Time of Our Lives: Celebrating Older Women

by Maggie Kirkman

Time of Our Lives presents the extraordinary lives of ordinary women in their seventies, eighties and nineties, challenging the stereotype of the helpless old woman who is nothing more than a burden. The first collection of its kind in Australia, it demonstrates the rich lives led by 21 women of diverse backgrounds, all born before 1946 and all of whom have achieved great things in older age. From Mig Dann, an 80-year-old artist who worked for David Bowie and completed a PhD in her seventies, to Pauline Lorenzen, a 75-year-old Indigenous solicitor working to support women; from Robina Rogan, a boat-builder planning a sea voyage at age 82, to Rosemary Salvaris, a 76-year-old civil celebrant who has taken up orienteering, these women show that learning has no age limit. As the generation of Australian women who waved the flag for feminism enter retirement, let's change the conversation around what it means to be 'old'. Our ageing population is not a burden – it's time to celebrate the contributions that older women make to our community. Time of Our Lives also gives insights into how to ensure our own lifelong learning and live to the fullest.

Genres: Nonfiction, Book Club, Biography

320 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2023

Reviews

[Cathryn Wellner · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ABC interview with Maggie Kirkman sent me straight to my phone to order a copy of the book from my nearby, independent bookstore. That's significant, as I rely almost totally on the library to satisfy my endless hunger for books.

I anticipated an engaging read but have struggled to get through the book. The premise is first rate - that the lives of ordinary women yield extraordinary stories. I enjoyed meeting the varied cast of characters. What disappointed me was the author's penchant for inserting side comments into the stories. Some reiterate a point the interviewee is making by adding an observation or story from the author's perspective. Others add commentary that did not have to be given in first person. They felt intrusive. Each time I came across one of those side comments, I was briefly thrown out of the interviewee's story and into the author's.

Here's an example. The story of Kath Klune, a nun whose story is worth reading, is interrupted in the middle by a paragraph that begins this way: "I am intrigued by the apparent contradictions in Kath's life...The way I understand it is...". For an introduction or an epilogue, such side comments could give us insight into the author's intent in writing the book. Instead, they disrupt the flow.

Had the writing been more compelling, I might have found the intrusions easier to gloss over. The women highlighted in the book deserved the full light of attention and would have benefited from better storytelling.

We need more books about ordinary women doing extraordinary things. Kirkman's book is well intentioned and deserves appreciation for introducing us to twenty women worthy of praise. That I was disappointed is not a reason to shy away from reading it.

[Caren · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Almost ***) Maggie Kirkman asks: "Why do we still choose to see old age as a dreaded tragedy when we could instead see it as an opportunity to continue learning, to build on the accumulated wisdom of a complicated life, and to develop unexpected interests and enthusiasms?" She has collected the intriguing stories of women who have done just that and, in doing so, flipped our understanding of "old age" on its head. As I approach a "milestone" birthday, I'm not sure whether the stories of these women have inspired me or simply made me feel inadequate in what I have achieved in my own life.

Although I marvelled at some of the achievements of these talented women, I was disappointed by her choice of women to include. Except for one or two women who identified as Indigenous, there was no diversity in the ethnicity of her subjects. Seemingly no Jewish women, none of Asian descent, for example - to me, this was a major flaw in her choice of interviewees. And, although the listing of their achievements often inspired awe, Kirkman's writing lacked flair. Thus, each seemed more of an encyclopaedic entry following a formulaic pattern, which became repetitive and somewhat less interesting than the story deserved.

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

We definitely need more books like this. It was interesting to read the women's stories, but perhaps the book blurb overstated things in the wording "all achieved great things in older age". They all survived, which is an achievement in itself, and many are now pursuing leisure activities they enjoy but there was unevenness in the women and stories chosen. Too many of the chapters focused on the women's early life, not so much what they did in later life, although of course the early years had a huge influence on life choices and directions. I guess it highlights that the various labels of "old/older", "meaningful", "contributions", "extraordinary" and "great" have different meaning to different people, which is fine. I would like to read more about women in later life in positions of community leadership, political power or wide influence.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Certainly a collection of very interesting women who had led interesting and often complicated lives. Born either during or before WW2, their options at the conclusion of their school years (which was often only 14) were limited, either because of finances or just a sign of the times. However they went on to live rich lives and many enjoyed further education in their later years. In some of the stories the author inserted herself somewhat, which did not add to the story telling.

[Anna]

Up to page 119. I want to read these women’s stories, but unfortunately the writing is not particularly engaging.