Whether you’re participating in theLifetime of Reading Challenge, or simply interested in reading books about life in your 70s, you won’t want to miss these titles! Our list of books with older characters in their 70s includes a mix of charming and feisty septuagenarian protagonists.
What is a septuagenarian? A septuagenarian is a person between 70 and 79 years old.
Based on our recent reader survey, nearly 20% of our readers are over age 70. But for those of us who haven’t reached our seventh decade, representations in movies, TV, and books have shaped our views over time. Fortunately, we’re seeing a shift in popular media that’s reflecting a wider range of 70+ life experiences.
We’ve curated a diverse list of recommended books with characters in their 70s. Many of these books reflect the happiness and optimism described in the research about this age range. But, of course, others deal with more difficult topics like grief and health challenges. In addition to reflecting a wide range of life experiences, the main characters also vary in ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, class, background, lifestyle, and more.
Best 70-Something Book Characters
Contemporary Fiction
The Phoenix Ballroom
Ruth Hogan
Publication Date:
06/27/2024
Setting:
Bedford, England
Book Summary
When Venetia is widowed after fifty years, she’s left with plenty of cash, a huge house, and plenty of qualms about her past. She’s ready to fully embrace her life again after feeling like she’s mentally missed the last five decades.
While some think it’s reckless, seventy-four Venetia buys the dilapidated Phoenix Ballroom, which also serves as a spiritualist “church.” She’s a witty and spunky character whose generosity, courage, and kindness provide a refuge for a touching cast of damaged and lonely people.
As she develops relationships with many of the ballroom’s attendees, the Phoenix lives up to its name with fresh starts and a newfound family being formed.
At Coopers Chase retirement community, there isn’t a lot of excitement. For fun, four residents meet weekly in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes and talk through what could have happened. They figure they’ll stay younger by using their brains to solve crimes.
But then, a murder occurs near their community. A local developer is found dead, and an unexpected photo is next to the body. Before they know it, the quirky group of friends is investigating a crime in real-time…much to the dismay of the actual detective assigned to the case.
The Book Girls Say…
There are four books in this series, so if you’ve already read and enjoyed the first book, feel free to pick up one of the others.
When we read about this book, we were both reminded of the hilarious and clever Hulu series Only Murders in the Building with Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez. Steve Martin and Martin Short are both in their 70s, so if you haven’t seen the show, it would be a fun supplement to 70-somethings month!
Missy is 79 years old and lives alone in a stately London home. Her husband, Leo, passed away after a challenging illness, and her favorite child, son Allistair, broke her heart by moving to Australia. Daughter Melanie lives much closer in Cambridge, but they have a contentious relationship.
As Missy walks alone through a park, her primary mission is to experience something worthy of including in her next email to Allistair. While she prefers keeping to herself, she forces herself to interact with some interesting characters she encounters on her walk. When she faints, her new acquaintances not only help her in the moment, they invite her to a nearby coffee shop.
But is 79 too old for new friends and a new outlook on life?
The Book Girls Say…
While unexpected friendships are a common theme on this list because of our reading for the Lifetime Challenge this year, each one has something a little special. In this case, it includes a dog helping break down emotional barriers and flashbacks to Missy’s earlier years. Melissa found it to be a good reminder of how little we know about those we meet as adults, and especially how their personalities are impacted by things they survived in the past. But also that it’s never too late to see things in a new way.
Instagram influencer Gloria Rose is 70 years old and lives the good life in her Upper West Side loft. But then she discovers a boyfriend from her past has been arrested for an old art theft. She was involved in his crime, so she worries she’ll be the next one arrested if she stays put.
Before she can flee, she needs to protect her 30-something nieces from any fallout. That’s a tough job because the sisters are still struggling in life and constantly fighting with each other.
When Gloria Rose and her nieces are reunited, it’s the perfect chance to deal with decades of interwoven trauma.
The Book Girls Say…
This new release from the author of the hit book When We Were Mermaids has high reviews for the rich characters and their relationships with each other. However, some readers are disappointed the art theft isn’t more of a plot point.
This book would also work well as a multi-generation read since the nieces are also prominent, but we LOVED that Gloria Rose is a 70-something influencer since that job title is usually applied to younger generations. It’s a great example of never being too old to try something new!
Seventy-two-year-old Geraldine hasn’t left the house in three months since losing her husband of 50 years. Before he died, he made her promise to spread his ashes somewhere exotic and that she would not give up on life after he was gone.
Despite getting out her red suitcase, she can’t seem to fulfill either of her promises. However, an accident leaves Geraldine temporarily unable to do everything she needs around her house. She is mortified when Meals on Wheels arrives with food. However, young volunteer Lottie brings more than just food. Like Geri, she’s struggling to let go of something in her past.
Together, an unlikely friendship blossoms, and Geri begins the bumpy ascent out of her deep grief.
The Book Girls Say…
Reviewers of this book often say that this is an uplifting read despite the themes of grief.
This clever British murder mystery is full of surprises. Felix has an unusual volunteer job. He’s an Exiter, helping people die with dignity and aiding the terminally ill in their last moments. The role requires careful adherence to the law, and Felix is there to comfort but not physically assist.
However, as he’s training a new Exiter, something goes horribly wrong. Soon, this 75-year-old pensioner is on the run from the police, simultaneously trying to solve the mystery before getting caught.
Judith Kratt is an affluent 75-year-old woman living in her family’s grand, but aging, mansion in South Carolina. It’s the home she’s known all of her life, and one she hasn’t left since 1929. It’s now the 1980s, and Judith and Olva, the old family maid, spend long, slow afternoons rocking on the front porch.
When Judith learns that her sister, Rosemarie, is visiting for the first time in 60 years, she decides it’s time to take inventory of the home. This includes everything she inherited from the Kratt family – the cut-glass letter opener, the pie safe, the copper clock, and the murder that no one talks about.
As Judith catalogs her possessions, the story is interwoven with chilling flashbacks from the fateful night in 1929 that changed everything. Through her list-making, she begins to piece together her family’s influence on their small cotton town and to acknowledge the devastating effects of their dark family secrets.
The Book Girls Say…
This book is a great choice for fans of Southern fiction! Judith is an unreliable, and, at times unlikeable, narrator – just the way the author wants it. Some readers find that the story starts a bit slow since you may not connect with the characters immediately. But once it draws you in, you’ll be hooked. This is not a mystery novel in the sense that, thanks to clever writing and foreshadowing, you’ll likely unravel some of the family secrets before the characters unveil them – but this feels intentional and adds to the reading experience rather than detracting from it.
Flamboyant Barry was born in Antigua and currently lives with his wife in the UK. He’s a grandfather, but his wife doesn’t know that he’s been in a secret relationship with his childhood friend, Morris, for the past 60 years. Carmel does realize he’s been cheating but has no idea the depth of his deception. As his long marriage begins to break down, he has some big decisions to make.
The book is a great peek into Britain’s older Caribbean community.
The Book Girls Say…
This literary fiction was written by the author of the bestseller Girl, Woman, Other. Some readers find the main character unlikeable and difficult to overcome, while others enjoy his cheeky nature.
Sisters Barbara and Pauline couldn’t be more different. But, after a health scare, outspoken 77-year-old spinster Barbara moves in with quieter widower Pauline to recover. Unfortunately, the tension is already rising between them when another unexpected houseguest is added to the mix.
Pauline accidentally knocks down a vagrant named Bisto, and he also moves in to recover. However, the more they get to know Bisto, the more surprised by who he really is. Can the sisters improve their relationship with the help of this stranger?
For twenty years, three female friends have met weekly under the Verrazzano Bridge. Gertie is a feisty Norweigan divorcee, and on the eve of her 80th birthday, she realizes her time to travel the world is running out. Maria, an Italian-American widow, decides this is the perfect opportunity to reunite both Gertie and Corinna with their estranged families.
The Book Girls Say…
This meandering, character-driven story of friendship celebrates strong, mature women and is said to be inspirational and full of hope.
Gloria is a hoarder. She has 79 years of possessions in her home, from treasures to old magazines, cardboard boxes, and even rolls of carpet. She hasn’t left her home in years, but one day a major electrical issue forces her out, despite her desire to stay in her comfort zone.
Her son decides this is the perfect opportunity to sell her home and tries to take control of Gloria’s entire life in the process. But despite her cluttered house, Gloria is still more than capable of making her own life decisions. And she does, finding unexpected new friends and happiness along the way.
Like the author’s acclaimed book, Plainsong, this book is set in the rural community of Holt, Colorado. Seventy-something neighbors Addie and Louis have known each other for decades. She lost her husband years ago, and it’s been a year since Louis lost his wife. They have been incredibly lonely, alone in their homes. Addie pays an unexpected visit to Louis and proposes a deeper friendship.
As Addie and Louis begin to talk and share their histories, the town takes notice. They’re forced to defend their new relationship while still dealing with their own real problems.
Retired CIA agent Barbara is bored in her small New England town. When a man, Lucien, appears to have a heart attack at his book club meeting for seniors, she’s confident that he was poisoned. Suddenly, her CIA training becomes useful as she plays the part of a sweet grandmother while trying to figure out which member of the Cheerville Active Readers’ Society would want Lucien dead.
This cozy mystery is the first in the Secret Agent Granny series, which currently includes ten titles.
This quirkily titled novella is a glimpse into the life of a cosmopolitan Nigerian woman living in San Francisco. She’s independent, in good health, and loves road trips in her vintage Porshe. However, everything changes when she has a fall. Suddenly, she must rely on both friends and lucky encounters with strangers willing to help.
The character-driven novella moves between memories of her past world travels and her attempts at adapting to her present, and you’ll meet a host of interesting side characters along the way.
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Printable Version of the Challenge Booklists
Readers who support The Book Girls’ Guide through our Buy Me a Coffee (BMAC) membership site as Inner Circle or BFF members can access printable versions of the reading challenge book lists. As we update the Lifetime of Reading Challenges throughout the year according to the challenge schedule, the lists will become available in a single-page printable format for our BMAC members.
We offer two membership levels. Both our BFF members and our Inner Circle members get access to the single-page printables for the year-long reading challenges. Visit our Buy Me a Coffee membership page for a full list of benefits for each level.
Our BMAC members help cover the cost of running the challenges so we can keep them free for everyone!
If you have a suggestion for a book that you think would be a great addition to this list, please fill out this form.
Book Lists By Character Age
Links to our book recommendations for all twelve of the Lifetime of Reading challenge prompts can be found below:
If you’d like to read a novel about older adults set in a different part of the world, you’re in luck. Quite a few of the books on this list take place abroad. However, we also recommend looking at our Book Voyage reading lists, which are organized by region. Additionally, if you’re looking for books with protagonists over 70 that provide a historical perspective, our Decades Challenge reading lists, which cover the 1910s through the present, are a great place to start!
We hope you enjoyed this book list and found several books to add to your TBR (to be read list). If you’re choosing a book for our reading challenge, you are also welcome to read any other book that meets the challenge prompt.
If you have a suggestion for a book that you think would be a great addition to this list, please fill out this form.
Life In Your 70s: The Overlooked “Golden Decade”
Is 70 considered old? That really depends on who you ask. Younger people are likely inclined to call someone in their 70s elderly. But as people age, their definition of old gets, well, older. An AARP Magazine article found that more than half of adults over age 65 say old age starts at 85. So if that’s the case, then what does that make you when you’re 70-something? If you ask many septuagenarians, they say they’re just living their best life.
An August 2022 survey of 70-somethings, conducted by AARP/National Geographic determined happiness spikes in your seventh decade. A whopping 90% of survey respondents in their 70s said they are happy. Compare this to 81% of 60-somethings who report being happy, and 80% of 40-somethings.
Despite being a very happy time for many people, this decade often gets overlooked. There’s a lot more emphasis on your 60s because it’s when many people look forward to retiring. And some people fear reaching their 80s because it’s when serious health issues are more likely to arise. Helen Davis, author of the syndicated column “Successful Aging,” describes your 70s as “the highway in between.”
Researchers and septuagenarians agree on the keys to getting the most out of life in your 70s. Exercising your body and your mind, making new friends, and finding a new purpose. Low-impact activities like swimming, yoga, and walking are helping today’s 70-somethings feel more youthful and maintain energy. Those who enjoy this decade of life the most seem to be those who take that energy and channel it into something they are passionate about!
Shifting Perspectives: Books with Older Main Characters in Their 70s
Based on our recent reader survey, about 12% of our readers are over age 70. But for those of us that haven’t reached our seventh decade, representations in movies, tv, and books have shaped our views over time. Fortunately, we’re seeing a shift in popular media that’s reflecting a wider range of 70-something life experiences.
Both of us Book Girls grew up watching Golden Girls as kids. It’s hard to believe now that Rose, Dorothy, and Blanche were all supposed to be in their 50s. Looking back, as much as we loved them, these characters contributed to our skewed view of what it looked like to “get old.”
More recently, we fell in love with the Netflix series Grace & Frankie, which presents a much more modern view of 70-something life. Grace, Frankie, Robert, and Sol epitomize the later-in-life experience of happiness, making new friends, and finding new passions.
The Book Girls are best friends who jointly read over 200 books per year. We started Book Girls' Guide in 2019 to help others de-stress and find joy through the power of a great book. We do in-depth research on thousands of novels and non-fiction titles each year to provide curated book lists covering a variety of genres.
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