Noah's Compass, by Anne Tyler

Liam Pennywell is let go from his job teaching in an undistinguished private school at the age of 61 and decides to retire -- moving to a smaller apartment and downsizing his life from its already pretty minimalist point. Hit over the head in an attempted burglary the first night in his new place, he is not badly injured but becomes obsessed with recalling that event, which is completely gone from his mind. He gets involved with a much younger woman, who is a "rememberer" for an aging businessman with beginning dementia, which sets his quiet life on a new course, at least temporarily. Like Liam, this is a quiet, unassuming book, but resonates. 277 pp.