A meditative approach to the sociopolitical and philosophical questions of aging, by the internationally recognized author of The Return to Reims. A few years ago, Didier Eribon's mother began to lose her physical and cognitive autonomy. After several months of resistance, Eribon and his siblings were forced to place her in a nursing home. A few weeks later, his mother passed away.

In The Life, Old Age, and Death of a Working-Class Woman, Eribon continues his historical, political, and personal reflection, this time focusing on the end of life. Following the rapid decline of his mother and drawing from the works of Simone de Beauvoir, Norbert Elias, Annie Ernaux, and Michel Foucault, among others, Eribon transforms the rage, sadness, and shame over her death into a strikingly detailed portrait of the woman who raised him.

Here, Eribon poses questions: how does our society treat the elderly? What is the place of bodies that can no longer gather, discuss freedom, or protest? Can the completely marginalized speak for themselves – and if not, who can speak for them?

An honest, original, and extensive exploration of the relationship between aging and class, politics, and literature, this work is a deeply meditative approach to a fundamental human experience that often goes unnoticed.

Pages: 256, Dimensions: 14.3x14.3 cm.