The New York Times observed that "The story is a little too schematic, and Dean's writing a little uneven", but also said that "it largely avoids the sentimentality that mars so much writing about the old and infirm."
The New York Times observed that while the narrative follows a fairly conventional structure, Dean's writing style is somewhat unrefined, but also praised the work for effectively avoiding the overly sentimental language commonly found in stories about older adults.