The Present Is Past

by Josh Rank

Mary's growing dementia not only ends her teaching career, but also leads to her losing the family dog. The patience that has kept their marriage afloat for 39 years gives way to the stress as her husband suffers a heart attack.
Their adult children attempt to help out but it's difficult to accept that your parents will die one day-and that day might be soon.
Mary finds herself drawn to a specific place. And as strangers inexplicably tell her, she just needs to figure out where that is while she still can.
The family must choose between finding a new way to support themselves and helping Mary make one last salient memory while it's still possible. And they must do this while the sun burns out, flocks of birds fall dead from the sky, and buildings full of people disappear in an instant.

Genres: Fiction

342 pages, Paperback

Published July 18, 2023

Reviews

[Scott Lyons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about a family in crisis. A mother with worsening dementia, a father who suffers a heart attack and loses his job, and their two adult children who are trying to find their footing in the chaos while also trying to help their parents find their way. Touching, extremely well written, and really shows the heartbreak that accompanies watching some one we love lose their memories. Well done!

[Josh Rank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty good!

[Lee Collier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was truly a surprise and I will be thinking about it for a long time. I read two books that dealt with Alzheimers in the same week, which I did not plan on doing. The other being Erasure. I am currently experiencing the impact of this on our family unit as we work through the complications with my grandfather. So, I would say that the impact of this novel may in some ways be unique to those with first hand experience but I will take a stand and say that the care and craft of this novel will move any human in touch with the simplest of emotions.

This book follows closely one family unit, all with their own set of issue. The father finds himself in a troubling situation wrapping his truck around a pole, running away from the troubles at home, unsure of how to cope with his wife's condition. Their kids themselves have issues they are working through, most specifically the daughter who is in the middle of a separation from her husband and the pains this can impose on not only her but the children they have together. I think what Josh did so well here was to give us a glimpse into a normal family. One that is wrought with issues, working together to rise above. Life is more like this than the rosie picture we can see in TV shows or many NYT bestsellers. Life is hard and the idea that we are in the fight together, despite our own challenges, was delivered with beautiful prose. Josh also used Magical Realism to bring home some of the most challenging aspects of this drama but the delivery felt perfect and acute to the situations of which he deployed this trick.

Overall, if you like Haruki Murakami or Dave Eggers, I think you will love this book. I hope to read more from Josh in the future as he shows all the signs of a great American novelist and deserves your attention.

[Amanda Rank · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got emotional reading this. It's very well written. And gets both sides of dealing with Alzheimer's, the family, and the person with it. It made me realize things I haven't thought of. Seeing a loved one suffering through it gave me a whole new perspective after reading this. The characters feel like real people, not just names in a book. You feel how they feel. Definitely want to read more from the author. I've gotten the chance to meet him multiple times. He's a true gem!

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read a number of Rank’s short stories and been excited for him to flesh out a full novel. He has crushed it with this debut effort. His characters and events are deeply personal but still perfectly relatable. It’s a powerful read, well written and hard to put down. I especially loved the clever rotation of multiple perspectives. Well done, sir.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I have ever read. Truly reminded me of Murakami’s A Wild Sheep-chase/Dance, Dance, Dance in regards to themes of loss, longing, and connection. I’m an Appleton native and I hope Josh Rank writes more soon!!!!!

[Mckenzie Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely incredible

[Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written, deeply moving.

[H.H. Rune · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rank's storytelling puts you in a place of understanding more of the hard stuff that comes up in families when dealing with this savage chronic illness. I appreciated the real truth of how horrendous it is to be in this country with it's temperamental healthcare. Lose your job- lose your insurance. Have a heart attack, oh well, sucks to be you. Don't dare ask for assistance. Relatable, sobering, mic drop.
This book teases out the innards of an already complicated family structure, with the forced changes that they must all navigate together or lose everything. This was a great read and I look forward to his next book!

[Marnie Ferraro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I bought it because I followed Josh and the other Beagle Al on Instagram and wanted to support my fellow beag lover. It is interesting and a bit weird, and I like that. Each character is well-rounded and you feel like you have a good grasp of their personalities. Each has their own story. But they come together for the main story very nicely.
It's one I'll re-read.

[Lawrence Lieberman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t imagine it’s easy to write about Alzheimer’s and its effects on families, but that is exactly what Josh Rank has done. With a little bit of effective super natural touches, this book handles an almost taboo subject very well. Each family member has their own story, and they’re fully fleshed out and interesting. And the little dog too! I was totally into it.

[Midwest Book Club · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of the best written books I’ve ever read. To have every perspective of each family member dealing with Alzheimer’s…was so relatable. Not only was the story itself so well written, but the small details of the story were relatable and entertaining. I will recommend this book to anyone.

[Kerry Donoghue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a real gut-punch of a story. The Present is Past delves into the tricky intricacies of family bonds, dementia, and the gaping cavern between adulthood and caregiving. It's honest and funny. And heartbreaking in the best ways. It's great. Read it.

[Jordan Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not just a good read. A great read.

[Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

9/10 rounded up for GR

Really heartfelt story of a family coming together over their mother going through the stages of dementia

[ylloh · Rating 1 out of 5]

nothing like leaving the Grand Canyon without your mom 🤷🏼‍♀️

[MiddleMist · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a poignant and stoic style, the author explores a hard-to-grapple with part of humanity. Heartbreaking to read at times, but real. I would highly recommend this book if you're like me, and you want to read and understand all the parts of being human - even the ones that hurt.