Although it's been a while since I've posted a new review it's not because I haven't read any worthwhile books - more a factor of my day job and just not having enough time to the things I love to do. That said, I'd like to share my thoughts on this recent read.
Still Alice was recommended to me a while ago but I didn't think I would be able to get through the story. It is about a young (50 year-old) Harvard professor who is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease. My mom passed away from Alzheimer's and I thought it would be a bit too close to home for me. Eventually I picked it up and decided to try a few pages, and am very happy I did. Lisa Genova followed one of the most important "rules" of writing good fiction by writing about what you know - which contributes heavily to the success of her novel. Her insights into the diagnosis, treatment and symptoms of Alzheimer's make Still Alice a compelling book that truly helps provide the reader with a glimmer into the bell-jar world of people afflicted with the disease. It is compassionately written and very well done. Alzheimer's may have stolen Alice's short term memory and pieces of her mind, but it can't steal her essential self - she is "still Alice" despite the symptoms of her disease - a lesson that those of us who care for and love someone diagnosed with Alzheimer's need to remember.
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