February 2007

When faced with the challenge of coping with a medical condition or life threatening illness, most people want to be as informed as possible. However, they may also be overwhelmed by the amount of information they must take in while struggling to understand their own conflicting emotions. This is where a novel may be just what is needed to offer a fresh view on how to cope; reading of another’s experience in a fictional format can present hope and just the right amount of information during a stressful time. Here are a few stories of families and friends who are facing the loss of a loved one to dementia.

Losing It by Alan Cumyn

Sometimes those who have the most seem bent on throwing it away. Meet Bob Sterling, a comfortable middle-aged professor, a specialist in the life of Edgar Allan Poe, married to a former student with whom he has a young son. In the space of a week his family, marriage, career, sanity, and life are brought to the brink of ruin in the aftermath of a trip he makes with a student, the intense young poet Sienna Chu, who tweaks into florescence a long-harboured, secret sexual fetish. Then add to the mix the misadventures of his wife's mentally failing mother, a shy night prowler, and Sienna's explosive techno-junkie roommate. Poignant and gritty, tantalizingly erotic, Losing It is a high-wire act that plays out as a delicious blend of darkness and humour as it embraces the surprising emotional connections that are made in the midst of life's madness.

Shades of Grace by Barbara Delinsky

New York Times bestselling author Barbara Delinsky delivers a touching and heartfelt story in which love and devotion are put to the ultimate test, first published in 1996. Grace Dorian is The Confidante, America's favorite advice columnist. Her wisdom has helped to guide two generations -- including her daughter, Francine, and granddaughter, Sophie, who manage the vast Dorian empire and oversee the thousand details of Grace's world. But a national treasure is losing her brilliance. Her once razor-sharp mind is showing strain; her columns have begun to wander. Concerned about Grace's health and future, Francine must step in to fill her legendary mother's shoes and somehow also live her own life, which now suddenly includes her confusing feelings for Grace's handsome doctor and new worries about tempestuous Sophie, who needs more guidance than Grace's public.

Seasons of Sun and Rain by Marjorie Dorner

Six women who were close friends in college meet once again at a secluded bed-and-breakfast to recapture those days and to recount the stories of their lives. Into this idyll comes a threat to their shared future. Set against the backdrop of forests and cascades, a rugged shoreline, and a small tourist town, the stories of the women evolve as each one turns her focus on the affliction that threatens the life of their best and brightest friend. Mickey already suffers from early-onset Alzheimer's disease. As she packs for the vacation, her bureau mirror is littered with Post-it notes reminding her to take shoes, a toothbrush, a brush, and to remember her raincoat. During the vacation, the drama of Mickey's illness is increased by the promise she seeks from the woman she trusts the most.

All Over Creation by Ruth Ozeki

Ozeki takes us to the heart of the potato farming industry. When Yumi Fuller returns to her hometown after a twenty-five-year absence, she comes face to face with an old friend, her aging parents, and her conflicted past—as well as the “Seeds of Resistance,” a rollicking environmentalist group that finds trouble wherever they plant themselves. With a quirky cast of characters and a keen eye for the vicissitudes of corporate life, political resistance, youth culture, aging baby boomers, and globalization, as well as the beauty of seeds, roots, and all growing things, All Over Creation offers something for just about everyone.

Only with the Heart by Sherri Szeman

After a childhood spent in foster homes and a lifetime of longing, Claudia has finally found a family; a devoted husband, Sam, and a loving and supportive mother, Eleanor. But soon Eleanor develops Alzheimer's - complete with violent eruptions, speechlessness, incontinence, and suicide attempts - and Claudia's beautiful life becomes a nightmare. When Eleanor is unexpectedly found dead, Claudia is charged with murder. Told in the unforgettable voices of its three players - Claudia, Eleanor, and Sam - Only With the Heart is an engrossing, beautifully-crafted novel about the agonizing effects of terminal disease, our deepest need for acceptance, and the difficult, complex character of love.