November 10, 2011

Still Alice

This novel is about Alzheimers.

"Still Alice" was written by a doctor, Lisa Genova, who holds a Ph. D in neuroscience from Harvard University. It is a book about the gradual affects of early onset Alzheimers on one woman's life.

Alice is a well educated and intelligent woman of 50, who is happily married with three grown children. Throughout the book she slowly succumbs to the devastating affects of this disease. It follows her life from when she first starts to recognize signs of the disease, and continues through the years until she doesn't even know who her family is anymore.

At one point in the novel she is out for a jog on a path she has jogged a hundred times before, and comes to a crossroads and suddenly can't remember where she is. This scene really stuck in my memory. How terrifying would that be?

This book made me think of how this disease may affect a non-christian verses a christian.

I remember going to visit my step grandma in the care home she was living in after my grandpa had passed away. She had signs of Alzheimers and didn't really know who we were.  She talked to us like it was the 1930's and she keep saying...'I have to get to the cable car right way!' She also kept whispering to me...'who is that good looking man?!'...as she  looked over at my husband. :) It was a little uncomfortable at first but when we started talking about the Lord she lit up...she knew exactly who He was. I knew then that God had not left her alone.

This novel has a little bit of bad language throughout, but other than that I would highly recommend it if you are interested in what an Alzheimers patient goes through. It's a tough read but will give you a greater understanding of this disease and its affects.




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