Still Alice

Of course the title of this book caught my attention but it was the story that caused me to read this book in one day. My eyes hurt when I was finished. This is not a happy ending type of story and yet it was heartwarming, It is the story of Alice a highly educated and respected Harvard Professor whose expertise in linguistics is highly sought after. She spends most of her time lecturing all over the world in between experiments and teaching. She is married to an equally driven and respected scientist also at Harvard. They have three children, a doctor, lawyer and aspiring actress. While Alice loves her children she finds her youngest daughter Lydia's choice of career in acting a disappointment. She believes she is wasting her intellect and wasting time.

Then things turn upside-down when Alice learns that at 50 she has Alzheimer's Disease. Her life and all she planned will not play out as she hoped and expected.

The story is told from Alice's point of view which gives you a eerie portrait of what is like to literally lose your mind. It is heartbreaking and yet heartwarming. I found myself unable to put it down and haunted by it when I finished.

The author told a dismal tale and made me enjoy it.