Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Let me start by saying, I LOVE this author.  She does such a great job  explaining medical jargon and conditions without sounding pedantic and dry, thus boring.  BTW - this is my second book of Lisa Genova's - Left Neglected was read just prior to reading this one.

So, Still Alice is actually Lisa Genova's first novel and it's about Alice Howland, a 50-year-old Harvard Psychology professor who is tragically diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's.  (UGH!  Sounds uplifting, huh? Don't let this deter you, however). Alice is a happily married, mother of three (grown and out of the house).  She is very successful - she travels to give lectures all over the country, her classes are always well attended and reviewed - as is her husband.  Things start to change, however, as she realizes, on her own, that she often has weird bouts of confusion that can't be explained by lack or loss of sleep, menopause or simple forgetfulness.  So, she goes to her doc and long story short, she is diagnosed. The rest of the novel focuses around Alice struggling to maintain a lifestyle similar to what she had while living for every moment.  The story is told through Alice's eyes and so the reader gets an idea of what it must be like to literally lose your mind.

Don't let the subject matter of this book keep you from reading it...the ending isn't a complete downer and if you've known anyone who has had this horrible diagnosis, it will give you such great insight to what they may be going through.  I loved this book and would recommend it to all.