87. Love, Loss, and Rethinking How We Age: A Conversation with Lisa Ridzén

Aging isn’t just a medical journey - it’s a human one, and this episode brings that truth vividly to life.  In a warm, deeply reflective conversation, Dr. Denise Millstine, novelist Lisa Ridzén, and geriatrician Dr. Erum Jadoon explore “When the Cranes Fly South,” a novel that captures the emotional terrain of growing older through the story of Bo, an elderly Swedish man navigating loneliness, autonomy, caregiving, and the fierce love he holds for his dog, Sixten. Drawing on Ridzén’s real-life discovery of her grandfather’s caregiver notebooks and Jadoon’s clinical expertise, the episode weaves together themes of dignity, companionship, the power of pets, the complexity of family decisions, and the universal desire to maintain agency at the end of life. The result is a tender, thought‑provoking discussion that invites listeners to rethink what it means to age and to care for those who do. This episode was made possible by the generous support of Ken Stevens.  We talked with: Lisa Ridzén is a Swedish novelist and sociologist and whose acclaimed debut novel, When the Cranes Fly South, has become an international bestseller. Inspired by her research on masculinity in rural Sweden and by notes left by her grandfather's care team near the end of his life, her work explores aging, care, love, and human dignity with deep empathy and emotional clarity. Lisa began penning the novel whilst attending Långholmen Writer’s Academy. When the Cranes Fly South was a number one bestseller in Sweden, won the overall Swedish Book of the Year, and the Adlibris prize both for Debut and Fiction of the Year – the first time in the awards’ history that an author won in two categories. Rights have sold in 45 languages around the world. Dr. Erum Jadoon is a geriatrician, an internist, and an assistant professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. She's on faculty with the Academy of Communication and Healthcare and teaches communication to Mayo Clinic faculty, physicians in training, and medical students. Read. Talk. Grow. Podcast Episode 54: Sipsworth Purchase When the Cranes Fly South: From Bookshop.org From Amazon From Barnes & Noble Got feedback? If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at [email protected] The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional for medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.