A quartet of seniors living in a local retirement residence become confidantes, discussing and collaborating on several important issues, some carefully below the radar of the wily Idyll Inn administrator. In the wryly funny and wholly compassionate Exit Lines , acclaimed author Joan Barfoot once again treats her readers to an intimate encounter with some fascinating characters engaged in the fight of their lives. Sylvia, George, Greta and Ruth are at times tender, angry, hilarious and deeply flawed, but always utterly and captivatingly human. How do we treat the elderly in our lives? How do we intend to grow old ourselves? Will we ever come to the end of longing? Exit Lines brings to the surface these and other fundamental questions about the nature of life. Summary BPL

Ms Barfoot’s dark comedy casts a cold yet humorous eye on the geriatric service industry while focusing the reader’s attention on the rise and fall of four unique life stories—marriage, careers, infidelities, independence and ultimately “retirement”. A deceptive word—retirement—that can be defined not only as “Withdrawal from one’s occupation, business, or office” but also (often forced) withdrawal from one’s independence and life. Ms Barfoot’s sharp dialogue cuts away the brochure euphemisms and lays bare the selfish motives and cruel “kindness” in our treatment of our elders.

8 out of 10 Highly recommended to all! ( )

This novel is set in a seniors home. It is a thoughtful, honest book about human inter-connectivity and longevity. I really enjoyed the story and the characters Barfoot created. ( )

This novel concerns the relationships among four new residents of the recently opened Idyll Inn for Senior Living. Sylvia, who suffers from arthritis, checked herself in after a recent fall. She is acerbic and suffers no fools. (She reminded me of Maude on the tv shows Maude and Golden Girls). George is a stroke survivor and feels he has been unfairly parked at the Inn by his daughter. Although the stroke has left him wheelchair bound and with verbal difficulties, his mind is still all there. Greta came to this country as a young woman, but still retains many of her emigrant ways. She suffers from a vague heart condition, and she is proud of her daughters for funding the expense of the Idyll Inn. Ruth is a retired social worker who also suffers from arthritis. She is recently widowed and is childless.

These four come together as a group. Some of them have had relationships in the past, and they learn new secrets about each other as they adjust to life in the Idyll Inn. Then one of the four asks the others to participate in his/her assisted suicide.

This book seems to fairly depict the mental and physical issues that accompany aging. The central conflict it raises--whether and when to end one's life voluntarily--is an important one, but one which the author handles with humor and warmth. Ultimately, the book considers what makes life worth living in a manner that is gentle rather than pedantic, and without ever forgetting that there are real people involved. Recommended. ( )

The main character says:
"All my work is done, and there's nothing more to be loved, and even if there were, I can't feel any love in me to give. So I'm finished. But what I do have is the luxury of my own choice."
That's a pretty good summary of this really good book. It explores a theme which is prominent in my mind, namely, what is the meaning of *later* life? This is especially concentrating the mind of the main character who has seen her partner have an unhappy pre-death experience, and who doesn't have children to distract her. Joan Barfoot takes on another substantial set of issues here (my last Barfoot was "Critical Injuries" - an exploration of forgiveness) and she makes a reasonable job of it. It's certainly a very readable book, and this is her great skill, I think. She combines meaty issues with readable stories, without trivializing the issue. This one will stay in my thoughts for quite a while. ( )

This was an enjoyable book to read. It's about four elderly people in a retirement home who become friends. They all have secrets, and they eventually share their life histories with each other. One of the four asks the others to end her life on her 75th birthday! Pretty humorous. I heard the author read an excerpt from the book at Word on the Street in Toronto. ( )