Judith Viorst's "decade" books of verse have acquired a large and dedicated following -- fans who relish her wit, warmth, and wisdom. Now she presents Suddenly Sixty, a funny and touching book that speaks directly to the sixty-and-over woman, inviting her to laugh about, wrestle with, sigh over, cope with, and come to hopeful terms with the complex issues of this decade of life.

Among the poems in this charmingly illustrated collection are those exploring the joys -- and strains -- of children and grandchildren, and the intimacy of old friends "who've known each other so long/We knew each other back when we were virgins". There are poems that tip their hat to mortality, to the body's decline, to the challenges that come with a husband's retirement: "He's coming with me when I shop at the supermarket/So I won't have to shop alone. I like alone", and to the fact that at this stage of life we'd "give up a night of wild rapture with Denzel Washington for a nice report on my bone density test". Offering plenty of laughs, a few tears, and cover-to-cover truths, these are poems for everyone who would "rather say never say die than enough is enough". Every woman who has reached this decade should -- rueful and smiling -- find herself in the pages of this book.