Kirkus Review
In this slim yet remarkably penetrative work, octogenarian Jungian psychologist Luke offers five essays that illuminate the spiritual possibilities of old age. Reflecting on passages from four classics--Ulysses' dream of a future journey in The Odyssey, Lear's last conversation with Cordelia in King Lear, Prospero's farewell to the audience in The Tempest, the concluding poem of Eliot's Four Quartets--Luke imagines old age not as decline, but as a potentially culminating stage of life, a time of preparation for death. A fifth essay examines suffering as the fire that can incinerate the ego, releasing the phoenix of the real self. Rich in insight, this warm and affecting book is a noteworthy exploration of an oft-neglected subject. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
In five closely related essays about growing old gracefully, Helen M. Luke views the aging process as a journey of discovery and challenge. According to Luke, it is a time of renewal, a time to grow as one's life progresses toward completion and wholeness. The author and narrator focuses on classic literature in terms of how protagonists of Shakespeare and Homer aged spiritually as well as physically. Initially the reader's voice sounds frail and uncertain, but soon the subtle lilt of Luke's British accent as well as a gentle timbre, sensitivity, and spiritual strength are heard. The lack of musical bridges or narrated introductions makes it somewhat difficult to smoothly follow Luke's provocative material. Adult. ~--Barbara Diltz-Siler
