Curling up with a book can be like having a hot cup of tea with an old friend. Both can be comforting, enlightening and sometimes wrenching. If you are interested in the topic of Alzheimer’s there is a book that is getting a lot of attention on the subject that may be of interest to you.
THE LONG HELLO
Memory, my Mother, and Me
Is a stirring memoir of a daughter caring for a mother with dementia that is sure to become a touchstone for many others.
The Long Hello explores the emotional rewards and challenges that Cathie Borrie experienced in caring for her mother, who was living with Alzheimer’s disease, for seven years. Between the two, a wondrously poetic dialogue develops, which Ms. Borrie further illuminates with childhood memories of her family, and her struggle to maintain a life outside her caregiving responsibilities.
‘Is all this real or pretend?”
Those who’ve witnessed the cruel confusions, the frenzies, paranoia and unrepentant physical demand of Alzheimer’s disease know this query has no adequate reply.
Cathie Borrie, speaking with her mother, answers like this: “What do you want it to be?”
“Pretend.”
The book explores stories about Borrie as an admiring young daughter who loved spending time with her mom told alongside the details of eventually becoming her mother’s caregiver and confidante. It is as much a remembrance of her mom as it is the retelling of a difficult time, difficult disease and how taxing the illness can be on the caregiver.
“A sparse yet deeply affecting, poetic story of love and devotion, THE LONG HELLO is a memoir about caring for a mother with Alzheimer’s, a collection of conversations and memories revealing moments of clarity, absurdity, wisdom, and connection that pierce and heal the heart.”
Lisa Genova, best-selling author of Still Alice
More information about the book and author can be found at http://www.cathieborrie.com. The book is widely available online. If you pick up a copy, we’d love to hear what you think.