4 Post Menopausal Protagonists You’ll Want to Have Lunch With

Forget ‘coming of age’ here come ‘silver odyssey’ stories

Perhaps you, like me, love ‘coming of age’ stories—the innocence of youth and the sometimes harsh introduction into adulthood. We’re looking at you, Old Yeller. For those who may have missed it, Old Yeller is a beautiful but heartbreaking story about a boy and his dog. It still makes me cry when I read it — every time. Don’t deny it, you know, you cry too!

But now some of us have ‘come of age,’ gone over the hill, and begun our ‘silver odyssey.’ With this new life phase, I’m finding myself drawn to characters with years hung like pearls, shining with memories and reflecting wisdom. Perhaps you are, too?

If so, I’d like to introduce you to a few ladies who are in their ‘silver odyssey.’ I think each of them is someone you would love to share lunch with.

Aaliah — An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine

Aaliah is from Beruit. She speaks English, French, and Arabic (I love polyglots.). Because she is retired (she is 72, after all) and divorced with no children, she should have plenty of time to meet you. Still, she might be a bit hesitant. She’s lonely but a bit reclusive.

Her only friend passed away years ago. Now, her friends are her books and her translations. After she retired from working in a bookstore, she started translating books into Arabic. But she doesn’t let anyone read them; oh no, finished translations go straight into the closet.

Even though she is lonely, she doesn’t waste time on self-pity. She can be a bit prickly, but when you get to know her, you’ll be cheering for her as I do.

If you find her reluctant to accept your lunch invitation, get her talking about books, classic books. Maybe if you name-drop Anna Karinena, she will share hummus and baba ghanous with you.

Maude — Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healy

Maude, ahh, Maude. She is adorable, if forgetful. Don’t worry, she won’t be offended that I said that. She probably won’t even remember. You see, she is slipping into the abyss of Dementia, so maybe plan your lunch with her sooner rather than later.

She is delightful despite her forgetfulness or sometimes because of it (forgive me, Maude). She’s funny and intelligent. Trust me. You might wonder when she forgets who you are and where you are ten minutes into lunch, but that’s Dementia, not a lack of mental acuity.

Maude will likely want to talk about her friend, Elizabeth, and how she is missing. Maude has been telling everyone who will listen (and some who don’t want to), but they just smile and tell her everything is fine. Then they forget about it (a bit ironic, isn’t it?)

She may also tell you about her childhood. Let me give you a tip. Plan for a long lunch because once she starts telling you her story, you won’t want to be interrupted until she finishes!

Hornclaw — The Old Woman with the Knife by Gu Byeong-mo, Chi-Young Kim (translator)

You might have guessed that Hornclaw is not her given name, but good luck getting her to tell you her real name. I wouldn’t ask if I were you. In fact, of all our ladies, I would recommend your best manners with Hornclaw. I don’t mean that she has a bad temper; she seems pretty even-mannered, actually. But her profession is a bit…unusual. We can come back to that.

Hornclaw loves no one, and no one loves her except perhaps her dog, Deadweight. That’s starting to change. And that’s a problem. It’s also why she might be willing to go to lunch with you.

She’s 65, and her body is feeling it. Not only that, but she is experiencing some personality changes that often come with old age. To the point, she’s getting soft physically and emotionally. Don’t tell her I said that, though. Hornclaw isn’t ready to retire, but she may not have a choice. The changes she is experiencing are a con in her line of work. After all, she is an assassin.

She doesn’t just randomly kill people; she receives assignments from her employer. So you should be safe enough. Oh, and I should add she is from Korea, so might I recommend Hand Pulled Noodles and Black Bean Sauce?

Orwal — Til We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis

Orwal is my favorite. She will happily sit down with you and tell you her story. After all, she will say she is old and “there is nothing more the gods can do to punish her.” She’s had an interesting life, too; some would say her story resembles the myth of Psyche and Cupid. She did have a beautiful sister named Psyche, after all.

I introduced a friend to Orwal, and later, my friend said, “Orwal is horrible.”

What?!

To be fair, Orwal might not have liked my friend either. She hasn’t told me, but she didn’t have anything positive to say about her sister, Redival, and a few others . . . so.

Don’t you hate it when that happens? You introduce two dear friends, and they don’t like each other?

Still, I love Orwal. Did she make some mistakes? Oh yes. Misunderstand people and situations around her? Yes. Hurt people because of those misunderstandings? Yes.

I think that’s why some people dislike Orwal. But it’s also what I love about her. I think there is some Orwal in all of us, and remembering that encourages me to be more patient and remember perhaps things aren’t always what they appear.

Thanks for reading! I hope you will enjoy some time with these incredible women.