Old Women and Other Strangers: Essays
In this collection of essays, Linda C. Wisniewski considers the influence of helpful strangers, foreign cultures, and spiritual exploration in the light of family and heritage.
A loving grandfather, a stranger who saved her life, and two homemaking aunts recall life in the mid-twentieth century. Post millenium, Italians giving directions in the rain, an Eiffel Tower evacuation and other events explore the connections to be found in strange places. Old age brings reflection on the unforgettable moments of a woman’s life.
Praise
“This collection was a real joy. The essays, taken together, tell a story that is at once deeply personal and at the same time universal. Grouped into seven parts, beginning with A Midcentury Childhood and ending with She Writes, they are filled with an awareness of the importance of the small, seemingly insignificant moments that make up our lives and how memories of those moments lead to understanding and form who we are. . This bit made me smile: ‘May there always be room in this world for cranky old ladies. Just in case I ever need it.’“
—Sandra Carey Cody, author of the Jennie Connors/Riverhead Manor mystery series