BOOK REVIEW: hOW TO COOK A COYOTE

How to Cook a Coyote:
The Joy of Old Age
By Betty Fussell
 
Betty Fussell’s How to Cook a Coyote is a lively and tender meditation on aging, memory, and the rituals that shape a life. Writing from her retirement home in Santa Barbara, Fussell looks back on nearly a century with humor, candor, and a surprising amount of joy. She reflects on past loves, family fractures, and the daily routines that come with growing older, all while insisting on her own continued vitality.
Food anchors the memoir, appearing as metaphor, memory, and the connective tissue of her stories.
 
The title’s recipe unfolds in pieces, more playful than practical, reminding readers that cooking and living both require resourcefulness and heart.
 
What makes the book shine is Fussell’s resilient spirit. Even as she names the losses that accompany age, she remains curious and bright, fully awake to the world around her. The result is a memoir that feels honest, wry, and deeply human.
 
A graceful reminder that a well‑lived life can still surprise us, even if we know how it’s going to end.