11 Novels with Older Characters You’re Sure to Love

August 21 2018
Share 11 Novels with Older Characters You’re Sure to Love

After reading a few books in a row that featured angsty teenaged protagonists, I’d had enough. I wanted to read a novel about characters with more life experience and with more developed personalities (be they cranky curmudgeons or charming matriarchs)—but still coping with the curveballs life throws. I wanted to spend time with characters like Ove from A MAN CALLED OVE, A.J. from THE STORIED LIFE OF A. J. FIKRY, or anyone from THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL. And did I ever find what I was looking for. Here are 11 novels with older protagonists that you’re sure to love.

The Lido
by Libby Page

We’re never too old to make new friends, or to make a difference. Rosemary Peterson’s calm, routine lifestyle is upended when the lido—an outdoor pool where she's swum daily since its opening and where she escaped the devastation of WWII and fell in love with her husband—is threatened with closure by a local housing developer. Thankfully a reporter takes interest in the story and teams up with Rosemary to save the neighborhood institution. THE LIDO is a charming feel-good novel that captures the heart and spirit of a community across generations—an irresistible tale of love, loss, aging, and friendship.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo
The Lido
Libby Page

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo

MENTIONED IN:

11 Novels with Older Characters You’re Sure to Love

By Taylor Noel | August 21, 2018

Celebrate Galentine’s Day with These 11 Novels

By Off the Shelf Staff | February 12, 2018

Close
Three Things About Elsie
by Joanna Cannon

This is the best nursing home mystery you’ll ever read! Eighty-four-year-old Florence has fallen in her flat at Cherry Tree Home for the Elderly. As she waits to be rescued, she thinks about her lifelong friend Elsie and wonders if a terrible secret from their past is about to come to light. Is the charming new resident who suddenly appeared who he claims to be? Why does he look exactly like a man who died 60 years ago? And why will no one listen to her concerns?

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo
Three Things About Elsie
Joanna Cannon

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo

MENTIONED IN:

Readers’ Choice: The Top 10 Most Shelved Books in September

By Off the Shelf Staff | September 28, 2018

11 Novels with Older Characters You’re Sure to Love

By Taylor Noel | August 21, 2018

The Get Lit Team Wants You to Read Their 7 August Picks

By Get Literary | August 10, 2018

Close
Made for Love
by Alissa Nutting

When Hazel moves into a trailer park of senior citizens with her father and his lifelike sex doll, she feels that her life has hit an all-time low. As she tries to carve out a new life for herself, the overbearing husband she ran out on tries everything to bring her back home—forcing Hazel to take drastic measures. MADE FOR LOVE is an absurd and raunchy comedy about marriage and family.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo
Made for Love
Alissa Nutting

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo

MENTIONED IN:

11 Novels with Older Characters You’re Sure to Love

By Taylor Noel | August 21, 2018

Close
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared
by Jonas Jonasson

Like A MAN CALLED OVE, this Swedish charmer centers on the fantastic exploits of a man who, because he has lived a good long life, many have already written off. In Forrest Gump style, our centenarian hero encounters and influences many of the world’s most famous luminaries—which we slowly learn about during his escape from a retirement home on the eve of his hundredth birthday.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared
Jonas Jonasson

Like A MAN CALLED OVE, this Swedish charmer centers on the fantastic exploits of a member of society who many have already written off. In Forrest Gump style, our centenarian hero encounters and influences many of the world’s most famous luminaries—which we slowly learn about during his escape from a retirement home on the eve of his hundredth birthday.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo

MENTIONED IN:

11 Novels with Older Characters You’re Sure to Love

By Taylor Noel | August 21, 2018

13 Books to Read After A MAN CALLED OVE

By Arielle Kane | November 25, 2016

Close
The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules
by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg

THE LITTLE OLD LADY WHO BROKE ALL THE RULES is a witty and insightful novel about a group of delinquent seniors whose desire for a better quality of life leads them to rob and ransom priceless artwork. What started as a simple plan to rob a nearby hotel quickly escalates to pulling a heist at the National Museum, baffling the police but inciting the interest of the Mafia. What a riot!

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo iTunes logo Kobo logo Kindle logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo
The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules
Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo iTunes logo Kobo logo Kindle logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo

MENTIONED IN:

10 Thrilling Heist Novels That’ll Steal Your Breath

By Maddie Nelson | October 20, 2023

11 Novels with Older Characters You’re Sure to Love

By Taylor Noel | August 21, 2018

Close
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
by Rachel Joyce

When recent retiree Harold Fry receives a letter from a dying friend, he sets out the door and begins walking the 600 miles to deliver his response to her—in person. In the three months of Harold’s journey, we learn about his past and the regrets and joys he’s accumulated along the way.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
Rachel Joyce

One day Harold Fry receives a letter that Queenie Hennessy is in hospice and is writing to say goodbye. Rather than write back or even call Harold sets out in his yachting shoes and light coat on the 600 mile walk to see Queenie in person. Believing that as long as he is walking, Queenie will live. A novel of charm, humor, and profound insight into the thoughts and feelings we all bury deep within our hearts.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo

MENTIONED IN:

11 Novels with Older Characters You’re Sure to Love

By Taylor Noel | August 21, 2018

13 Books to Read After A MAN CALLED OVE

By Arielle Kane | November 25, 2016

Books to Cozy Up With: 5 Books That Make Long Winter Nights Too Short

By Off the Shelf Staff | February 21, 2014

Close
Millard Salter's Last Day
by Jacob M. Appel

In an effort to delay the frailty and isolation that come with old age, psychiatrist Millard Salter decides to kill himself by the end of the day—but first he has to tie up some loose ends. These include a tête-à-tête with his ne’er-do-well youngest son, Lysander; an unscheduled rendezvous with his first wife, Carol; and a brief visit to the grave of his second wife, Isabelle, with whom he fathered an illegitimate child. MILLARD SALTER’S LAST DAY is refreshing, heartfelt, and funny.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo
Millard Salter's Last Day
Jacob M. Appel

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo

MENTIONED IN:

8 Emotionally Fulfilling Novels for Fans of The Midnight Library

By Alice Martin | December 22, 2021

11 Books About Death That Are Bursting with Life

By Alice Martin | June 7, 2021

11 Novels with Older Characters You’re Sure to Love

By Taylor Noel | August 21, 2018

15 Favorites Your Book Club Must Read This Winter

By Off the Shelf Staff | December 21, 2017

Close
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper
by Phaedra Patrick

Arthur Pepper is a 69-year-old man whose simple, routine lifestyle is disrupted when he finds an unfamiliar gold charm bracelet among his late wife's possessions. Arthur sets out on an epic quest to find out the truth about his wife's secret life before they met. With a cast of characters with big hearts and irresistible flaws, THE CURIOUS CHARMS OF ARTHUR PEPPER celebrates life's infinite possibilities.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper
Phaedra Patrick

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo

MENTIONED IN:

13 Feel-Good Novels You’re Going to Love

By Taylor Noel | March 18, 2020

Readers’ Choice: Our Most Popular Books in January

By Off the Shelf Staff | January 31, 2020

Readers’ Choice: Our Top 25 Most Popular Books of the Year!

By Off the Shelf Staff | December 30, 2019

Readers’ Choice: The Top 10 Most Shelved Books in May

By Off the Shelf Staff | May 31, 2019

11 Novels with Older Characters You’re Sure to Love

By Taylor Noel | August 21, 2018

Close
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
by Fannie Flagg

This fresh and folksy classic is brimming with good barbecue and Southern charm while tackling heavy subjects with grace and subtlety. In 1930s Alabama, two women run a small-town cafe with love and integrity, surviving visits from the local sheriff, the terror of the Ku Klux Klan, and the rigors of the Great Depression. If you’ve only seen the movie, with Jessica Tandy, Kathy Bates and Mary-Louise Parker, treat yourself to this novel. It’s delicious!

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
Fannie Flagg

This fresh and folksy classic is brimming with good barbeque and Southern charm while tackling heavy subjects with grace and subtlety. In 1930s Alabama, two women run a small-town cafe with love and integrity, surviving visits from the local sheriff, the terror of the Ku Klux Klan, and the rigors of the Great Depression.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo

MENTIONED IN:

6 Cross-Generational Novels for Friends of All Ages

By Allie Larkin | April 16, 2019

11 Novels with Older Characters You’re Sure to Love

By Taylor Noel | August 21, 2018

I Heart the 80s: 12 Radical Reads About Everyone’s Favorite Decade

By Julianna Haubner | October 27, 2016

11 Delicious Food Novels to Savor

By Emma Volk | October 15, 2015

Close
Britt-Marie Was Here
by Fredrik Backman

Fans of A MAN CALLED OVE will delight in the story of Britt-Marie, who, after decades in an unhappy marriage, finally gets up the courage to leave her cheating husband. Now she is forced to make a life for herself, which somehow includes the impossible task of leading the supremely untalented children’s soccer team to victory. Funny and moving, BRITT-MARIE WAS HERE is an irresistible novel Fredrik Backman fans will love.

Read the full review of BRITT-MARIE WAS HERE.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo
Britt-Marie Was Here
Fredrik Backman

Backman’s latest, BRITT-MARIE WAS HERE, is an irresistible novel about finding love and second chances in the most unlikely of places. We are packing our bags to move to Sweden.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo

MENTIONED IN:

9 Literary Characters Keeping Us Company While We’re Social Distancing

By Holly Claytor | April 1, 2020

7 Books With Striking Green Covers to Read This St. Paddy’s Day

By Off the Shelf Staff | March 17, 2020

8 Books That Pair Perfectly With The Best Things About Fall

By Off the Shelf Staff | October 11, 2019

11 Feel-Good Novels to Add Some Extra Sunshine to Your Days

By Off the Shelf Staff | August 13, 2019

6 Fredrik Backman Books to Fit Your Every Mood

By Ariele Stewart | June 3, 2019

11 Novels with Older Characters You’re Sure to Love

By Taylor Noel | August 21, 2018

Close

Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/offtheshelf.com/htdocs/web/app/themes/ots/_inc/template-parts/books/book-post.php on line 16

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /var/www/offtheshelf.com/htdocs/web/app/themes/ots/_inc/template-parts/books/book-post.php on line 17

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/offtheshelf.com/htdocs/web/app/themes/ots/_inc/template-parts/books/book-post.php on line 17

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /var/www/offtheshelf.com/htdocs/web/app/themes/ots/_inc/template-parts/books/book-post.php on line 18

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/offtheshelf.com/htdocs/web/app/themes/ots/_inc/template-parts/books/book-post.php on line 18
<br />
<b>Notice</b>:  Trying to get property 'post_title' of non-object in <b>/var/www/offtheshelf.com/htdocs/web/app/themes/ots/_inc/template-parts/books/book-post.php</b> on line <b>31</b><br />

Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/offtheshelf.com/htdocs/web/app/themes/ots/_inc/template-parts/books/book-post.php on line 33
|+| Add to Your Shelf

Notice: Trying to get property 'post_title' of non-object in /var/www/offtheshelf.com/htdocs/web/app/themes/ots/_inc/template-parts/books/book-post.php on line 37
by

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /var/www/offtheshelf.com/htdocs/web/app/themes/ots/_inc/template-parts/books/book-post.php on line 50

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/offtheshelf.com/htdocs/web/app/themes/ots/_inc/template-parts/books/book-post.php on line 50


Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/symlinks/bookmanager/post-types/bookmanager_template.php on line 851

Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/symlinks/bookmanager/post-types/bookmanager_template.php on line 852

Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/symlinks/bookmanager/post-types/bookmanager_template.php on line 853

Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/symlinks/bookmanager/post-types/bookmanager_template.php on line 854

Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/symlinks/bookmanager/post-types/bookmanager_template.php on line 855

Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/symlinks/bookmanager/post-types/bookmanager_template.php on line 856

Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/symlinks/bookmanager/post-types/bookmanager_template.php on line 857

Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/symlinks/bookmanager/post-types/bookmanager_template.php on line 858

Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/symlinks/bookmanager/post-types/bookmanager_template.php on line 860

Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/symlinks/bookmanager/post-types/bookmanager_template.php on line 862

Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/symlinks/bookmanager/post-types/bookmanager_template.php on line 863

Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/symlinks/bookmanager/post-types/bookmanager_template.php on line 864

Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/offtheshelf.com/htdocs/web/app/themes/ots/_inc/template-parts/books/book-modal.php on line 18

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /var/www/offtheshelf.com/htdocs/web/app/themes/ots/_inc/template-parts/books/book-modal.php on line 21

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/offtheshelf.com/htdocs/web/app/themes/ots/_inc/template-parts/books/book-modal.php on line 21

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /var/www/offtheshelf.com/htdocs/web/app/themes/ots/_inc/template-parts/books/book-modal.php on line 23

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/offtheshelf.com/htdocs/web/app/themes/ots/_inc/template-parts/books/book-modal.php on line 23


Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/offtheshelf.com/htdocs/web/app/themes/ots/_inc/template-parts/books/book-modal.php on line 40
|+| Add to Your Shelf

Notice: Trying to get property 'post_title' of non-object in /var/www/offtheshelf.com/htdocs/web/app/themes/ots/_inc/template-parts/books/book-modal.php on line 46


Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /var/www/offtheshelf.com/htdocs/web/app/themes/ots/_inc/template-parts/books/book-modal.php on line 52

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/offtheshelf.com/htdocs/web/app/themes/ots/_inc/template-parts/books/book-modal.php on line 52


Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/symlinks/bookmanager/post-types/bookmanager_template.php on line 851

Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/symlinks/bookmanager/post-types/bookmanager_template.php on line 852

Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/symlinks/bookmanager/post-types/bookmanager_template.php on line 853

Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/symlinks/bookmanager/post-types/bookmanager_template.php on line 854

Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/symlinks/bookmanager/post-types/bookmanager_template.php on line 855

Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/symlinks/bookmanager/post-types/bookmanager_template.php on line 856

Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/symlinks/bookmanager/post-types/bookmanager_template.php on line 857

Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/symlinks/bookmanager/post-types/bookmanager_template.php on line 858

Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/symlinks/bookmanager/post-types/bookmanager_template.php on line 860

Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/symlinks/bookmanager/post-types/bookmanager_template.php on line 862

Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/symlinks/bookmanager/post-types/bookmanager_template.php on line 863

Notice: Trying to get property 'ID' of non-object in /var/www/symlinks/bookmanager/post-types/bookmanager_template.php on line 864
Close

You must be logged in to add books to your shelf.

Please log in or sign up now.