Sappho's Fire offers reflections about the journey that all of us must travel and the ways in which to reclaim one's later life. By following the stories of older lesbians who live in New England, viewers come to understand the deep-seated and often impenetrable fears of growing older without the certainties of family support or sufficient economical investment to obtain an appropriate retirement. The complexity of calling oneself 'old' and the expression of this stage of life as a lesbian slowly unravel. What finally emerges are the myriad philosophies and strategies that these lesbians have developed for facing the inevitable end of one's journey and approaching this stage with a wisdom and vitality that takes one's breath away.