Still Alice by Lisa Genova Buy This Book Now

Kim
Rating:


Review
Alice Howland is a 50 year-old professor of psychology at Harvard, with three grown children and a devoted husband when she is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Alice is determined to fight off the progression of her disease as much as possible, though she knows it is something that will steal her beautiful life away from her. When Alice is no longer able to teach, she turns her focus to developing a support group for herself and others that have been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, which seems to help for awhile, but as her dementia worsens, she shifts gears and tries to spend what precious time she has left with her family. I was very pleased that this story did not resort to maudlin tones, because with the subject matter it certainly could have been over-the-top sad. Alice and her family are likeable and admirable people, and I did much like Suzanne and devoured this book. Ms. Genova’s second novel, Left Neglected, is on bookshelves now, and I plan to check that out as well.

Best Line:
“Don’t take any of the things you love in your life for granted, and you’ll do it all.”

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Suzanne
Rating:


Review
This book drew me into the story so much I read the entire thing in one day off work. Alice is a linguistics expert and psychology professor at Harvard who’s been acclaimed and recognized by her peers.  At barely 50, she is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.  The progressive loss of her memory turns out to be the loss of her identity as a smart person. First it’s as innocent and insidious as misplacing her keys in odd places, then she forgets all about an out of town conference she was supposed to go to, and it gradually spirals out of control from there.  The book is insightful and easy to believe, which made it all the scarier. Alice’s husband, John, is as supportive as he’s able to be…seeing his bright wife helpless against the onset of dementia is at times almost unbearable for him.  After reading this I’ve become acutely aware of every time I forget any little thing, even for a moment.

Best Line:
“I miss myself.”  (pg. 285)