What really happened to the gloves and the hat depends on which family member you speak to. Marion, who is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s says it her sister, Candace and her husband Paul.  But, if you ask Candace and Paul, they say the gloves were given to them and they don’t know about the hat because they were not there. 

The gloves are a family heirloom, hand-beaded by Marion and Candace's grandmother. The hat belongs to Sunshine, Shane's partner, adorned with a plume made from the fur of her late pet, making it deeply sentimental.

At a crisp 46 pages, What Really Happened to the Hat and the Gloves is a very relatable family drama of a small misunderstanding being blown out of proportion. The story unfolds through multiple POVs, where each family member gets an opportunity to tell their version of the events. As the story unfolds, the “crime” fades into the background, giving way to a family drama fueled by sibling rivalry and bruised egos.

I couldn’t help but change my allegiance a couple of times — there is new information in every chapter, some revelatory, some accusatory.

Written in a highly engaging narrative, Cook’s compelling writing, with its unflinching look at the effect of Alzheimer’s on not only the patient but even their family members is raw. I don’t know whether Cook intended the book to come across as empathetic towards the family, but it does, especially by the end. Her decision to chronicle what happened to the hat and gloves through multiple POVs of the characters and side characters is marvellous. It is captivating as a reader to have so many view points to the same crime and to form their own conclusions — everyone likes to think they can solve a mystery, even the family ones.

In the end, as a reader as you are challenged to question — how much of value would you put on truth and forgiveness towards solving a family dispute, especially one wrecked by illness and untoward suspicions.

I read that this is Cook’s first non-fiction novella and is a true story. She has crafted a compelling contemporary family drama that will resonate with many families.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atmosphere Press for the ARC.