Author: Editor
A Flower Traveled in My Blood
Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster, 2025
In 1976, a military junta took control of Argentina and launched a brutal campaign against anyone it viewed as a threat—journalists, artists, students and their family members. Tens of thousands were kidnapped, tortured or killed. One of the regime’s most disturbing crimes was abducting pregnant women, who gave birth in captivity before being “disappeared.” Their infants were secretly given to families aligned with the dictatorship.
For the women whose daughters vanished, the loss was doubled—their children were gone and their grandchildren had been stolen. Refusing to stay silent, a group of determined grandmothers formed the Abuelas (grandmothers) de Plaza de Mayo. These women became tireless investigators. Their commitment to learning the truth led them to American geneticist Mary-Claire King, who helped develop DNA tests that could confirm biological relationships—groundbreaking science that helped the Abuelas locate dozens of stolen children. (While investigating DNA science for the Abuelas, King discovered familial connections to BRCA gene breast cancer.)
Their efforts have helped identify hundreds of missing grandchildren and brought global attention to the fight for truth and justice. Their story is not just about loss—it is about extraordinary persistence, love and the power of ordinary people to confront injustice.
Technology Quiz
Robots and sensors and Skype, oh my. Test your knowledge of how technology can help us in our later years
The Friend
United States, 119 min.
Iris (Naomi Watts) is crushed after her beloved mentor, Walter (Bill Murray), unexpectedly dies by suicide. Then a complication in fur arrives: he has bequeathed her his dog, Apollo. The Great Dane is the size of a Buick; Iris is tiny and lives alone. Her cozy, rent-controlled, New York City apartment prohibits animals. Iris, who is in a creative lull, needs to finish a book, and the dog demands all her attention. But the two lost souls miss their best friend, a connection that provides a foundation to build a relationship. The Friend will undoubtedly appeal to dog lovers, but it’s more than an ode to companionship. It’s a heartwarming, forthright drama about accepting loss, dealing with our past, and finding the resolve to move forward.
Debt and the Older Adult
Should you be worried about carrying debt into your later years? Put your financial savvy to the test.
Future Self
Jerry and Marge Go Large
United States, 96 min.
Since retiring, Jerry (Bryan Cranston) faces a string of endless days in his small Michigan town. During one, he reads the tiny print of a lottery game. Jerry, a math whiz, is stunned by his calculations. If he buys a certain number of tickets, he’s guaranteed to win and the more he spends, the more he gets. When his wife, Marge (Annette Bening), learns Jerry has been (successfully) testing his theory, she’s all in. “Let’s be stupid,” she says. “We need something for us.” The pair make regular road trips to buy tickets in Massachusetts, first for themselves, and then for seemingly the entire town in what becomes a lucrative investment strategy. But will the success last? What elevates Jerry and Marge Go Large beyond its “did-this-really-happen?” story line are Cranston and Bening’s winning performances as the long-married couple that find their second wind by throwing caution to it. Touching and authentic, the movie (based on a true story) never cheapens its characters or their journey.
