Thank you to GetRedPR, #partner, for an advanced copy of The Kitchen Is Closed: And Other Benefits of Being Old in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Both/And Productions
Published: July 26, 2022
Summary:
In her eighties, Sandra Butler does not identify as elderly. Or mature. She’s neither plucky nor a burden, and she’s not over any hills. She’s old, and she’s ready to reclaim that word.
In this funny and intensely personal collection of essays, Butler chronicles her experience moving from aging to old, remembering and forgetting all the wrong things, feeling frustrated with technology, keeping up with the avalanche of cultural and political news, mothering two middle-aged daughters, surveying her old body, and ultimately, preparing for her death.
With its sharp humor and refreshing honesty, The Kitchen Is Closed is a must-read for aging women, eldercare workers, and adult children who want to gain a fuller sense of their mother’s life. Old women are cast aside in white American culture, Butler argues, and it’s both disheartening and disrespectful. Butler is not a senior—she’s a mother, a lesbian, a Jew, a feminist, and at times, a “rabble-rousing hectorer.” And now that her time is running out, Butler doesn’t mess around with things that don’t matter. She is supremely motivated, and she’s so much braver than ever before.
My thoughts:
It’s not too often that I read a collection of essays, but there was something about this one that just called me to and I have to say, I’m so glad I went with my instincts and said yes to this one. It really was an enlightening and thought-provoking read.
One of the things I love most about reading essays is that you don’t have to read them cover to cover. You can read one or two at a time and then just set the book aside and pick something else up. That’s what I had anticipated doing with this one, but I found myself so engaged with the writing that I ended up reading this in two sittings – though it really could have been done in one! I appreciated the candor and honesty that the author takes in her writing.
While I am clearly not as old as the author, I found this book to be relatable in little ways. I myself am nearing the end of my 40s and, much like the author, I have come to not sweat the smaller stuff and really embrace what is important to me. I strongly agree with the author in the idea of reading what you want when you want and not being made to feel you have to read something just because it’s on a list.
As with all collections of essays, there are some that appealed to me more than others, but I still enjoyed reading them all and I know this is the type of book I will revisit frequently.
