What do you think?
Rate this book
Aging (Un)Gracefully: A Memoir
Aging is the ultimate disruption, a chance for women to reclaim themselves.
Because really, at what age do you become 'old'?
How is 'coping' with advancing age any different from coping with, say, puberty?
While our bodies are rapidly losing estrogen, we notice our patterns, find our most authentic selves, take a friendship inventory occasionally and build new ones, realise that finding our tribe is always a work in progress—there are so many surprises to pack in.
Being liberated from the womb coincides with a new kind of learning, unlearning, and relearning, an acceptance of ourselves and our bodies, and infinite awe and gratitude about the many things we take for granted in our youth.
In this memoir, Lalita Iyer takes a deep dive into the many ways in which ageing is both a ‘growing up’ and a liberation.
Because really, at what age do you become 'old'?
How is 'coping' with advancing age any different from coping with, say, puberty?
While our bodies are rapidly losing estrogen, we notice our patterns, find our most authentic selves, take a friendship inventory occasionally and build new ones, realise that finding our tribe is always a work in progress—there are so many surprises to pack in.
Being liberated from the womb coincides with a new kind of learning, unlearning, and relearning, an acceptance of ourselves and our bodies, and infinite awe and gratitude about the many things we take for granted in our youth.
In this memoir, Lalita Iyer takes a deep dive into the many ways in which ageing is both a ‘growing up’ and a liberation.
163 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 31, 2025
1 person is currently reading
12 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 23, 2025
Aging (Un)gracefully by Lalita Iyer
This memoir found me at a time when I was (still kind of am) struggling with figuring out what to do next? What if I never find something I’m passionate about? What if I miss the timing and it’s too late? I don’t have much time, I have to work hard, be independent and oh well, you get the gist. Knowing consciously that age isn’t related to success doesn’t make it any easier to not freak out when subconsciously you have been programmed to the settings and expectations set by the society.
I have always been scared of growing old. ‘Growing old’, ‘aging’ were the terms that I more often than not saw in negative light because of the people around me. Some were lamenting the loss of the fit body, while some were lamenting the loss of youthful carefree days, there were those who were scared of accepting the fact that they were no longer what they used to be and so on. But this memoir offered me a different perspective. Growing old or aging doesn’t always mean a bad thing. Yes, growing old has its downsides but there are positives which many people don’t speak enough about.
In this memoir the author talks about accepting the new bits of your body, friendships, motherhood, health, sex, family and so many other things through her experiences. We see the perspectives of the author on many things, see where they came from, how they came to be and what changed and shaped them. Some experiences so raw and relatable and painful, while others that make you pause and think. I don’t think I agreed with every single thing the author said or did, but I loved reading and understanding her perspective.
I was particularly moved by her experience and thoughts on motherhood. Motherhood is all-consuming, but it doesn’t have to remain so. The way the author claims herself back after constant sacrifice, the way she starts protecting her personal space, allows herself to be kind and compassionate enough to choose the things she loves is amazing. It showed me how growing old is liberating and how it gives you a chance to be more comfortable and confident in your own skin. The way the author improved in navigating uncertainties and being okay with change gave me a boost of confidence I didn’t know I needed.
Her observations on how growing old is different for men and women, and how it is more taxing and painful for women due to menopause was enlightening. Her pattern of thinking showed the amount of reflection she must have done and the hard lessons she must have learnt. Her honest writing style made the reading experience so much better.
I think I will stop here, because if go on writing more, I will become a little too honest and expose too much of myself which I will regret later - -‘
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it to everyone who is scared of growing old or ageing.
Rating-4.75/5
I received a copy of this book from Simon and Schuster India, but all the thoughts are my own and have not influenced my rating or review.
This memoir found me at a time when I was (still kind of am) struggling with figuring out what to do next? What if I never find something I’m passionate about? What if I miss the timing and it’s too late? I don’t have much time, I have to work hard, be independent and oh well, you get the gist. Knowing consciously that age isn’t related to success doesn’t make it any easier to not freak out when subconsciously you have been programmed to the settings and expectations set by the society.
I have always been scared of growing old. ‘Growing old’, ‘aging’ were the terms that I more often than not saw in negative light because of the people around me. Some were lamenting the loss of the fit body, while some were lamenting the loss of youthful carefree days, there were those who were scared of accepting the fact that they were no longer what they used to be and so on. But this memoir offered me a different perspective. Growing old or aging doesn’t always mean a bad thing. Yes, growing old has its downsides but there are positives which many people don’t speak enough about.
In this memoir the author talks about accepting the new bits of your body, friendships, motherhood, health, sex, family and so many other things through her experiences. We see the perspectives of the author on many things, see where they came from, how they came to be and what changed and shaped them. Some experiences so raw and relatable and painful, while others that make you pause and think. I don’t think I agreed with every single thing the author said or did, but I loved reading and understanding her perspective.
I was particularly moved by her experience and thoughts on motherhood. Motherhood is all-consuming, but it doesn’t have to remain so. The way the author claims herself back after constant sacrifice, the way she starts protecting her personal space, allows herself to be kind and compassionate enough to choose the things she loves is amazing. It showed me how growing old is liberating and how it gives you a chance to be more comfortable and confident in your own skin. The way the author improved in navigating uncertainties and being okay with change gave me a boost of confidence I didn’t know I needed.
Her observations on how growing old is different for men and women, and how it is more taxing and painful for women due to menopause was enlightening. Her pattern of thinking showed the amount of reflection she must have done and the hard lessons she must have learnt. Her honest writing style made the reading experience so much better.
I think I will stop here, because if go on writing more, I will become a little too honest and expose too much of myself which I will regret later - -‘
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it to everyone who is scared of growing old or ageing.
Rating-4.75/5
I received a copy of this book from Simon and Schuster India, but all the thoughts are my own and have not influenced my rating or review.
Displaying 1 of 1 review