How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley Review

 Title: How to Age Disgracefully

Author: Clare Pooley

Age Group: Adult

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.

How to Age Disgracefully was our book club pick for May, after a series of dark books, and truthfully, I needed something light between the dark thrillers I’d been reading. This book made me giggle repeatedly; it also made me cry more than once. I love books about friendship and found family, and this book was just the ticket for that! Was it flawless? No, but it was pretty darn close! I was rooting for everyone in this book, and the ending really tied up things nicely. This is my first book by Clare Pooley, and I’m very much looking forward to more of her work!

Daphne finds herself utterly alone on her 70th birthday and in desperate need of some friends. Reluctantly going to the local senior center, she meets Lydia, Pauline, Art, and Ziggy, each with their own set of problems. She soon finds herself immersed in the problems of her friends, for that is what they become as the book goes on. Art is a fading actor, desperate to get back in the game and mend fences with his family, Ziggy is a young father who is trying to balance school, living a normal life, and his daughter, Kylie. Lydia, the director of the entire program, suspects her husband of being unfaithful. Along with William, a professional photographer, the group form a close bond and get into all sorts of hijinks!

This book was a true joy to read, and all of the characters grew on me until I loved them. The pacing was nice, clipped but smooth. I was constantly laughing as I read this book; more than once I was giggling, even out in public! I love books that make me laugh and are about genuine friendship, and it was so nice to talk about it with my friends at book club! I felt like I made fictional friends alongside my real ones. It was warm, funny, and full of heart, and I really loved it! What a fun and humorous read! The bottom line: Rich, warm, and greatly funny, I loved How to Age Disgracefully!