Drifting Away

Julliany Leal

Still Alice
By Lisa Genova

Can you imagine forgetting all your memories and loved ones? Not being able to remember a simple vocab word you learned in elementary school, not being able to look at someone you've known for years and not remember their name, and not remember what you have done in your life nor what has happened. This is what Alice's life is like.

Alice the main character has Alzheimer's and is slowly forgetting everything. She has three children, Lydia, Tom, and Ana. She also married to a man named Tom, the father of her children. Alice is diagnosed with Alzheimer's and her life starts going downhill from there. Her family is shocked by the discovery but supportive of her. Tom goes crazy looking for treatment options and Alice is slowly forgetting things. Her relationship with her daughter Lydia was never great due to Lydia choosing a career in theater, but as time goes on they find something to do together and start getting along, Lydia loves theater and Alice loves reading so they read the same plays and talk about them together. Alice's memory is an up and down rollercoaster. Some days she forgets more things than others, but Tom is very supportive of her. The novel tells you what Alice is thinking so you know she holds back a lot of information and questions from her family.

So far I highly recommend this book. It is very interesting and is very emotional. The story is meaningful and touches you. Alice's character makes you feel sad and happy at the same time. She appreciates everything she has because she may forget all about it someday but she also knows that the day will come.

Some themes of the novel are forgiveness, enjoy life, and be grateful.
This book impressed me because it is telling the story of a woman with Alzheimer's in way that gives you hope and gives this disease a chance. The disease seems better when seen through Alice's life and how she takes it.

On page 162 it states "Lydia reached out across the dishes and glasses and years of distance and held her mothers hand. Alice squeezed it and smiled." This quotes shows you that Alice and her daughter Lydia are finally getting along and connecting. On page 163 it states "Of her three children, she knew Lydia the least." Alice is trying to get to know her daughter more and make things right between them before there is now way to and she forgets her. This gives you hope and shows that Alice cares and wants to make things rights before she mentally is gone. It shows that she's making the most out of her time and this gives hope and encouragement to others with this disease.

I would recommend this to readers who enjoy a heartwarming story and a story that shows how you can make something good out of something horrible.