A Frenchwoman’s Guide to Sex After Sixty

French psychologist De Hennezel (The Art of Growing Old) boldly yet sensitively explores a topic she says is still taboo: sex for seniors. De Hennezel conversationally recounts her interviews with various couples on their marital and extramarital relations and discusses approaches that have worked well for some couples, including some ideas drawn from Tantra and other Eastern erotic arts. The book is not just about sex but delves deeply into intimacy and how to ignite and sustain it. De Hennezel interviews men who have found passion outside their marriages, women who have given up on sex, and older adults who have recently entered into same-sex relationships for the first time in their lives. The later years can be a challenging time to be sexual, she acknowledges, particularly in a culture fixed on youth, firm bodies, and intercourse resulting in climax. But she writes persuasively and inspiringly that by adjusting expectations and broadening concepts of intimacy, it is possible to stay sexually active after 60 and to have rich, mutually rewarding sex because “the heart does not age.” The book is written for those over 60, but it offers many insights for readers of any age who are interested in improving their relationships. Agent: George Lucas, Inkwell Management. (Nov.)