SOLVED. Fiction, possibly a trilogy, theme is aging. [s]

[Mary]

Main character works at a magazine, husband died of cancer, has a sister who has two daughters, one of whom comes to work at the magazine and does a good job. The other niece wants to work at the magazine but is unsuitable (kind of dumb? socially inept?). Main character finds herself befriending and caring for an unpleasant elderly stranger named Maude.Almost starts an affair with a man who has a Down Syndrome child. All I remember are details, no character names except for Maud(e). Set in Britain, probably a British writer. I read this in the late 1990's but it may have been written a decade or so earlier.

[Kris]

The Diary of a Good Neighbour by Doris Lessing seems to match your description.

"The diaries introduce us to Jane, an intelligent and beautiful magazine editor concerned with success, clothes and comfort. After her husband, then her mother, die from cancer she befriends ninety-something Maudie, whose poverty and squalor contrast with her own life."
https://www.worldcat.org/title/diarie...

(https://www.worldcat.org/advancedsearch > Keywords: magazine husband cancer | 1960 - 2005 ? | Not juvenile | Fiction | Book | English)

[Kris]

Mary, I notice your request is marked Solved. Can you confirm in a post that The Diary of a Good Neighbour is your book?

[Mary]

Yes. Diary of a Good Neighbour, or rather, The Diaries of Jane Somers (a 2-book series), is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you Kris.

[El]

The Diaries of Jane Somers: The Diary of a Good Neighbor and If The Old Could for any future clicks

[Kris]

Great. Glad you found your book, Mary.