My Goodreads Review:
I can't remember the last time I read a book so quickly - and was so fascinated by the subject. Maybe it was because of Genova's excellent prose or maybe it was because this topic hits close to home....
Alice is a Harvard professor who starts forgetting things....though not in a typical forgetful manner. Soon, she is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. Her very quick decline is heartbreaking and profound due to her extreme intelligence and, otherwise, great health. The examples of how her mind changes and how it fails to perceive reality is fascinating and torturous to read.
But perhaps the most difficult thing about Alice's decline is the effect it has on her husband. The caregiver's plight is superbly written in the character of her husband, a biology researcher and professor at Harvard. Can he pause his career to take care of her? Should he give up parts of his life to be a caregiver? Can he still love his wife if she no longer has her brilliant mind? Because she has Alzheimer's, does she now come first in all things?
Everyone should read this novel. Sure, it's about Alzheimer's, but it's also about dignity, compassion, and love.
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