This book highlights a group that has not received much attention in gerontology research and writing- namely, elderly rural women, whose resources and needs differ from those of urban women and of elderly men. The authors, all with experience in studying old rural women’s lives, each focus on a different approach to the topic. From studying a single case to analyzing entire cohorts via census data, from focusing on access to health care to describing sources of informal social support, the chapters cover significant and timely topics. They illustrate the diversity that exists among this group and give evidence of strengths and effective coping strategies as well as problems such as poverty and isolation. This book should be of interest to gerontology researchers, educators, practicitioners (especially in nonmetropolitain areas), and students as they seek greater understanding of old age from a rural woman’s perspective.”- Rosemary Blieszner, Ph.D. Department of Family and Child Development Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA. (The Haworth Press, co-published simultaneously as Journal of Women & Aging, Volume 10, Number 4, 1998)