libraryofmoss's review

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informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.5

I was afraid this book might be upsetting but it wasn’t really. A very compassionate exploration of the relationship and communication between a person with dementia and their caregivers. It helped me better understand what is going on neurologically with both parties, as well as why caretaking is so incredibly draining. Wish there were better answers though I doubt there are any to be had.

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indigoriverboat's review

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challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced
This book is thoughtful and worth reading. It takes care to explain the neuroscience that influences the behavior of both dementia patients and their caregivers, especially family members who are caregivers.

At times the book shies away from the tough questions of autonomy of dementia patients and the effects of the real harm they cause, regardless of their mental state. I think the author was not trying to answer those questions, as there are not simple answers. Instead, she wrestles with the inevitability of it all, based on the neurology, relationships, emotions, and sense of self that compels us all.

The tone of this book is neither hopeful nor despairing. I finished it and felt a sense of tragedy and a love for my fellow humans. We struggle so greatly to care for each other, to be in relationship, to know ourselves in relation to each other and our world. 

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