I had heard about this book from a couple of people and had
it on my book list. When I stumbled upon it in the bookcase where my mom lives,
I thought it was a sign that I must read it, so I did. STILL ALICE is a
beautifully written novel about an extremely high-functioning woman who has
developed early on-set Alzheimer’s told from her point of view.
Becoming a recent caregiver for my mother who is showing signs
of early memory loss herself, I have been learning all I can about this disease
and how to care for her. I can easily identify with the characters in the book
who are family members (especially the actress daughter), but what was most
intriguing was how Lisa Genova was able to capture the experience from the
afflicted person’s point of view. There were times when as a reader, I thought
the author had made a mistake only to find out that we were seeing the world
through the eyes of Alice.
I enjoyed reading the facts presented as a story and not
clinically and it gives me hope that because there seems to be knowledge of
what causes this disease, a cure must certainly be on the way.
This is not an easy road for anyone involved, but this novel
lets us know we are not alone and reminds us of the compassion that is needed
in helping our loved ones (and ourselves) through this.
Note: Julianne Moore plays the renowned linguistics professor, Dr. Alice Howland, in the film.
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