If ever we take things for granted then we
must read this book Still Alice by Lisa Genova.
The book is about Dr. Alice
Howland, a Professor of Psychology at Harvard. She is at the prime of her
career, is extremely talented, well respected, has three children who are settled
in their lives, has a husband who loves her and like her is a Professor; and
well she has a perfect life. Or so we think!
When frequent bouts of forgetfulness
disrupt her otherwise well scheduled life, she blames it all on menopause; till
one day she forgets an out-of-town conference she was to speak at! Doctor visits
and multiple tests later she is diagnosed with an early-onset of Alzheimer.
Talk about the earth shattering or sky falling down!!
The book is a painful account of how an incredibly
intelligent individual slowly forgets all that makes her who she is. From being
an independent, opinionated woman she becomes a dependent, desperate and
forgetful being. All that she worked for slowly gets erased from her memory and
she struggles to keep her salinity intact till it matters no more!
Lisa Genova has very sensitively dealt with
the disease and its fallout. As a reader we empathise and then sympathise and
finally cry out in despair for this wonderful woman who was dealt a bad deal by
her mind.
This is a must read for all those who have
friends or family who suffer from the Alzheimer’s decease. It is a must read for
all of us who take life, its pleasures and our family for granted.
I rate this book a high five stars because
it is worth every star.
The book has also been adapted into a movie starring Julianne
Moore as Alice Daly Howland and Alec Baldwin as John Howland. While I do not
really like watching movies adapted from books; this is one movie that I want
to see.
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| Lisa Genova |
