As her recent memories fade, Mary lives increasingly in the past — returning to the secrets of her turbulent interracial love story.
Coming to terms with advancing dementia, Mary has no choice other than to move into her daughter's home. Her daughter, Kayla, caught between her cognitively impaired mother and her belligerent teenage son, soon finds caregiving is more challenging than she imagined. Sage, the family's golden retriever, offers comfort and unconditional love, but she has her own problems, especially when it comes to dealing with Mary's cat.
Throughout it all, Mary struggles to complete her final book — a memoir, the untold story of the love of her life, who died more than forty years earlier. Her confused and tangled tales span Trinidad, England, and Canada, revealing the secrets of a tragic interracial love story in the 1960s and '70s. But with her writing skills slipping away, it's a race against time.
Heartwarming, funny, and hopeful, Gone but Still Here is an honest, open look at the struggles of one family as they journey into the unknown.
Industry Reviews
Gone but Still Here beautifully tells the tale of a family who, in the face of Alzheimer's disease, renews their passion for life ... touching, compassionate and strong. I stayed up late, got up early, and read until I was done. Such an incredible story. * Anne Marie Duquette, author of Found at Sea *
In Gone but Still Here, Jennifer Dance deftly weaves multiple narratives in a compassionate and compelling portrayal of a woman with dementia and her loved ones. Drawing on her first-hand experience as a caregiver, Dance writes with authenticity about the challenges and rewards of caregiving, as well as the myriad ways in which illness can bring a family together - or tear it apart. While the difficulties of dementia and caregiving are treated with sympathy, a vivid sense of humour enlivens the story. Dance highlights precious moments of joy and laughter to brilliantly illuminate the type of deep, abiding love that transcends loss and shines through tears. * Anne Lipton, M.D., Ph.D., author of The Common Sense Guide to Dementia *
Dance introduces a mother and daughter, both struggling with the most difficult emotions life can bring and yet, at the same time, shows us the calmness and tenderness we hold for those we love. I know only too well the roller coaster ride of emotions that dementia brings into our lives, and Dance echoes the testimonials of so many conversations with families that I have had in my career. This is a story of loving and caring for someone you know so well, yet who has slipped away. * Janet Iwaszczenko, Executive Director, Long Term Care, Sienna Senior Living *
Gone but Still Here is a remarkably touching book that illuminates the journey of Alzheimer's disease. The story shares the struggles, fears, frustrations, and joys that accompany a family's experience with dementia. Through it all, however, this book allows the reader to see the beauty of human existence, even as dementia changes everyone it touches. * Cathy Barrick, CEO, Alzheimer Society of Ontario *
An incredibly honest and touching journey inside the mind of a woman with Alzheimer's disease and the life-altering effects on her family ... beautifully written. * Rebecca Wardlaw, MSW, RSW, social worker with the Alzheimer Society of York Region *
The novel does a beautiful job of portraying the joys and sorrows that follow from a life-altering diagnosis. Gone but Still Here is an emotional novel about a family faced with the challenges of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's Disease. * Foreword Reviews *
