The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires

In The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, Grady Hendrix explores the theme of ageism through three different characters: cleaning woman Francine, prim and proper Mrs. Savage, and Miss Mary, Patricia’s mother-in-law who, because of dementia, has changed from loving and intelligent grandparent and former teacher to a woman prone to unpredictable outbursts and incapable of taking care of herself. The elderly population of the novel have two options: be cared for but seen as a burden or be forgotten entirely. 

All of the elderly characters in the story are women; they are depicted as irritable, mean, and a nuisance. Francine is an old Black woman “with a face like a dried apple, and not many people hired her in the Old Village because she had a vinegary nature.” (69) Mrs. Savage, the second most prominent elderly character, has such a perfect house and lawn that she annoys her less together neighbors. She is bitter and full of complaints. The people of Mt. Pleasant have such little interest in their elderly population that when they disappear, it’s more a relief than concerning: The only character who notices that Francine disappears is another Black woman, Mrs.