This is the story of someone whose courage went beyond what most people could endure, and whose never-dying zest for life kept her alive. I hope our story will help others in coping with this difficult and demanding affliction.
The book is written both from point of view of Ruth and Fran using Ruth’s records and Fran memories. One chapter is even written "by" Miracle (you’ll see).
But what is important is that the keyword related to this book is emotion.
The feelings of sadness and of helplessness are both acute and tell us that we are not our masters after all. What individualizes us, the soul and our rationality, crumbles under the fragility of substance. Or maybe not… because Ruth fought to be herself with everything she got still and used every last crumb of her lucidity. Actually, her “writing” is what I liked. Her fight, her torment and even the last of her hope are all present and mark the reader. The promise (of a daughter) doesn’t impress me much because, from where I come, we are still close to our family and still, very rare, we send our parents to a retiring / nursing home; therefore, for me, the promise to take care of my parents is not a promise, but the normal course of things.
The style of writing seemed to me to be one that goes from clear to somehow chaotic. Information and events start to repeat themselves, but in Ruth’s parts, I interpreted them as “normal” because they paint the canvas of her reality. She is pained not only by the illness but also by those who preferred to “forget” her even before her demise.
It was also interesting to see how differently Ruth and Fran perceived the same event. This is a good reminder for all who have next to them persons who cannot understand or express themselves properly.
Maybe I would not have liked Ruth entirely before her illness, but certainly, I felt her pain and desperation to remain whole. And certainly, I felt Fran’s pain and I appreciated her effort during her mother's tribulations.
A Daughter Promise is a book for everybody and a good book for those who are tried by fate; all of us could even find some advice regarding the illness based on authors' own experience.
Read and feel!
Description:
This story is about a promise I made to my mother to take care of her through her Alzheimer’s disease nightmare. The book includes my mother’s own thoughts from her journal about her ordeals with the various stages of this debilitating and dehumanizing condition. Her outlook on life was remarkable, and although her mind began to wander, she never lost sight of who she was, her sense of humor, or her family. This is the story of someone whose courage went beyond what most people could endure, and whose never-dying zest for life kept her alive. I hope our story will help others in coping with this difficult and demanding affliction.
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About the author:
Fran Lewis is the author of the Bertha and Tillie Series, Faces Behind the Stones series and a series of books on Alzheimer;s and Caregiving. She has three master’s degrees, worked as the reading and writing staff developer and dean of a NY CITY PUBLIC SCHOOl for over 36 years and remains in touch with her students. She is an avid reader and reviewer and has her own show on blog talk radio: Literary Viewpoints with Fran Lewis. Fran created her own Magazine MJ magazine in memory of her sister Marcia Joyce and her radio network too: MJ network.
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1 comment:
Great review! And I so agree, the keyword is emotion! This book touched me on so many levels!
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