Pultizer Prize-winning author Robert Coles explores the lives of 11 men and women over the age of 75 and living on their own. The book emphasizes the resilience of those who are struggling to remain independent despite the consequences of old age. These people share their thoughts, memories, aspirations and worries. The photographs provide a visual dimension to the book, whether rural or urban, black or white, rich or poor, these elderly people emerge as strong individuals who show how to live our later years to the fullest.