As a Boomer, reading Anne Quindlen’s book reminds me of curling up on the living room couch with a close friend who really “gets” me and listening to her wry observations on life.

And oh wow, DOES Quindlen ever get it! Her essays are insightful, perceptive, poignant and wise as she addresses so much of our shared Boomer experiences: marriage and kids, the importance of girlfriends, expectations and let-downs, aging and premonitions of mortality. The insights into a unique generation of women who grew up with one set of expectations and then lived through a societal bait-and-switch is often pitch perfect. For those who are not Boomers, the book is an excellent guide to the road ahead.

About marriage: “I was never one of those women who tell you that their spouse is their best friend, that they are always on the same page. I feel like you’re ahead of the game if you’re even in the same book.”

About the need for girlfriends: “Real friends offer both hard truths and soft landings and realize that it’s sometimes more important to be nice than to be honest.”

About aging: “A smile is nature’s face-lift, I like to say brightly, now that everything is sliding south.”

About truths: “There are a few eternal verities, and many of them are rock songs: love is often all you need, you cant always get what you want, and the new boss is indeed the same as the old boss.”

About mortality: “It’s not only death that terrifies us when we think about passing through the decades that come next. Maybe it’s not even mainly death. It’s the diminution of choices.”

With a few well-chosen words, Anna Quindlen nails what many of us are feeling and thinking. It’s not earth-shaking but it’s very satisfy to feel “understood.” Ms. Quindlen has an amazing gift as the chronicler of the everyday lives and passages we all undergo.