important anthology of the changes that woman face as they grow older. Poignant stories and poetry make this book a must for those who enjoy the more philosophical side of the aging process as it pertains to women. It is not for those who are looking for a "good read" but, more for those who are willing to put some thought into what they are reading.

I bought this for my Mom based on the recommendations here and elsewhere. She accused me of trying to convince her to suicide. Apparently the tales are not particularly uplifting, but rather talk about the difficulty of life as an older woman. Whoops!

Old women were an important part of my growing up. This book brings recognition to the aunts, neighbors, grandmothers, and other older women who made such a difference in how I looked at growing older. I love the stories, especially the one about the two women who are friends, even if they are so diferent. When I read that story, I think the two women represent both sides of who I am.

If you are afraid of growing older, read this book. It will help you understand that while its hard, its also an exciting and powerful part of our lives.

As a gerontology professor I use this as a text for classes in aging and personality. It is exquisite. Provocative. The students think about aging - grapple with its many dimensons, and most importantly find themselves in this part of life. Poignant, humorous, sad, and magical poems and tales of our elders. A must read.