Who Cares? - by Ann S Epstein (Paperback)

About the Book

Set in 1960s Michigan, Who Cares? is a sharp, witty, and heartfelt novel about the residents of a struggling nursing home who band together to fight displacement, exposing how society values - or neglects - its most vulnerable.

Book Synopsis

"Makes the case with passion, spirit and humor, for the full personhood of the elderly and disabled." Sara Bolder, Co-Producer of the Oscar-nominated documentary 'Crip Camp'

Who Cares? is the story of a lively place where old people go to die. Set in Michigan in 1960, the Woodruff Home for the Aged is a public facility for the indigent elderly. When a sinking economy prompts city officials to consider a private developer's proposal to convert the home into a pricey retirement residence, panic sets in. The residents fear displacement; the staff fear unemployment.

As the clock ticks, the novel follows the city's contentious deliberations, the outlandish efforts to derail the sale, and the complex web of intimacy and intrigue among its characters: Miss Mamie Martine, a feisty octogenarian with an encyclopedic knowledge of film, and her rival, Mr. J. T. Hillenbrand, a once-wealthy nonagenarian ruined by the Depression; Jilly Duprey, Hillenbrand's biracial great-granddaughter locked in a power struggle with city manager Hugh Pepper; Laurel Robbins, the home's idealistic director, and Rupert Boyle, the well-meaning custodian who resists her reforms; and Mamie's nephew Simon Walpole, an amateur sleuth digging up dirt on Franklin Savoy, the home's shady would-be buyer.

Is the title a cynical shrug-or a plea for dignity? As brisk and surprising as a spry senior citizen, Who Cares? will make you laugh, cry, and think twice about the value of a life well lived.

Review Quotes

"Who Cares? by Ann S. Epstein addresses the unsettling question of how society treats those it regards as "disposable." With warmth and wit, the novel introduces readers to an engaging cast of characters: elderly people and their families, service workers and the authorities whose self-centered decisions determine the course of others' lives. I was especially delighted to spend time with Mamie, a sharp-witted, movie-obsessed octogenarian and her fellow residents of the Woodruff Home for the Aged. Who Cares? is a compelling story of an economically distressed small town in Michigan in the early 1960's as well as a cautionary tale for today. What will happen to Mamie and her friends if their home is sold to a developer? Can a small group of poor, elderly and disabled friends protect their home of last resort? A satisfying epilogue catches readers up on the fate of the main characters, but leaves responsibility for the bigger question of how society cares for others up to the reader. Who Cares? makes the case with passion, spirit and humor, for the full personhood of the elderly and disabled." Sara Bolder, Co-Producer of the Oscar-nominated documentary Crip Camp

"Ann S. Epstein has nailed this story of plucky resistance by aged have-nots who proclaim "We will not surrender!" In 1960 Ypsilanti, Michigan, the indigent elderly residents of the Woodruff Home for the Aged face getting the boot from their decrepit, but dependable - and only - home. With help from some good souls in the community, the spirited old folks fight to save their digs and dignity from the greed-soaked promise of guaranteed town prosperity, should the city council approve the proposed sale and redevelopment of the facility, which would result in higher rents. By the end of Who Cares?, I wanted to yell, "I do!" Because stories of underdogs of any age serve as a reminder of everyone's worth in the face of apathy and greed. Spirited, courageous, humorous and true to the facilities of that time, this book asks us to walk a mile in an old person's slippers, which begs the question, how will we want to be treated when we reach that age?" Martha Engber, author of Scattered Light

"Who Cares? by Ann S. Epstein tackles the vitally important subject of aging. Epstein demonstrates that people who are often marginalized, in particular the elderly and economically vulnerable, are in fact deeply woven into the fabric of our society. Through a colorful array of characters, readers come to better understand the concerns, indignities, solidarity, and loving relationships that can be part of growing older." Rabbi Chelsea Feuchs, Co-Leader of the Sacred Aging Institute and Director of Engagement and Life-Long Learning, Temple Beth Emeth