'How to Grow Old Gracefully': Advice, Authority and the Mentor in Women's Late Life Writing

This article considers what it meant to grow old gracefully as a woman in Britain the early nineteenth century by focusing on intergenerational relationships and mentoring. Despite ambivalent response figure of older woman, her potential mentor is frequently foregrounded advice literature this period. However, contrast prescriptive ideal, life writing Lady Louisa Stuart (1757�1851) provides rare opportunity explore how women navigated culturally ascribed role mentor. vexed question extensive correspondence with younger biographer previous generations. The recovery Stuart, writer who barely published during long lifetime, suggests women's late has complicate cultural narratives ageing gender provide insight into dynamic relationship between ageing.