Still Alice - Lisa Genova

“And I have no control over which yesterdays I keep and which ones get deleted. This disease will not be bargained with. I can't offer it the names of the US presidents in exchange for the names of my children. I can't give it the names of state capitals and keep the memories of my husband.
...My yesterdays are disappearing, and my tomorrows are uncertain, so what do I live for? I live for each day. I live in the moment. Some tomorrow soon, I'll forget that I stood before you and gave this speech. But just because I'll forget it some tomorrow doesn't mean that I didn't live every second of it today. I will forget today, but that doesn't mean that today doesn't matter.”

- Still Alice, Lisa Genova

 

 

 

This book was SOO good. I loved it. Okay, fun fact, I love to learn about diseases of any kind, so this book was perfect. It was a third-person story about a successful woman who has early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

 

This book was educational, in a sense. I never really knew much about Alzheimer's. I knew the obvious, that it was a loss of memory, but this book really opened my eyes. I thought Alzheimer's was an almost immediate thing, like you forgot sentences and then in a week time period, you forget everything. I was wrong. This book shared the horror and reality of Alzheimer's disease. It was chilling, but so good, I hardly left the house without it.

 

Alice is a successful, happy and healthy woman. She teaches at Harvard University, has as good marriage and three grown-up kids. She's about 50 when she's doing a presentation and forgets a word. Slowly, the symptoms persist. She forgets family recipes, introduces herself to people twice, and becomes completely disorientated on her street. Her struggle was so heart-breaking. It seemed like she's real, and right there telling you everything as its happening. The quote above sums the book up perfectly.

 

She knows she'll become an "outcast" in society, and I finally seen the injustice in that. Alzheimer's patients don't control their childish  behaviour, or aggressive demeanor. After reading the book I was seriously so upset that Alzheimer's patients are looked at as outcasts. Why?! It's something that frustrates me. I don't get it!

 

She also has a rare form of Alzheimer's - a genetic kind. So her three kids are in danger. We see her kids anxiety as they go for Alzheimer's tests, and feel the defeat or joy as they are positive or negative. There is not a boring moment.

 

This story was beautiful. It is one that I just feel like telling everyone "Listen. You have got to read this book. Now." It's an eye-opener and indescribable. I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a story with an impact. Well done, Lisa Genova.