Reading Helmink's journey of her mother's diagnosis with FTD poignantly, gut-wrenchingly broke my heart in all the right ways. I stopped often to cry, to grieve my own similar journey with my father's FTD diagnosis, and highlight the parts that gave EXACT words for my own emotions, experiences, and grief - even if the exact circumstances differed slightly.

The part that did not wow me and had me skimming was all the psychological self-help related content. Granted, the author's worldview is very different from mine, but I found that though she describes the heartbreak and obstacles of a dementia journey with beautiful accuracy, her solutions fell very flat. I wish she had focused more on the practical solutions she learned along her own journey (most of which were extremely helpful,) rather than relying so heavily on truisms and cliches about religion, self-care, and self-compassion to drive a good 50% of the book. The story itself was enough for me to keep reading! I just wish that had been even more of the focus - or at least that her caregiving advice had been more fresh or practical.

One pet peeve that drove me nuts was how often the author quotes from other dementia-related works - especially Nicci Gerrard, who is quoted (sometimes extensively) nearly 10 times in the book - rather than contributing her own unique thoughts to dementia-related grief. It just felt... lazy.

But overall, I still enjoyed reading through this and found it gave me helpful verbiage to use when describing the unique heartache that is caretaking and grieving for a loved one (especially a parent) who has dementia.

The moment I saw this book, I knew I had to read it. Six months ago, my mother was diagnosed with dementia and it has been the most life-unraveling, grief-stricken experience of my life. The transition from daughter into caretaker is jarring and there aren't a lot of books/resources about this topic that are written by those personally going through this experience. However, this author is doing exactly that.

Ms. Helmink weaves her personal story into valuable, pertinent reminders about how caregivers should allow themselves grace, time away, and even acknowledging the anger, grief, and frustration we all feel. I felt an instant comradery with the author as she writes about the beautiful (and the beastly) repercussions of this progressive disease and allows her readers to feel the validation we need.

I can't truly say enough positive things about this book. I will be sharing this read with members of our support group as well as using the valuable tips and information I have gained while reading. I consider this book to be a "must-read" for caretakers and loved ones of those with dementia.

Thank you for telling your mother’s story. This book was very informative and so detailed. I got a little choked up at some parts because I was thinking of my own grandfather who had vascular dementia. Thank you for this book… it will help a lot of families.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc.