Tag: memory loss

The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka

- Beth Leave a comment

The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka is a slow-paced, meditative but short book about what happens when a routine is thrown off course for a woman experiencing dementia.

In the first half of the book, Alice takes comfort in her daily lap swimming. The other swimmers around her keep an eye on Alice as they follow their own routines. Through simple vignettes of the swimmers, readers get a sense of the community, culture and norms of this secluded, underground swimming pool. One day, a crack appears at the bottom of the pool. As the crack changes and grows, the swimmers become increasingly alarmed, except Alice who continues in her routine. Finally, the crack causes the pool to shut down and the swimmers disperse, most never to cross paths again.

The second half of the book focuses solely on Alice and how her dementia gets rapidly worse without the daily lap swimming. She is moved into a nursing home. Her memories of her childhood and early parenthood become as real to her as the present. Alice’s daughter is ready to form a bond just as her health declines.

This is not the book for readers looking for a compelling, character-driven story. It does, however, provoke a range of emotions, from regret to reconciliation, and yes, even moments of humor. I would recommend The Swimmers to anyone who is looking for a short read that never falls short on metaphor, imagery and beautiful prose.

The Swimmers is available from the Davenport Public Library in regular print and large print as of this writing.

The Rook by Daniel O’Malley

- Callen Leave a comment

I love when an unfamiliar book’s dust jacket describes it as a mashup of my favorite things, because in my experience this is a great way to find new books I’m likely to enjoy. In the case of The Rook by Daniel O’Malley, it was described as “Harry Potter meets Ghostbusters meets War of the Worlds” – and that was it, I absolutely had to read it. It turns out my instinct was right! This is a great book, in large part because it has all the dry humor of both Harry Potter and Ghostbusters along with excitement and action of War of the Worlds. I saw elements of Kingsman in the mix as well – both feature the secret organization facing an unprecedented threat, and a mentor-rookie relationship that adds real pathos.

The book opens with a young woman finding herself in a rainy London park, with no memory of who she is or how she got there. She finds a letter in her pocket which opens Dear You, which turns out to be from her body’s former occupant, explaining that her name is Myfanwy Alice Thomas, and she’s a supernatural secret agent being actively hunted by an unknown enemy. This new Myfanwy must take over her predecessor’s complicated life and discover who wants her gone, all without letting anyone know what’s happened to her. Luckily for her, her predecessor was an excellent administrator and left many detailed notes and letters telling her everything she needs to know – if only she can stay alive long enough to read them.

Not only is this book funny and action-packed, the characters are widely diverse and supremely entertaining. The huge variety of supernatural powers that they display is staggeringly imaginative, and the personalities are compelling as well. I personally love that the main character, Myfanwy, remains confident, humorous, and decisive despite the fact that she’s lost her memory and is scrambling to get up to speed with the dangerous world she now inhabits. Whether or not her sanguine attitude is realistic, it makes for a much easier read than if she was dripping with angst and insecurity- and I find it somewhat inspiring! If only we could all feel confident that even if the worst should come, we can figure out whatever comes our way, and laugh about it. She also has a real knack for making friends, especially with the other strong women around her, which only increases the hilarity and inspiration. If you love Ghostbusters, Harry Potter, Kingsman, Doctor Who, Independence Day, or Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, I definitely recommend you try this book — and its sequel, Stiletto.

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa

- Ann Leave a comment

housekeeper-and-the-professorThis lovely jewel of a novel, set in Japan, explores the power of memory and how it shapes our lives, and how love and friendship can transcend hardship and loss.

The Professor is a brilliant mathematician, able to describe and demonstrate the most complex formulas into something simple and poetic and beautiful, but due to a traumatic head injury his short-term memory lasts only 80 minutes. The Professor spends his days in his study, working on difficult mathematics problems; everything before that fateful night in 1975 still clear and real to him, everything else more than 80 minutes old, new and confusing.

The Housekeeper, a struggling single mother, is assigned to care for him. Gradually they make a connection – the Professor pins multiple notes to his coat to help him cope with his handicap – and the Housekeeper’s young son often joins them. The Professor shares his love of numbers with them and joins the boy in his love of baseball.  Together the three form an unconventional family.

Thoughtful, poignant and bittersweet, this spare, elegant novel will stay with you long after you’ve finished.