Olivia Strauss Is Running Out of Time

A woman has no choice left but to enjoy the adventure of life—and its surprises—in a funny and emotionally moving comedy of errors about the gifts of growing older.

Olivia Strauss is turning thirty-nine. No major milestone. She still considers herself young. At least young enough to assume she has decades (emphasis on the plural) to check the unchecked boxes of her life’s to-do list.

Ballerina? Too late. But not too late for poet. Or for reigniting the romantic spark in her marriage, spending more quality time with her son, switching careers, learning to cook, or even dyeing her hair a bright bohemian pink. She’ll get to that one. There’s time—until Olivia’s best friend, Marian, gives her a birthday present she could have lived without.

It’s a visit to a trendy wellness clinic with a state-of-the-art genetic test that can predict the exact date of one’s death. It’s just what Olivia’s always wanted: an expiration date. As for her aspirations, who knew they were limited-time offers? One thing’s for sure. Olivia’s got a lot of living to do. At this point, what could go wrong?