Douty, 65, a spiritual director, interviewed more than 50 elders ages 70 through 99; she rose above platitudes by asking about self-discovery, outside versus inside age, and the changing image of God. "These folks... kept giving me answers that I didn't expect," she writes. "Surprise," the operative word in the interviews, defines Douty's eight chapters, including surprising gifts, challenges, wisdom, the body, and the sacred. To be open to surprise, Douty notes, is to grow, not resist, and to nurture souls and skills.
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