Coming August 2024!
Fiction-writers say that characters sometimes take on a life of their own and “tell” the writer what to put down on the page. Apparently, this is also true of non-fiction.
The nine women in my upcoming book are real. They are friends and important acquaintances, not interviewees. This is a story of how each relationship started, unfolded, and took on a life of its own.
I started “collecting” my wisdom whisperers when I was 46. My first, a woman I met in a fiction-writing class, Henrietta, is 78, “ancient” in my youth-culture eyes. Luckily, I am curious and pay attention instead of giving into my bias against “old.” Henrietta is legally blind and walks with I cane but takes classes all over the city. She has qualities I hope to have when I am “that old.”
I eventually find other “good” much older friends wherever I go. Each is different; each has something I (unknowingly) need. It’s not that they share “the secret.” They simply live energetically, proudly, and well. They work on being independent, responsible, and engaged in life. Much to everyone’s dismay, I begin to call them “my old ladies” and soon refer to myself that way!
I finished this book six weeks after my 80th birthday and came to a wonderful conclusion: being an old lady (at least the way I mean it) keeps me young.
If you’re on the younger side of the age divide, reading The Wisdom Whisperers will inspire you to befriend admirable old people who cross your path. If you already have older friends, perhaps you’ll cherish them a bit more.
If you’re on the other side of that divide — my side — I hope you’ll give yourself permission to be a kick-ass old person whom youngers notice and emulate. I speak from experience; it’s a terrific feeling!
Trust me, this not another book about “aging well.” It’s about living and picking relationships that prepare you and widen your options. It’s about embracing your years — no matter what they bring — and seeing aging as a gift that not everyone gets to unwrap.
(Oh, and feel free to invite me to your book club!)
The Buzz: What “they” say About the book…
The Wisdom Whisperers is about the boundless opportunities that unfold when we dare to look beyond age as a limiting factor. But don’t take my word for it. Read what is already being said about the book:
“In a disconnected world, Melinda offers a simple yet rarely considered solution: make friendships with much-older people. This book artfully suggests these unlikely bonds could cure generational loneliness, bridge cultural divides and maybe even make the world a kinder place. Given many of us will be living in this world longer than ever, it’s hard to imagine a more urgently needed message.”
— Rohit Bhargava, Bestselling author and founder of Non-Obvious Company
“In a world where people expect the worst in old age, Melinda Blau brings us the best. As a master story-teller, Blau draws on the voices of her “old ladies” to evoke the triumph of late life and lives well-lived. We are all growing older, and this book provides the inspiration to do it well.”
— Karen Fingerman, PhD, Professor of Human Development & Family Sciences and Director, Texas Aging & Longevity Consortium
“Melinda Blau’s ‘The Wisdom Whisperers’ unlocks the secrets to a fulfilling life of resilience, grace, and laughter. Through poignant stories about her friendships with women in the last phase of their lives she shares timeless wisdom and inspires readers to embrace life’s challenges with grit and humor.”
— Ellen Langer, PhD, author of The Mindful Body: Thinking Our Way to Chronic Health