Still Alice by Lisa Genova

 

Still Alice by Lisa Genova  302 pp

Still Alice is the fictionalized account of early onset Alzheimer's disease in Alice Howland, a Harvard professor.  When Alice is out running one day, she stops briefly and realizes that she has no idea which way she needs to turn to go home.  That feeling passes, but other events occur that lead her to contact her doctor to ask if the symptoms she is experiencing might be related to menopause.  Once she goes through a battery of tests and the doctor finds nothing to be concerned about, Alice goes on with her life.  When she forgets she was supposed to be in Chicago for a conference, she asks for a referral to a neurologist who diagnoses her with early onset Alzheimer's disease.  The story is about Alice's experiences with the disease through a full year.  As time progresses, so does the disease.

Lisa Genova obviously did excellent research for this story.  It was both compelling and informative.  I particularly liked the part about Alice forming her own support group with other early onset dementia patients and her speech at the conference that asks that people think about what the person with the disease is experiencing.  I can understand why this book would be difficult to read for anyone who has a friend or family member who has experienced this devastating disease, but it is certainly a worthwhile one.