Reviewed by: La voyageuse de nuit par Laure Adler William Cloonan Adler, Laure. La voyageuse de nuit. Grasset, 2020. ISBN 978-2246-82601-9. Pp. 217. Aging and dying are inevitably linked, yet writing about them is difficult because no matter how gifted the authors, they only have half the story. Aging can be discussed from a personal and social perspective, yet who can say, outside of a clinical perspective, what death is. "Death" like "eternity" are words we can explain, but never completely grasp. Adler approaches this vexing subject with eloquence, insight, and good sense. She essentially sticks to aging, primarily in Western culture. For her, aging is a struggle against the various authorities who, usually with good will, want to tell the concerned parties how to behave. It is also a battle within oneself, "un engagement vis-à-vis de soi-même de ne pas déroger à ce qu'on tente d'être" (54). She maintains that old age is a social construct (59), a phrasing that seeks to highlight that aging should never be a passive experience. For the brave souls willing to regard themselves in a mirror, or just listen to their bodies, the changes are obvious, but since, as Picasso observed, "On met très longtemps à être jeune" (84), one ought to avoid a precipitous surrender to the passage of time. While there is certainly a philosophical component to Adler's essay, it also provides very specific information about the aging industry in France. The word âgisme entered the French language in 1969 (178), and, "dans les dernières années le nombre de personnes âgées a augmenté de 60%" (166). This phenomenon encouraged the proliferation of les EHPAD (établissements d'hébergement pour personnes âgées dépendantes), which like their American counterparts vary in quality. Lodgings in the better ones require paying a supplement to what the Sécu provides. Therefore, from a financial perspective, owning or holding shares in a rest home makes sound financial sense: "les maisons de retraite sont et seront de plus en plus des mines d'or pour les investisseurs" (172). Adler is mostly complimentary about the staff (primarily women) in these places who, once again as in the United States, work hard for low pay. However, she points out that the efforts to try to help and control older people inevitably tend to push the elderly into a second childhood where they become dependent upon their caregivers. While these people remain French citizens, they are often forgotten. Adler suggests that aging is an increasing problem that France is only beginning to recognize. She is concerned about the care of the elderly, but perhaps even more annoyed that so little is being done to permit them to continue contributing to society. This is where growing old as a social construct becomes particularly constraining. Perhaps without anyone consciously intending to do so, aging is becoming associated uniquely with the idea of limitation. Adler has written a tough-minded book, but to oppose this errant notion, she offers a fey, but appealing rejoinder: "Si vous me demandiez quel est mon âge, d'ailleurs, je vous répondrais que je n'en ai pas" (199). [End Page 242] William Cloonan Florida State University, emeritus Copyright © 2021 American Association of Teachers of French