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Spin Cycle: Notes from a Reluctant Caregiver
Best Fiction, Storytrade Awards (winner across all fiction categories)
Finalist, Hawthorne Prize
"A must read for anyone who feels lost in the wilderness caring for an older loved one." -Bella Andre, New York Times bestselling author of The Sullivans
"An intimate yet epic journey digging into the messy truths and secrets connecting parents and their children." -Barry Hertz, The Globe and Mail
High school math teacher Ezra Pavic is having a hard time. His wife left him, his son barely tolerates him, and now he's being blindsided by something he never saw the emotional spin cycle of parenting a parent. His mother Irene has dementia, and it's exhausting. Caring for her is a constant source of frustration, resentment, and guilt. Lots of guilt.
Overwhelmed by it all, Ezra opens a strip-mall school to help others-and himself-become better caregivers. As he learns to handle the personalities of his nine misfit students, Ezra must also navigate the complex feelings he has toward his mother. It doesn't help that she adores his do-nothing slacker brother.
But Ezra hasn't told his students that he also has an agenda beyond becoming a more compassionate caregiver. And, it turns out, so does one of his students. Ezra confides the entire tale to his childhood friend Danny as he attempts to sort it all out and find room in his heart again for compassion and love.
Finalist, Hawthorne Prize
"A must read for anyone who feels lost in the wilderness caring for an older loved one." -Bella Andre, New York Times bestselling author of The Sullivans
"An intimate yet epic journey digging into the messy truths and secrets connecting parents and their children." -Barry Hertz, The Globe and Mail
High school math teacher Ezra Pavic is having a hard time. His wife left him, his son barely tolerates him, and now he's being blindsided by something he never saw the emotional spin cycle of parenting a parent. His mother Irene has dementia, and it's exhausting. Caring for her is a constant source of frustration, resentment, and guilt. Lots of guilt.
Overwhelmed by it all, Ezra opens a strip-mall school to help others-and himself-become better caregivers. As he learns to handle the personalities of his nine misfit students, Ezra must also navigate the complex feelings he has toward his mother. It doesn't help that she adores his do-nothing slacker brother.
But Ezra hasn't told his students that he also has an agenda beyond becoming a more compassionate caregiver. And, it turns out, so does one of his students. Ezra confides the entire tale to his childhood friend Danny as he attempts to sort it all out and find room in his heart again for compassion and love.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 14, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 9, 2025
Love is All You Need
Bodello takes us on an incredible and timely journey that taps into one of our greatest fears: caring for an aging parent afflicted with dementia. With keen insight, humor, and a delicious ending twist, the author gives us a refreshing view of love, the most elusive of emotions. Relying heavily on believable and entertaining dialogue, protagonist Ezra Pavic devises an innovative plan to help him accept the responsibility of being his mother’s caregiver while also coming to terms with other family members. “Spin Cycle” is a must-read, especially for all who have parents, children, siblings, or all of the above.
-- David Randal, author of Kelsey’s Crossing
Bodello takes us on an incredible and timely journey that taps into one of our greatest fears: caring for an aging parent afflicted with dementia. With keen insight, humor, and a delicious ending twist, the author gives us a refreshing view of love, the most elusive of emotions. Relying heavily on believable and entertaining dialogue, protagonist Ezra Pavic devises an innovative plan to help him accept the responsibility of being his mother’s caregiver while also coming to terms with other family members. “Spin Cycle” is a must-read, especially for all who have parents, children, siblings, or all of the above.
-- David Randal, author of Kelsey’s Crossing
January 24, 2025
Spin Cycle offers a raw and intimate look into the life of Ezra Pavic, a man navigating the complexities of caregiving for his aging mother with dementia. Through Ezra's reflections, Alfredo Botello unpacks themes of guilt, frustration, and love, crafting a poignant and often darkly humorous tale about familial responsibility and the messy emotions it stirs. The story unfolds with sharp prose and deep introspection, pulling readers into the exhausting and often heartbreaking reality of caregiving.
One of the most striking aspects of the book is Botello’s unflinching honesty. Ezra’s recounting of his struggles is refreshingly candid, whether he's snapping at his mother in frustration or battling feelings of inadequacy after a failed attempt at patience. The opening chapter lays bare his emotional rawness: “Maybe I’m not struggling with who I became. Maybe I’m struggling with who I always was.” That vulnerability hit me hard. I think it will resonate with anyone who has ever felt the weight of self-doubt or resentment. Botello doesn’t shy away from showing Ezra’s flaws, making him deeply relatable.
The narrative is also peppered with moments of dark humor, which add levity to an otherwise heavy subject. Ezra’s wry observations, like his envy of serene caregivers in online videos or his internal monologues about self-care platitudes, feel genuine and earned. One particularly memorable scene involves a nail salon visit with his mother. Despite his irritation, Ezra finds himself moved by the small joy it brings her, a rare glimmer of light in the otherwise bleak caregiving cycle. These moments of connection, fleeting as they are, illustrate the resilience of love in the face of overwhelming hardship.
Botello's writing shines when he delves into the nuanced dynamics of Ezra's relationships, not just with his mother but with his ex-wife, son, and support group. Ezra's attempts to reconcile his anger with his lingering affection for Irene are some of the book’s most profound passages. His inner conflict, oscillating between resentment and duty, rings true for anyone caught in the so-called “sandwich generation.” These emotional layers are what elevate Spin Cycle from being just another fictional memoir to a profound exploration of humanity.
Spin Cycle captures the exhausting, thankless, and often isolating world of caregiving with heart and precision. This book is a must-read for those navigating similar challenges or anyone seeking an honest and moving story about the imperfect art of loving and caring for others. I think it’s ideal for readers who appreciate introspective, character-driven narratives that aren’t afraid to dive into life’s messiness.
One of the most striking aspects of the book is Botello’s unflinching honesty. Ezra’s recounting of his struggles is refreshingly candid, whether he's snapping at his mother in frustration or battling feelings of inadequacy after a failed attempt at patience. The opening chapter lays bare his emotional rawness: “Maybe I’m not struggling with who I became. Maybe I’m struggling with who I always was.” That vulnerability hit me hard. I think it will resonate with anyone who has ever felt the weight of self-doubt or resentment. Botello doesn’t shy away from showing Ezra’s flaws, making him deeply relatable.
The narrative is also peppered with moments of dark humor, which add levity to an otherwise heavy subject. Ezra’s wry observations, like his envy of serene caregivers in online videos or his internal monologues about self-care platitudes, feel genuine and earned. One particularly memorable scene involves a nail salon visit with his mother. Despite his irritation, Ezra finds himself moved by the small joy it brings her, a rare glimmer of light in the otherwise bleak caregiving cycle. These moments of connection, fleeting as they are, illustrate the resilience of love in the face of overwhelming hardship.
Botello's writing shines when he delves into the nuanced dynamics of Ezra's relationships, not just with his mother but with his ex-wife, son, and support group. Ezra's attempts to reconcile his anger with his lingering affection for Irene are some of the book’s most profound passages. His inner conflict, oscillating between resentment and duty, rings true for anyone caught in the so-called “sandwich generation.” These emotional layers are what elevate Spin Cycle from being just another fictional memoir to a profound exploration of humanity.
Spin Cycle captures the exhausting, thankless, and often isolating world of caregiving with heart and precision. This book is a must-read for those navigating similar challenges or anyone seeking an honest and moving story about the imperfect art of loving and caring for others. I think it’s ideal for readers who appreciate introspective, character-driven narratives that aren’t afraid to dive into life’s messiness.
March 22, 2025
There are hardly any books that catch your attention from the beginning, connect you with the characters and make you feel for them, empathize with their right and wrong and understand them better towards the end. This book gave me one such experience.
The book is about Ezra who's a high school maths teacher. He is divorced and his kid doesn't spend much time with him, leading to a strained relationship between them. Ezra's mother has dementia and her memory is receding day by day which only makes it infuriating for Ezra.
He decides to open an academy named APPA ( adults patiently parenting adults ) wherein 8-9 people come and they share their trauma and issues which they face because of their parents illnesses. These sessions turn out to be a reality check as most of the caregivers discover how it's not easy for anyone to take care of their ailing parents. It's exhausting and draining.
The book keeps switching back and forth. It's written in a way where Ezra is narrating everything about his life and this academy to his friend Danny, who is patiently listening and offering his opinion every now and then.
It's partial fiction and partial non-fiction but what's guaranteed is that you will connect with the book sooner than you realise. If you have ever taken care of a patient who's not that co-operative then you would understand how difficult it is to manage them and even more difficult to manage our own emotions.
I loved how raw and relatable this book felt to me. There were reality checks, there were confessions that may not sound morally right but then who decides the morality? I loved the inclusion of the academy theme because it portrays having a community of people who understand your side of the story and where you feel a little bit less alone.
With an honest and brutal narrative, this book delivers you with the most gut wrenching story that will leave you a little broken and a bit healed.
The book is about Ezra who's a high school maths teacher. He is divorced and his kid doesn't spend much time with him, leading to a strained relationship between them. Ezra's mother has dementia and her memory is receding day by day which only makes it infuriating for Ezra.
He decides to open an academy named APPA ( adults patiently parenting adults ) wherein 8-9 people come and they share their trauma and issues which they face because of their parents illnesses. These sessions turn out to be a reality check as most of the caregivers discover how it's not easy for anyone to take care of their ailing parents. It's exhausting and draining.
The book keeps switching back and forth. It's written in a way where Ezra is narrating everything about his life and this academy to his friend Danny, who is patiently listening and offering his opinion every now and then.
It's partial fiction and partial non-fiction but what's guaranteed is that you will connect with the book sooner than you realise. If you have ever taken care of a patient who's not that co-operative then you would understand how difficult it is to manage them and even more difficult to manage our own emotions.
I loved how raw and relatable this book felt to me. There were reality checks, there were confessions that may not sound morally right but then who decides the morality? I loved the inclusion of the academy theme because it portrays having a community of people who understand your side of the story and where you feel a little bit less alone.
With an honest and brutal narrative, this book delivers you with the most gut wrenching story that will leave you a little broken and a bit healed.
January 20, 2025
With his new novel, Spin Cycle – the trials of parenting your parent, Alfredo Botello is on full display as not merely an amazing and talented writer, but one who manages to grapple with life’s most profound challenges with self-deprecating humor, compassion, and love. As he so beautifully accomplished with his last book, 180 Days, where the looming challenge was an impending divorce, here he sets the bar even higher.
Botello manages to craft a narrative that is at once engaging, funny, sad, poignant, and beautiful. While I already found myself inexorably drawn into this story, he occasionally draws you in even further by delivering a delightful and well-timed 4th wall breech, turning to us and speaking directly to us. This occurs at the beginning of the book’s 2nd chapter, when he addresses us; “That, Dear Reader, is what I wrote down—and at the very end of the book; I am blessed, Reader, even if I don’t always know it. And plenty of times in between.
Botello takes on a journey of caring for his mother on her last long road – pushing through the frustration, resentment and guilt of “parenting your parent,’ in ‘an emotional spin cycle.’ I found myself completely in awe of Botello’s ability to convey this very human story of a son’s complicated love for his dying mother, and equally, his bravery in telling this story, making the sad journey not only bearable but beautiful. This is a must-read for anyone with parents!
Botello manages to craft a narrative that is at once engaging, funny, sad, poignant, and beautiful. While I already found myself inexorably drawn into this story, he occasionally draws you in even further by delivering a delightful and well-timed 4th wall breech, turning to us and speaking directly to us. This occurs at the beginning of the book’s 2nd chapter, when he addresses us; “That, Dear Reader, is what I wrote down—and at the very end of the book; I am blessed, Reader, even if I don’t always know it. And plenty of times in between.
Botello takes on a journey of caring for his mother on her last long road – pushing through the frustration, resentment and guilt of “parenting your parent,’ in ‘an emotional spin cycle.’ I found myself completely in awe of Botello’s ability to convey this very human story of a son’s complicated love for his dying mother, and equally, his bravery in telling this story, making the sad journey not only bearable but beautiful. This is a must-read for anyone with parents!
March 27, 2025
I wish I had been able to read this book before I became the caregiver for my Dad before he passed. Would it have saved me from going through all the feelings of guilt, frustration, resentment, and anger that I had? No, but it sure would have helped to realize I was not alone in having these feelings, and maybe it would have helped me process them a little better. Taking care of your aging parents is something many of us have to eventually face, but there is no manual on how to do this, and it's not something we generally talk about. We talked about this book at book club and it was one of the most engaging, emotional, and meaningful discussions I've had in a book club in a long time.
March 31, 2025
SPIN CYCLE touched and transfixed me while stunning me with the writing. Appreciating this book doesn't require having a family member with Alzheimer's; you have to be a human being who knows the push and pull of family demands, the balance of extreme love with extreme exhaustion when dealing with children, siblings, and parents.
Bottello shows us that stunning balance between love, worrying that you're failing, and simply showing up because you must. I loved this book.
Bottello shows us that stunning balance between love, worrying that you're failing, and simply showing up because you must. I loved this book.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews