The Last Gift of Time: Life Beyond Sixty

work by Heilbrun

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 16, 2026

Quick Summary

Carolyn Heilbrun's The Last Gift of Time: Life Beyond Sixty (1997) explores her personal journey and evolving perspective on aging and life after age sixty. In this work, Heilbrun reflects on her earlier decision to commit suicide at age 70 and how her views changed over time. The book delves into the psychological and social aspects of aging, touching upon themes of personal growth and the reevaluation of life choices in later years. It is a significant nonfiction work by Heilbrun, who was also known for her feminist literary criticism and mystery novels published under a pseudonym.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Carolyn Heilbrun
In the nonfiction work The Last Gift of Time: Life Beyond Sixty (1997), Heilbrun wrote of how she came to reject her decision, made years earlier, to commit suicide at age 70. In 2003, however, she took her own life at age 77.
Read More
In the nonfiction work The Last Gift of Time: Life Beyond Sixty (1997), Heilbrun wrote of how she came to reject her decision, made years earlier, to commit suicide at age 70. In 2003, however, she took her own life at age 77.
Read More