The Eighty-Year-Old Sorority Girls

by Robin Benoit

As a group of eighty-something girlfriends deals with the mental decline of their sorority sister, they reconnect with their college sorority, advise their grandchildren, find new lives for themselves, and continue to show up for each other.

Vivian, nicknamed "Button," is an Alzheimer's patient who adores her sorority group. Helen rediscovers love at age eighty-one, Ida's crazy side comes out during football season, and Laney is the "big sister" in charge of baking for the group. These three women consistently show up for Vivian as her mental health deteriorates—because that is what sisters do. As they discover a new way of life, they find they would rather take "the road less traveled," just as they did in their college days.

342 pages, Hardcover

First published May 3, 2022

Reviews

[Wendy Morey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A heartwarming book about the family you find. Made me feel more confident about the last chapters of life. I’m excited for our Phi Mu Book Group discussion of it in October. Sisterhood is special and this captures it well ❤️

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 2 out of 5]

How could I resist that title? As an 83 year old Delta Gamma alumna this book leaped off the library shelf into my hands!! I probably should have tossed it back. It was saccharine sweet and filled with inane dialogue. If they made one more trip to Enduring Grace I was going to scream. OK, she has Alzheimer’s, so let’s move on. This was too Chick Lit for my taste. Sappy is the best description.

I also found all the religious references off putting. Heaven waiting to receive each sorority sister? C’mon.

BUT, I was curious as to what sorority the author belonged to, she said there were clues throughout the story, so I played detective. Pink is one of the DG colors, she mentions Marlo Thomas, who was a Theta when I was at USC, arrow jewelry could be Pi Phi, both Dg and Kappa have their headquarters in Ohio, songs weren’t Dg so after Googling the words on page 177 I’m going to opt for Kappa Alpha Theta. Miss Marple I am not, but this gave a boring book a reason to finish it.

[Jessica Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved that it reminded me of my sorority days and the friendships I’ve formed.

[Aimee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could not get into The Eighty Year Old Sorority Girls. The main character’s nickname, Button (as in, cute as a button), was so off-putting and corny that I imagined the entire novel was going to be saccharine, cloying and overly sentimental. I abandoned the novel after two chapters and the writing confirmed my suspicions.

[Marisa Dottore · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this but it was so badly written. Like “Jane went to the store. Jane bought milk. Jane walked home.” Like that kind of writing. I would say don’t bother to my fellow sorority sisters unfortunately.

[Melissa Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story about sorority sister love

Wonderful sweet story about growing old with your sorority sisters by your side. Enduring, funny and witty characters. Made me think of my own sisters and the bond we share. Great book.

[Treva · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you enjoyed your sorority experience and have pleasant memories, this book is a close three stars. Otherwise, two stars is more realistic. Since the author doesn't reveal which sorority she is a member of I won't either. But I listened to her give an author talk to our sorority alums and decided to support her writing endeavors by buying the book.

The four or five ladies who were in school together as big and little sisters and roommates definitely highlights how close people can become during college and afterwards. Four of them live in the same town where they went to school and one is in Washington, DC. At the age of 80, two have lost their husbands in death, one in divorce and another is still married to her college sweetheart. Button has developed Alzheimer's and her sisters visit her on a regular basis. Since Button did not have children and her husband is deceased, her big sis, Laney is her guardian.

The descriptions of Button's difficulty with remembering and her outbursts seemed realistic with what I have seen of patients with Alzheimer's. She was certainly fortunate to have such a strong support system since she didn't have any blood relatives.

I am not quite 80 but am familiar with what Greek life was like in the 60's. I am loaning this book to some of my younger alum sorority sisters and will be eager to hear their take on it.

[Paromita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sorority Sisters for Life

I absolutely loved this book! This was my local Panhellenic book club selection of the month and it is just perfect. Reading this reminded me of my own experiences in college with my sorority sisters and of the numerous reasons why I continue to be involved as an alumna, as well as advise a collegiate chapter.

The lifetime bond of sisterhood described is exactly the experience I have always wanted for myself. I love the idea of living in an ever growing fam-damily spaning generations. I adored the concept of sisters living close together like they were back in a sorority house with their significant others. As a middle-aged adult, I miss the easy community associated with collegiate residential life.

I adore this book and think it should be required reading for sorority women to gain insight into understanding what sisterhood for a lifetime truly means. It is refreshing to read a story that highlights the greatness of being in a sorority instead of what is typically depicted in the news media and movies.

[Cheryl Homan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful book! As a fifty-something sorority girl myself, I loved the way the bonds of sisterhood were shown to last a lifetime. The author not only showed the bonds of the eighty year old sisters, but also how they interact and stay involved with the younger alums and collegiates. I cried when I read the chapter about Bid Day, having gone through a similar experience when my future daughter-in-law pledged my sorority. The story was bittersweet and inspiring. We are never too old to start on new adventures as Helen, Ida, Laney, and Marie learned. Mrs. Benoit heartbreakingly shows the reader what it is like losing a loved one to Alzheimer's. This book left me wanting to be a part of this special "family" brought together by a college sisterhood in their youth. I think fans of "This is Us" would enjoy it.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book about women and their lasting friendship, even through the struggles of one with advanced Alzheimers. Laney, Button, Ida, and Helen are sorority sisters who have truly became family. The book weaves stories of all of them and includes other family members throughout. All tied around their love for Button as she battles Alzheimers and their own personal struggles.

Even if you weren’t in a sorority you will still find this an engaging book about friendship. If you are a sorority member, this might bring back memories of your time as both a collegiate member and as an alumna. You will laugh and sometimes cry. When you’re finished reading you might even want to reach out to your framily (friends who are family) to let them know how much you love and appreciate all they have meant to you.

This might be my favorite book read in 2022

[Missy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a delightful & heartfelt book. Touched me even more, because the author is in my sorority; we’re sisters!! It’s the sisters you remain closest with through the years that really show the bonds of sisterhood, which is what these 4 main characters demonstrated. We get to peek into each of their own family lives & enjoy the ups & downs as their bonds navigate these times. One crucial element that they deal with together is witnessing one of their sisters go through the terrible disease of Alzheimer’s. The author unfortunately got to witness this through her own mothers decline, which made her writing very accurate. I can also attest to her accuracy as I work with those who suffer from the various types of dementia. Sisterhood from those unrelated are sometimes the best bonds. LIOB

[Christina Miholer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is such a heartwarming read! The friendship between these four ladies is something that really can only exist in fiction. It’s beautiful, so warm and loving, and incredible how these women have blended their lives and families together so seamlessly.

The writing style was boring for me. The way that these women stayed together all of their lives felt unrealistic, because duh, it’s fiction. And the last 3-5 chapters of the book the sorority relation is completely forgotten. Maybe that’s intentional as a way of saying that they are bonded beyond their sorority sisterhood. I don’t know.

I didn’t dislike it enough to DNF, but I wouldn’t recommend.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loved this book! It's so sweet and heartwarming, while at the same time covering the topic of Alzheimer's. Until recently. you couldn't find books that dealt with women over 40 or 50; this story has main characters, who are octogenarians and who met while in college and have stayed friends/sisters,v since their sorority days. You don't need to have belonged to a sorority to enjoy this. I will miss reading about Vivian, Ida, Helen,. Laney and Marie, as well as all the other characters that make up the fam-damily. I wasn't in a sorority and this will be in my top books of 2022.

[Wundermar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a heartwarming story about family - the family you’re born into and the family you choose.

The Eighty Year Old Sorority Girls was a lovely read, and showed the love of a “family” affected by Alzheimer’s. If you enjoy a story about lives perfectly wrapped with a pink bow - pick this up! I imagine this story could’ve been told with a bit more realism - it seemed like life was just “too perfect”

[Samantha Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oof. This is a hard one to rate. I absolutely loved the underlying message and the story. You can tell the author is passionate about the sorority experience, and I connected so strongly to that. It was just so long and drawn out. It took me a long time to get all of the characters sorted out and by that point I had forgotten many of the earlier details. I really wanted to love this, I just didn’t.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the story of a group of women who meet because they all join the same sorority. In flashbacks we hear the stories of how the got to college and what their lives were like up to the time that they're dealing with one of the crew dying of Alzheimer's. It is at times funny and at times sad but it does show that sorority isn't just for four years but for a lifetime.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a lovely, heartfelt story about a group of sorority sisters who remain close throughout their lives and the bonds they not only form with each other but the interweaving of their families. I laughed and shed a tear (or two) as it reminded me of the women in my life who have been so important to me.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though this book wasn’t the best-written one I have ever read, the story is sweet and reminded me of how strong the bonds between sorority sisters is. It also gave me a great appreciation of how hard it is to grow older — both physically and emotionally. Having a good group of girlfriends mitigates the bite of old age.

[Ashley Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time! This story tackles the hardest parts of Alzheimer’s and aging head on, while celebrating the bonds of true sisterhood and friendship. A story for the generations!

[Megan Bolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really sweet and emotional read. The sorority sisters in this book show exactly why Greek life is so impactful. I loved how the stories weren’t tied to any specific sorority but all felt so relatable. And getting to chat with Robin about this book was an added bonus

[Susan Heim · Rating 2 out of 5]

As an almost 60 year old sorority girl, there was lots to love about the enduring relationships and shared experiences of the sorority girls. Button’s decline with Alzheimer’s was very well done. But the whole book was overly sweet and too “wrapped up neat” for my taste.

[Kirsten Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my favorite books in several years. light and easy to read. it has charming stories of friendship and girlhood wrapped in between the difficulties of aging and managing dementia. it's very much like "Divine Secrets of the Ya- Ya Sisterhood" without the super traumatic parts.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a 30-something sorority girl, and I thought this was a very, very sweet book. Hopefully we are all lucky enough to be in our 80s with our sisters!

[Sarah Ross-Koves · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful generational story about sisterhood and love of extended family. 💜

[Shari Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a lovely story of friendship. The characters were well developed. I could see my group of friends in this story.

[Gaylon Holder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a sweet & also inspirational book. Should be in every Library. Learned so much about Alzheimer's & how to live with those who have it. Great book.

[Emily Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read and filled with up-and-down emotions of aging and the blessings of friendship.
Also, offered excellent insights about dealing with those who battle dementia,

[MaryE · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story, love the sentiment, but the writing was often awkward. Not an experienced writer.

[Kathy B · Rating 2 out of 5]

A delightful tale!

[Rachel Yaceczko · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I read it for the Alpha Gam book club. Such a sweet story of lifelong sisterhood. Many tears were shed. Totally reccomend!