Austin Chapter
Reader's Guide
January 1999
The Last Gift of Time
by Carolyn Heilbrun
- Write down three things Heilbrun brought up in this book that were new thoughts for you--things you hadn't considered about women growing older. We'll share and compare our lists to start the discussion.
- Which is your favorite essay? What is there about it that you like?
- Choose a favorite line/paragraph to read aloud to the group. What is there about this thought that attracts you to it? What chord in you does it strike?
- If you have already lived your sixth decade, what important change did it bring you? If you haven't yet reached that period of your life, how would you like to live it?
- Heilbrun quotes May Sarton: "We have to make myths of our lives. It is the only way to live without despair." What kind of myth is Heilbrun making of her sixties? How is it different from Sarton's myth? (Remember, we talked about this when we read House by the Sea.)