LISA GENOVA
STILL ALICE
2009
Dr. Alice Howland is a vital 50 year old woman, an eminent professor of psychology at Harvard and a world-renowned expert in linguistics. A full family life including a successful husband and three grown children completes the picture. The book begins with the ironic incident of Alice giving an out of town lecture on linguistics and having a memory lapse when the next words escape her. This is an occurrence that we are all familiar with. The lapses progress and culminate when Alice is walking home from work and cannot remember where she lives.
A neurologist diagnoses Alice with early onset Alzheimer’s. My mom and her best friend used to call it “old timer’s” disease – a common misconception. A 50 year old woman dealing with Alzheimer’s is even more tragic. Alice loses her career, and her independence. She creates a butterfly file on her blackberry. It contains 5 questions she asks herself daily. When the time comes that she cannot answer she has a notation to go to the butterfly file where she will find instructions to help her end her life with dignity.
Alice creates a support group for others with early onset Alzheimer’s. She helps others as her family struggles to help her. Lisa Genova uses the first person narration to allow the reader to experience the losses and gains that Alice experiences as the illness progresses.
Lisa did extensive research with Alzheimer’s patients and their families. Her background with a PHD in neuroscience opened many medical doors. The Alzheimer’s Association endorsed her manuscript for Still Alice. Lisa self-published her book in order to bring it to the public.
I highly recommend Still Alice. The story has a real quality that brings the reader alongside Alice, sharing her laughter and her tears. One of the rare books I could not put down, I found myself reading at 3 A.M. to find out what comes next. The ending was not what I expected. I will let you find that out for yourself. Give a gift to yourself and read this book.
slh
2009