Remember Joan: An Alzheimer's Story

by Candace Minor Comstock

“Throughout the book, Comstock returns to the theme of community, giving credit and gratitude to the friends and family members who helped with her mom’s care and supported Comstock through the process, and these are among the memoir’s strongest moments… [It is] an affectionate portrait of a damaged but enduring family that has suffered a profound loss but continues to adapt, survive and move forward.” --Kirkus Reviews
Remember Joan is the account of a daughter beside her mother as they face a life disrupted by Alzheimer’s disease. The book opens with a wedding and closes with a funeral. Embedded between these two ceremonial rituals are two tales, a story of the mother’s decline and death due to Alzheimer’s and a story of the author's relationships and life as the daughter of Joan. Humor is the family’s favorite coping strategy when damage control is necessary. In the end, this book is not only a tribute to Joan’s life, but a tribute to all who try to create a celebrated life with the people that surround them.

Genres: Memoir

250 pages, Paperback

First published July 23, 2011

About the author

Candace lives in the suburbs of Atlanta with her husband and the family dog, Tilly. She is the proud mom of two children and loves being "mom mom" for two grandchildren. Candace is retired from public education where she worked as an elementary school teacher and high school counselor for thirty years. She enjoys spending her time with family and friends, reading great books, and traveling the countryside in her travel trailer. She misses her mom.

Reviews

[Sharon Huether · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remember Joan an Alzheimer's Story By Candace Minor Comstock I won this book through Goodreads. This book about Joan was so personal. The author shared everything about her mother. What she was like as a parent and grandparent. She shared the zest for life her mother had and her ability to see the funny side. She talked abount the different stages of Alzheimers, how the daughter and family faced each challenge from the beginning to the end. The author had a way of making the reader a part of the conversation.

[Preeti Gupta · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was well edited and otherwise looked professional. There could have been a bit more space between the lines, but otherwise well done in terms of layout (I am a self-published author too, so I guess I notice these things).

In terms of story, I do agree with another reviewer that there are lots of details here that seem more for the author and her family to enjoy than the reader. Almost as if she was taking a stroll down memory lane and we're on the outside looking in. I think I would have connected to it more if I felt the author was trying to connect directly to me. Perhaps with not so many details of trips and her childhood, and more about the emotional impact of her situation and what other families also go through.

It was a good read, however, so I am glad I won the book and had the opportunity to share her journey. It is always nice to learn how others deal with the ups and downs in their lives, and I am definitely a better person for having read it.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through Goodreads Firstreads

I thought this was a well written book that flowed easily. The author managed her mother's care with much grace and humor. Something many people would find hard to do. She had a strong family who was always by her side. I work in healthcare, and it would be wonderful if more families were like this, but often times they are not. Often times they are not so willing to step up because they are scared of the results. The author handeled herself so well, and is someone others can look up to.

The only thing I didn't like was that it was less of the disease of her mother, but a story of the author's life. I expected to read more of Joan's life. I wish it was tied in a little more.

I would recommend this book to caregivers who struggle with loved ones or patients that have this disease.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway. This was a hard read for me. You see, I am living this book with my own mother. The first sentence got me blubbing. It was the most heart wrenching and yet uplifting story. As the author states, humor is the only way to go with this awful disease and there was a lot of it in this story. As difficult as it was for me to read this book, it was also very important to me. I learned a lot. I hope it helps me in my personal battle with Alzheimer's. But it's not just about Alzheimer's, it's about a family. Who just happens to be touched by Alzheimer's. They went through it, endured it, and came out the other side fairly unscathed. I have to admit, much of this book was read through tears. I hated it, and yet I loved it. An important book.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was an incredibly slow read for me as it brought back so many memories of my grandmother and her Alzheimer's. I do hope the author found some healing through this writing.

Another reviewer said that the author put too much personal info in there - that it was written mainly for her family. I do have to disagree with that - I feel that without that kind of personality added to the book, we would have been left with something like a medical book explaining the stereotypical demise of an Alzheimer's patient. I appreciated all the personality added to the book as it helped me to relate even more with the authors family.

disclaimer: I won this book through Firstreads.

[Jean Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Candace Minor Comstock writes a deeply personal tribute to her mother in Remember Joan. I loved the way Candace interspersed memories of the way she was raised under the watchful, yet empowering eye of her mother. The strength of this memoir is the honesty with which it is told. Candace holds nothing back. She tributes her mother for giving her all, despite a difficult marriage, to raise her children, which enabled Candace to give her all to her mother's care in return. I highly recommend this book for anyone traveling the path of Alzheimer's with with a beloved mother.

[Joyce Yanney · Rating 5 out of 5]

About an author and her mother, and their life before during and after the disease, Alzheimer. Talked about different stages of Alzheimer and the way the family faced each challenge. Told of humor, emotional struggles and love of mother during these trying times. I would recommend this book as a book to be read if you are a caregiver, of a loved one or a patient, who has this disease. Told as an emotional time in the life of this author. This book would help others to understand what can and does happen during these trying times. A well written story.

[Jackson Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it, I'm a sucker for this kind of thing.

[Rissa Elkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a giveaway. I chose the book because Alzheimer's is a very real and scary part of my family, plaguing not only one, but three people in my life.

I felt that the book read more like a journal than a book. Candace wrote about the bonds she had with her mother and her family as a whole, which is necessary to make the reader understand the full effects of losing a loved one mentally. But she also went off into tangents about some things that I really didn't find necessary to the book.

Everything in consideration, the book was good, but at times was difficult to keep my attention focused on it.

Thank you to Candace for the opportunity to read her story.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remember Joan is the story of a daughter and a mother and Alzheimer’s disease. The author not only tells her mother’s story but also her own life’s story. It touched home since my sister is now dealing with early onset Alzheimer’s with her husband who is in his early sixties. I only hope that she has the strength to face what lies ahead as well as the author did. Thanks, Candy, for sharing your story with us. I received this book as a Goodreads winner.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel covers the humor, the emotional struggles and the love of family. This family happens to be dealing with Alzheimer's. The main character explores the bond of her mother/daughter relationship. Intertwined in the story of dealing and healing with Alzheimer's, are moments that make the reader laugh, cry and relate. A great read.

[Anna Pasch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartwarming story about how family shapes our beliefs and life decisions. As the author takes a journey with her mothers Alzheimer's Disease, she reflects on her own life and how her mother played such an integral part in it. Wonderful memoir for anyone who is working the loss of a parent...what a gracious way to remember and honor a loved one!

[Elc · Rating 2 out of 5]

I stopped reading after the 2nd chapter. I guess I just don't care for the memoir style book