This is a novel about early onset Alzheimer's and was a great read. The novel is written from the perspective of the patient and you see her deterioration with each subsequent visit to the doctor.
We felt that this is a must read to get an understanding of this frightening disease. The author deliberately chose a heroine who dispels our preconceived notions of a "typical" Alzheimer's patient. Alice is intelligent, articulate, fit and young!
It can happen to anyone and Alice had the unlucky gene and has passed on this gene onto some of her children.
Would you like to know if you have that gene? If not, why? Is it because there is no cure? All these are very relevant questions.
We found several scenes in this novel particularly confronting : being totally disorientated on her normal everyday run, finding herself in her neighbour's kitchen thinking it was her own and not realising she had just said the exact same thing to her colleagues in a meeting....
It is also very realistic how everyone around Alice is not sure how to treat her once they find out--it is almost like a taboo subject. Her husband's reactions deserve a mention here. He is portrayed as quite selfish and cannot even stand watching her take her medications!
We highly recommend this book as it made us all think seriously about Alzheimer's and examine our own attitude towards dementia in general. We rate this book 9/10.
Our next novel is Unbearable Lightness by Portia de Rossi and our meeting will take place on Nov 2 at Robyn's. That will leave us with just one more meeting this year where we will discuss the novel chosen by Patricia : Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. That meeting will take place at Sharon's on Nov 30.
