An Absent Mind by Eric Rill

In the Author’s note for this award-winning book Eric Rill says, “My goal was not only to write good fiction, but also to provide readers with a true picture of this dreaded disease [Alzheimer’s] that afflicts more than 35 million people worldwide. I truly hope that I was able to achieve that.” He did.

If you have ever known someone, especially a close family member, who has experienced dementia in some form, you will definitely relate to the characters in An Absent Mind.  Saul, his wife Monique, and grown children Florence and Joey, along with Saul’s doctor, alternate narrating the story of Saul’s diagnosis and subsequent decline.  Rill’s father was an Alzheimer’s patient and Rill does an excellent job of conveying the devastation wrought by this disease.  He skillfully depicts the confusion, physical and emotional abuse, and mood swings through many vignettes and carefully chosen details.

This novel is ultimately inspirational and with many short chapters, it reads very quickly -- I finished it in two sittings.  An Absent Mind would be perfect for a book group discussion; other novels dealing with this topic include Lisa Genova's Still Alice, Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook, and Alice Munro's Away From Her. For families and friends of those impacted, an excellent resource is the Alzheimer’s Association.  They often hold outreach programs at local libraries and offer support to caregivers and patients.