Over the years, I’ve really enjoyed reading to memoirs, and I’ve found that the best way to read them is by audiobook.

I was lucky to listen to the ALC of
EVERYTHING LEFT TO REMEMBER, and thought it was a great memoir. It’s always hard to rate this genre, as the experience can be quite different for a reader than the person telling their story.

This was a great tribute to the author’s Mother Sheila, who suffered from dementia, and author Steph Jagger decided to go on the trip of a lifetime to see the National Parks.

*many thanks to Macmillan Audio/Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

This was a heartbreaking book, that hits your soul. What a insightful look into the unconditional love between a daughter and mother. I enjoyed this book so much!

It’s Mother’s Day today, so I thought it was fitting to share my thoughts on a recent memoir that I enjoyed about a woman, her mother, and a road trip they took together through numerous national parks. Everything Left to Remember: My Mother, Our Memories, and a Journey Through the Rocky Mountains by Steph Jagger is a gorgeous tribute to the author’s mother, Sheila. Jagger most definitely has a way with words. I still can’t get over how beautiful her writing is. Her words are so tender, eloquent, and soothing. I felt a sense of peace while listening to this memoir. Prior to the trip, Sheila was diagnosed with dementia, so I was a bit surprised that the author took this journey on. It seemed like a huge responsibility that I honestly don’t think I could handle. I applaud her for taking her mother on a trip of a lifetime, full of hiking, sightseeing, horseback riding, and camping. Jagger also speaks a lot about nature, it’s vastness, it’s impact, and it’s beauty. I really appreciated her insight and observations while touring the parks. She describes viewing Old Faithful erupt at Yellowstone National Park, while swarms of people surround her. As soon as the eruption finishes, everyone immediately scurries out of there, anxious to view the next attraction. Box checked, as she says. People spend more time in the gift shops buying t-shirts and fridge magnets. This is so true, and I’ve seen it multiple times while visiting the parks in the summer months. Heck, I’m guilty of it too! It was a reminder and wake up call for me to stop, take my time, and really appreciate Mother Nature’s gifts. I really loved this quote:

“𝘐𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘔𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦. 𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴. 𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺, 𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘞𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴.”

3.5 A touching story of a daughter trying to cope with her mother's descent into dementia. In an effort to get to know a mother she felt she really didn't know, she plans a two week camping journey to the Rockey mountain state Park. There are humorous moments, beautiful descriptions of wildlife and fauna, and many moments of introspection. Family trips are always illuminating and this one proved more so.

A very different kind of journey, one with a descending time limit. Can she find her answers before they are no longer there?

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for gifting me the audio ARC of this memoir by Steph Jagger - 4.5 stars!

Steph's mother has Alzheimer's and Steph is struggling with the knowledge that her mother's memories and stories will be gone forever. They decided to embark on a trip to Montana to share this time and make connections and memories.

This was a gorgeously-written book - you will feel like you are sitting in the backseat while the two are on their road trip. I'm hoping that listening to all the patience and understanding in how Steph dealt with her mother will be passed along to me. Steph found a way to accept this situation, take value in it, and move forward. Her respectful view of Mother Nature is also to be admired. I'm glad I was able to take this journey with them.

This book was wonderfully narrated by Andi Arndt - she had such a soothing voice.

Steph Jagger attempts to reach her mother and hear her story before she is completely lost to Alzheimer’s. Steph convinces her mother to accompany her on a trip to Montana, where the women will hike, ride horseback and camp in the wild. All the while, Steph is trying to get to know the woman that is her mother while she still has a chance, but soon begins to realize that this trip isn’t just about her mother, it’s about herself and she spends a lot of time reflecting on that her life, from childhood to motherhood and beyond. It’s a story about the exquisite connection between mother and daughter, and the love that outlasts memory. This book made me ache for my mum, whom I lost last year, and let me shed some cathartic tears for all those gone too soon