My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Dr. Alice Howland is a renowned Harvard professor who is 50 years old at the beginning of the book. When she begins forgetting things, she assumes it is menopause related. Yet after some doctors visits, she gets a devastating diagnosis: she has early onset Alzheimer's. Her illness begins to quickly spiral downward. While she seems to get closer to her children, her relationship with her husband seems to suffer horribly.
I found the book to feel a little clinical at first - like I wasn't really emotionally invested. But as I continued through the book, I found myself engrossed in the story. It seemed that everything Alice once found to define herself: her seminars, her traveling, her teaching, was no longer a part of her. The reader felt horribly frustrated for her when she couldn't remember things or when her family talked about her like she wasn't even there.
My mom recently got a similar diagnosis that my family had brushed off as a catch-all since she didn't give us a lot of information. After reading this, I realize how remiss I have been and how much help I should be giving her. This book really hit home for me.
What would you do if you were in Alice's position? Could you live unaware of your family and basic surroundings? Or would you try to somehow alter your life (or death) to feel more in control? I can't imagine how frustrating that life could be. I would have a hard time having people see me so weak. I hope it is a decision I never have to make.
