Age — Hortense Calisher

A novel that examines aging and marriage with sincerity and insight.

Rupert and Gemma, an elderly couple still very much in love, know that death will inevitably come for one of them before taking the other, so they keep private journals to ensure that the survivor''s mate will never truly be gone, living on instead through his or her words. Age is the narrative of Rupert and Gemma''s lives: their similarities, their differences, and the ways in which the two are irreversibly entwined. Each writes of life''s mundane events - social outings, errands, a quiet night at home - that assume wistful meaning when viewed through the lens of memory.