Winner of the inaugural Wellcome Trust Book Prize 2009 (the 2011 prize is announced in October) and the Orwell Prize 2010.
This book could so easily have been subtitled A Descent into Hell, that it isn’t is thanks to Andrea Gillies exploratory method of care, her seeking to find out just what is happening in her mother-in-laws brain as she succumbs to Alzheimer’s. She reports on her progress through the disease showing not just the devastation on the sufferer but for those around them trying to deal with an imperious old lady no longer responsible for her actions. Andrea Gillies also reveals the huge problems we have as a society with Dementia care, the ageing population bringing untold problems as the numbers of dementia patients continues to rise. This all sounds very depressing, but due to Andrea Gillies’ detective work it is an essay in trying to understand and the more fascinating for that, making this a most inspirational piece of writing, beautifully observed, utterly honest and an emotionally draining account of neurological illness.
Like for Like Reading
The Selfish Pig’s Guide to Caring: How to Cope with the Emotional and Practical Aspects of Caring for Someone, Hugh Marriott
| Primary Genre | Family Drama |
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