“Maybe the reason I have so many hang-ups about the way I look is because there are so many hang downs. Oh, me!” The irrepressible Hattie McNair and her friends at the FairAcres Retirement Home are back!

This time around, a degenerative eye condition doesn’t stop Hattie from participating and recording in her diary all that is going on around her, reminiscing about the past and ruminating on the upcoming millennium. There is much to celebrate and much to lament as Hattie is saddened by the illness of her friend Louly and shocked by a storm that damages many of the homes in her small town. A variety show—complete with a Hattie-led Kitchen Band, washboards, kazoos, and all!—raises money to help the town recover. The end of the year finds the FairAcres crew creating a special holiday celebration with each resident contributing an ornament for the tree and a poignant memory to lift up the spirits.

With grace and humor, Wilder once again gently pokes fun at growing older, all the while reflecting on the special wisdom gained from aging, and the challenges and losses that must be faced.