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Taking Flight
Jeremy Walsh's parents assume he's been abducted by the elderly man he met on a cross-country flight, but it's the other way around. Two unlikely companions meet in thirteen-year-old Jeremy, sent against his will by his career-absorbed father to spend the summer with his bipolar mother, and Harry, one-legged and afflicted with mid-stage Alzheimer's, who escapes the confinement of home for what may be his last adventure. Their journey begins, trailed by Harry's wife and Jeremy's parents, who threaten to cut it short. It's a race against time and circumstance.
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First published July 10, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 312 reviews
September 17, 2020
Thirteen-year-old Jeremy Walsh was being sent from his home in Seattle, to spend two months with his mother in New York. She was bipolar and rarely coped with Jeremy around, making it a visit he could do without. His doctor father was heading to Africa on his two month mission to help the people of the country so needed to get rid of Jeremy. On the plane Jeremy was seated beside an elderly man, Harry Herndon, and the pair got to talking. Their arrival in New York, with one thing and another, saw Jeremy and Harry in a hire care heading across country.
As the journey continued and they found themselves enjoying the adventure, they talked. Never before had Jeremy (now Jay) had such interesting, adult conversations with someone like Harry. And although Harry was in the first stages of Alzheimers and had a prosthetic leg, Jay helped him. When Harry was lucid, he talked about his family, his past and what he loved. And it turned out Jay loved birding just as much as Harry did. Their searching for different species led them to many different lakes and habitats.
It took a week for Jeremy’s parents to realise he was missing, but it took Abby – Harry’s wife – only a matter of days to follow his trail. What would be the outcome when the unlikely pair were discovered?
Taking Flight is my first by Adrian R. Magnuson and I really enjoyed it. I found Jeremy and Harry’s stories wonderful, heartbreaking, poignant and downright beautiful. The respect and love that grew between the two was lovely to see. I laughed out loud many times at their antics, and wished them well along the way. I’ve had this on my kindle since 2012 – I’m so glad I’ve finally read it 😊 Highly recommended.
As the journey continued and they found themselves enjoying the adventure, they talked. Never before had Jeremy (now Jay) had such interesting, adult conversations with someone like Harry. And although Harry was in the first stages of Alzheimers and had a prosthetic leg, Jay helped him. When Harry was lucid, he talked about his family, his past and what he loved. And it turned out Jay loved birding just as much as Harry did. Their searching for different species led them to many different lakes and habitats.
It took a week for Jeremy’s parents to realise he was missing, but it took Abby – Harry’s wife – only a matter of days to follow his trail. What would be the outcome when the unlikely pair were discovered?
Taking Flight is my first by Adrian R. Magnuson and I really enjoyed it. I found Jeremy and Harry’s stories wonderful, heartbreaking, poignant and downright beautiful. The respect and love that grew between the two was lovely to see. I laughed out loud many times at their antics, and wished them well along the way. I’ve had this on my kindle since 2012 – I’m so glad I’ve finally read it 😊 Highly recommended.
October 17, 2012
I worked as an editor on an early draft of this novel. Ever since then I have been telling people about this book.
What I will always keep with me is the experience of being inside the mind of someone who is losing their memory. My own father suffered from dementia so this book resonated at a deep level. One particular scene where sounds recalled part of Harry’s past will likely stay with me forever it was so vivid. There were the descriptions of what triggered memories, the often funny scenes that showed what distracted Harry, and the touching moments showing us what he thought about when he considered his fate. Reading this book was a moving experience. I also appreciated seeing how the people who loved Harry dealt with each other. The author considered all angles of the family dynamic which is important for a book like this.
Jeremy’s experience with parents who were less than focused on his well-being reminded me of how I felt as a kid. Watching Jeremy find someone to love him and advocate for him at a time when so many kids feel like nobody cares gave the story an additional thread of meaning. I found myself longing for my own version of a Harry when I was thirteen.
Even though I knew what was going to happen, when I closed the book, I was moved again and marveled at the way people can be so calm in the middle of enormous life changes. Once more I stopped to consider how much people we meet casually can eventually mean to us.
This is a special book that I have still not forgotten. This book was about human connection. People from different generations came together and united over the common interest in birds, but stayed together for what they found in each other.
What I will always keep with me is the experience of being inside the mind of someone who is losing their memory. My own father suffered from dementia so this book resonated at a deep level. One particular scene where sounds recalled part of Harry’s past will likely stay with me forever it was so vivid. There were the descriptions of what triggered memories, the often funny scenes that showed what distracted Harry, and the touching moments showing us what he thought about when he considered his fate. Reading this book was a moving experience. I also appreciated seeing how the people who loved Harry dealt with each other. The author considered all angles of the family dynamic which is important for a book like this.
Jeremy’s experience with parents who were less than focused on his well-being reminded me of how I felt as a kid. Watching Jeremy find someone to love him and advocate for him at a time when so many kids feel like nobody cares gave the story an additional thread of meaning. I found myself longing for my own version of a Harry when I was thirteen.
Even though I knew what was going to happen, when I closed the book, I was moved again and marveled at the way people can be so calm in the middle of enormous life changes. Once more I stopped to consider how much people we meet casually can eventually mean to us.
This is a special book that I have still not forgotten. This book was about human connection. People from different generations came together and united over the common interest in birds, but stayed together for what they found in each other.
November 1, 2012
I would give the first 3/4 of this book 4 stars, but the last part garners 2 at most so I'll split it down the middle. Fun "road trip" story of a teenage boy & his elderly companion. I really liked Jeremy/J & Harry's relationship & enjoyed their story, the banter & the poignant moments all seemed very real & genuine. Abby's POV felt right too.
But Rose & Jackson? WTH? Even with the knowldge that Rose is supposedly bipolar, there is no excuse for the way this boy was treated. You leave your kid alone in an airport, then when he disappears you just ASSUME he must have flown back to his dad's house but don' tbother to check? Please. Not realistic AT ALL. One minute she's freaking about about possible pedophiles & child killers, the next minute she's refusing to call the cops. And Jackson wanting her back but knowing that Jeremy makes her worse? A parent choosing a spouse over their child's well-being? I just didn't get it at all. And the ending was just ridiculous - talk about tying up all the loose ends quickly. Nice & tidy for Rose & Jackson to get back together without THEIR SON getting in their way - oh yes, that's fair & what's best for all parties. Of course we'll put you up at the boarding school of your choice close to people we don't know at all.
So I did enjoy most of the book, I really did. I think the relationship that develops between J & Harry makes it worth a read. Just be prepared to roll your eyes at the end.
But Rose & Jackson? WTH? Even with the knowldge that Rose is supposedly bipolar, there is no excuse for the way this boy was treated. You leave your kid alone in an airport, then when he disappears you just ASSUME he must have flown back to his dad's house but don' tbother to check? Please. Not realistic AT ALL. One minute she's freaking about about possible pedophiles & child killers, the next minute she's refusing to call the cops. And Jackson wanting her back but knowing that Jeremy makes her worse? A parent choosing a spouse over their child's well-being? I just didn't get it at all. And the ending was just ridiculous - talk about tying up all the loose ends quickly. Nice & tidy for Rose & Jackson to get back together without THEIR SON getting in their way - oh yes, that's fair & what's best for all parties. Of course we'll put you up at the boarding school of your choice close to people we don't know at all.
So I did enjoy most of the book, I really did. I think the relationship that develops between J & Harry makes it worth a read. Just be prepared to roll your eyes at the end.
May 22, 2017
A beautiful tale of two unlikely companions who meet each other in the most bizarre way and find themselves during a travel. A boy in his early teens gets to meet an elderly man struggling with his memories on and off, they share the passion of bird watching and they get to start on a wonderful journey across US. The book gives a sneak peek into the life of a teenager & what makes him tick and opens up the world of an old man struggling with his decaying memory. It also brings out the lives of those around the central characters and the beautiful way in which two people at the opposite ends of their lives gel well together and start out a beautiful friendship.
Loved the book, the narration, the characters and the journey. Definitely worth reading...
Loved the book, the narration, the characters and the journey. Definitely worth reading...
February 18, 2016
I look at birds more carefully now, though the bird theme in Taking Flight is secondary. This is a tale about an adolescent named Jeremy, and his unlikely older traveling companion named Harry who has a slowly progressing dementia. The two embark on a literal and metaphoric journey after some odd circumstances throw them together. It’s an interesting look at aging as well as relationships. Harry sums up his fear of losing his memory with, “I’ve gotten used to the missing pieces. It’s the missing words that scare me most. Words are my life.” Amen to that Harry!
At times, I thought the interaction between Jeremy and his parents was a bit peculiar or Jeremy's lightening-speed bolt to maturity when he confronts his parents and Harry's son was not exactly believable, but a three-stars-rating means I liked it and I did. It’s a quick easy read with a somewhat- feel-good flavor.
At times, I thought the interaction between Jeremy and his parents was a bit peculiar or Jeremy's lightening-speed bolt to maturity when he confronts his parents and Harry's son was not exactly believable, but a three-stars-rating means I liked it and I did. It’s a quick easy read with a somewhat- feel-good flavor.
February 25, 2013
I truly loved this book from beginning to end. The conversations between the old man and the young boy were so realistic I felt like I was with them. The bird watching was a bit boring at first, but this was what connected the two of them, and as I kept reading I also loved the search for birds.
Another reviewer pointed out that no one would just up and take a young person off for a ride across the US. Perhaps true, but it sure made for a good read.
A beautiful uplifting story for anyone who has experienced Alzheimer, or had a teenager that was a pain in the butt.
Another reviewer pointed out that no one would just up and take a young person off for a ride across the US. Perhaps true, but it sure made for a good read.
A beautiful uplifting story for anyone who has experienced Alzheimer, or had a teenager that was a pain in the butt.
January 13, 2014
What a beautiful story full of real people. I mean real people as in lots of flaws, and that is what made me love them and this book.
Taking Flight helped me think about alzheimer's, and relationships in a new way. It introduced me to bird watching too. I had always thought it sounded insufferably boring, but after reading this book I can understand how it appeals to some (not that I am going to start!).
Reading it made me smile, laugh and cry. What more could you ask from a book. Well done Mr. Magnuson!
Taking Flight helped me think about alzheimer's, and relationships in a new way. It introduced me to bird watching too. I had always thought it sounded insufferably boring, but after reading this book I can understand how it appeals to some (not that I am going to start!).
Reading it made me smile, laugh and cry. What more could you ask from a book. Well done Mr. Magnuson!
April 25, 2017
DNF. I'm trying not to be so OCD about finishing every single book I've ever started in my whole life. So this is a great first step! When I spend more time dreaming about what to read next instead of finishing the page, it's time to stop! I just really didn't like any of the characters. I also felt the portrayal of dementia was unrealistic. Very unrealistic.
December 11, 2012
I loved this book - it was so different. The characters were interesting. Sometimes when a book moves from character to character, I'm not ready to change. But, in this book, the character changes acted in place of chapters. The book also gave me a different insight regarding Alzheimer's.
December 18, 2017
I really don't understand all the good critics on Goodreads about that books! The story is just so unrealistic, an old man go on a trip (kidnap) a teenage boy and everybody find it cute because they watch bird together??? And more to it, the characters are flat, no emotions pass through them. Last point, the Alzheimer is really accessory there and is, like the rest, not realistic at all, if you want a good book about the disease read Still Alice, doesn't get better and well done than that one. For this book, just don't waste your time.
Bottom line, if found out this year was really a bad year for public critics sites (Goodreads, Rotten tomatoes, IMDB, and many others). People are so hip or down about something that we get extreme opinion that just are not true and doesn't mean anything. As for Goodreads in particular, I have read a couple of books, that when you read the review, you just have to ask yourself if people are paid to make good review as a marketing action, ore if it's the friend or family of the author that try to create a hip too it. I even read a book where the author review her whom book and gave it five stars. Confidence is good but still... Or review of book with more then 1 000 ratings for a book that is not even finish writing by the author. This is a really sad thing because that give away the credibility of those sites and you just can't really look at the rating to choose a new book and if it worth it or not. It's just my opinion but I feel like sharing it to you in the last days of 2017.
Finally I wish a Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all those who follow my review. Take care, take time for friend and family are remember the true thing that matter the most in you life and take time for them in 2018!!
Bottom line, if found out this year was really a bad year for public critics sites (Goodreads, Rotten tomatoes, IMDB, and many others). People are so hip or down about something that we get extreme opinion that just are not true and doesn't mean anything. As for Goodreads in particular, I have read a couple of books, that when you read the review, you just have to ask yourself if people are paid to make good review as a marketing action, ore if it's the friend or family of the author that try to create a hip too it. I even read a book where the author review her whom book and gave it five stars. Confidence is good but still... Or review of book with more then 1 000 ratings for a book that is not even finish writing by the author. This is a really sad thing because that give away the credibility of those sites and you just can't really look at the rating to choose a new book and if it worth it or not. It's just my opinion but I feel like sharing it to you in the last days of 2017.
Finally I wish a Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all those who follow my review. Take care, take time for friend and family are remember the true thing that matter the most in you life and take time for them in 2018!!
April 25, 2018
Harry and Jeremy/Jay's journey was so sweet and so dangerous. Their accidental meeting on the plane was the catalyst for an adventure that changed not only these two but other characters connected to Harry and Jay as well. I feel very strongly that each rescued the other. Harry, suffering from Alzheimer's, is able to escape his life and share some memories with Jay while making new ones. Jay is able to escape his parents, who are more focused on themselves than their son, and connect with Harry. One thing that bothered me at the end of the book was the ignorance of Jeremy's parents. While I know that teenagers can be difficult to live with, I just don't see how his parents could be so unconcerned about him and his safety. Even after he is "found," they still do not make much of an effort to be parents. Yes, they compromise in the end for Jay's benefit, but I would have thought that this would have been a major wake-up call for them.
The quest for birds was a unique connection between Harry and Jay with each section of the book related to birds/bird habits.
1) "Fledging" -- Barn Swallow
2) "Migration" -- Ovenbird
3) "Establishing Territory" -- Black-Crowned Night Heron
4) "Mating" -- Common Loon
5) Epilogue -- Canada Goose
While the birding is secondary to the friendship between Harry and Jay, I'd like to think that there's some significance to it all.
The quest for birds was a unique connection between Harry and Jay with each section of the book related to birds/bird habits.
1) "Fledging" -- Barn Swallow
2) "Migration" -- Ovenbird
3) "Establishing Territory" -- Black-Crowned Night Heron
4) "Mating" -- Common Loon
5) Epilogue -- Canada Goose
While the birding is secondary to the friendship between Harry and Jay, I'd like to think that there's some significance to it all.
May 23, 2019
This is the story of the unlikely story of an adolescent boy and a elderly man well on the road to Alzheimer’s. Everything about this book is “unlikely”. Unlikely meeting, unlikely journey, unlikely understanding. But it all works.
Great conversations between the 2, both having a huge interest in birding.
Secondary characters were not very likeable, but I’m sure that was part of the master plan.
The Alzheimer’s was handed very well and gave better understanding to the reader.
The title has great relevance to the end of the book.
Great conversations between the 2, both having a huge interest in birding.
Secondary characters were not very likeable, but I’m sure that was part of the master plan.
The Alzheimer’s was handed very well and gave better understanding to the reader.
The title has great relevance to the end of the book.
August 16, 2020
I downloaded this as a freebie and did not expect much, but I enjoyed it a lot!
An old man and a 13-year-old boy, both smothered by their respective families, meet by chance.
One hiding behind the onset of Alzheimer’s, the other behind his young age as an excuse, they ignore common sense and enjoy their freedom on the road.
They create a bond that will change their lives as well as the lives of their families and close friends.
Funny, endearing, emotional and original.
An old man and a 13-year-old boy, both smothered by their respective families, meet by chance.
One hiding behind the onset of Alzheimer’s, the other behind his young age as an excuse, they ignore common sense and enjoy their freedom on the road.
They create a bond that will change their lives as well as the lives of their families and close friends.
Funny, endearing, emotional and original.
December 22, 2012
This book really took a lot out of me. Emotional stress and trauma in the best way. The craziest part was I didn't even really expect it. When I was 86 percent done I was ready for it to end, I was ready to move on with another book, I was hoping it would be a three star book at least, but in my heart I knew I could only give it two. But no! The author pulled the rug out from under me and threw a bucket of water in my face. The last ten percent of the book had me wrapped around its finger. I couldn't stop reading and I couldn't wait to find out what happened. I had it together until the last page. Then I bawled like a baby, unexpectedly. I had no idea this would make me cry so much. I loved every second of it. Which surprisingly I feel like I am a minority in this thought because everyone else either wasn't a fan or really irritated.
What I liked: Almost everything. Originally, it felt slow moving almost the entire book. I was going crazy trying to read and figure out what was happening/going to happen. The author drove me crazy. He gave me no action. Nothing. Just dialogue and emotional/social events. Small trivial things I felt I spent to much time on. Little did I know he knew I would do this. He knew I would hate nothing going on. And then, at the last second, he made it all worth it. Everything I thought was dumb came back at me. I realized I was crying because I was there for every little conversation and thought of these beautiful characters. I was there and I had a relationship with them. He knew I would get roped into feelings without even knowing it. Or at least I would like to think he knew it. Either way, its brilliant. No book has ever took over me and amazed me like this one. If it wasn't slow moving and irritating the entire way through I wouldn't love it as much now.
Anyways, back to an actual point, the characters were amazing. Just great. The “grandparents” are so lovable. The kid is great. The mom and dad are questionable, but I feel like they are supposed to be because that is the way the “grandparents” and Jay see them.
I really liked the format. It was easier to read a portion hear and there because each chapter was from a different character and fairly short.
I liked the plot in general. It is so different and unique than anything I have read. You will not come across something so wonderfully written and such special a plot. Its the best of both worlds, and I’m loving it.
Again, the way the book takes you captive is just amazing. Read it and don't give up, because it is so worth it.
The only things I didn't like are the parents. I mentioned before they were questionable and that's an understatement. His mom, Rose, is bipolar, but I think she has no common sense. His dad is not with his mom but wants to be. I feel like between the two of them they are more worried about each other and getting back together than their son who had been gone for two weeks with a stranger who has Alzheimer’s. And he was in a car accident. How are they both not freaking out? I don't know. At the same time though, Jay implied often that his mom was unstable and crazy and didn't like him. He implied his dad didn't care about him all that much and was too concerned about Rose. So although far fetched, it followed the story line and I went with it.
What I liked: Almost everything. Originally, it felt slow moving almost the entire book. I was going crazy trying to read and figure out what was happening/going to happen. The author drove me crazy. He gave me no action. Nothing. Just dialogue and emotional/social events. Small trivial things I felt I spent to much time on. Little did I know he knew I would do this. He knew I would hate nothing going on. And then, at the last second, he made it all worth it. Everything I thought was dumb came back at me. I realized I was crying because I was there for every little conversation and thought of these beautiful characters. I was there and I had a relationship with them. He knew I would get roped into feelings without even knowing it. Or at least I would like to think he knew it. Either way, its brilliant. No book has ever took over me and amazed me like this one. If it wasn't slow moving and irritating the entire way through I wouldn't love it as much now.
Anyways, back to an actual point, the characters were amazing. Just great. The “grandparents” are so lovable. The kid is great. The mom and dad are questionable, but I feel like they are supposed to be because that is the way the “grandparents” and Jay see them.
I really liked the format. It was easier to read a portion hear and there because each chapter was from a different character and fairly short.
I liked the plot in general. It is so different and unique than anything I have read. You will not come across something so wonderfully written and such special a plot. Its the best of both worlds, and I’m loving it.
Again, the way the book takes you captive is just amazing. Read it and don't give up, because it is so worth it.
The only things I didn't like are the parents. I mentioned before they were questionable and that's an understatement. His mom, Rose, is bipolar, but I think she has no common sense. His dad is not with his mom but wants to be. I feel like between the two of them they are more worried about each other and getting back together than their son who had been gone for two weeks with a stranger who has Alzheimer’s. And he was in a car accident. How are they both not freaking out? I don't know. At the same time though, Jay implied often that his mom was unstable and crazy and didn't like him. He implied his dad didn't care about him all that much and was too concerned about Rose. So although far fetched, it followed the story line and I went with it.
September 8, 2023
Did not finish. Kind of mindless boring with nonstop dialogue. Not much description, plot, and pause for reflection. Kind of repetitive. Friendship is sweet but I couldn't get into this and am too busy to finish all the books I attempt.
June 17, 2013
a rather unusual take on the unlikely friendship part buddy road trip story. it starts with an elderly man named Harry who has dementia he has left his home and is on a plane headed for the east coast. also on this plane seated next to him is Jeremy a 13 year old on his way to spend part of the summer with his mother. His dad a doctor is off the Africa to take care of patients there. Jeremy and Harry find they both like bird watching. when they land in New York, Jeremy's mother who is bi-polar shows little interest in Jeremy. when she loses site of Jeremy at the airport the teenager takes off with Harry the old man who also has a bionic leg.{at least runs on batteries} Harry rents a car and they get on the road. Harry whose dementia comes and goes calls Jeremy "J". for the next couple weeks the pair go to a campsite Harry used to go to get an old camper from a friend of Harry's. they tell people they meet that they are grandfather and grandson. I fell bad for Jeremy, his parents are split up and neither one of them pay attention to him. the friendship he makes with Harry is kind of tugs at my heart. it is sad to think that Jeremy's parents do not even realize that he has taken off with Harry. the mother thinks Jeremy went back to Seattle and the dad is in AFrica and thinks the boy is with his mother. when they do find out it still takes awhile to track down Harry and jeremy. meanwhile Harry's family his "wife"{actual live in girlfriend} and others are looking for Harry.
I like the friendship that developed between Harry and Jeremy. they came into each other's life when they needed it most.I especially like the last ten percent of the book when we find out how it turns out for Harry and Jeremy. a touching likable story about unlikely friendship. I found myself rooting for Harry and Jeremy.the characters take turns narrating though out the book.
I like the friendship that developed between Harry and Jeremy. they came into each other's life when they needed it most.I especially like the last ten percent of the book when we find out how it turns out for Harry and Jeremy. a touching likable story about unlikely friendship. I found myself rooting for Harry and Jeremy.the characters take turns narrating though out the book.
February 14, 2015
I can't even finish this book. There is a great story in it, but so many of the characters are so flat out unlikable, I just can't do it. If this book had stuck more with the central story - a man dealing with his worsening Alzheimer's and a young teenage boy with the worst parents on earth who travel cross country together, then I could have finished this book.
Harry has "escaped" his home in Washington, heading back to the east coast where he lived most of his life - it sounds like he was a cad as a younger man, a college professor who had multiple affairs with his students, eventually leaving his wife and marrying Abby. Harry has Alzheimer's and has days where he is with it and days where he isn't. Jeremy is 13 years old, and his father is spending the summer in Africa doing charity work. Jeremy's father sends his cross country to stay with his mentally unstable ex wife, even though it seems that Jeremy has ended up in foster care during previous visits because she is a horrible, self centered person who refuses to take her meds.
Jeremy is abandoned by his mother at the airport, and ends up taking off with Harry. Their relationship was interesting, and I wish the book had stuck to them. There are viewpoints thrown in from Harry's horrid wife, and Jeremy's awful parents. This poor kid is doomed. At least Harry will forget he knew these people.
Harry has "escaped" his home in Washington, heading back to the east coast where he lived most of his life - it sounds like he was a cad as a younger man, a college professor who had multiple affairs with his students, eventually leaving his wife and marrying Abby. Harry has Alzheimer's and has days where he is with it and days where he isn't. Jeremy is 13 years old, and his father is spending the summer in Africa doing charity work. Jeremy's father sends his cross country to stay with his mentally unstable ex wife, even though it seems that Jeremy has ended up in foster care during previous visits because she is a horrible, self centered person who refuses to take her meds.
Jeremy is abandoned by his mother at the airport, and ends up taking off with Harry. Their relationship was interesting, and I wish the book had stuck to them. There are viewpoints thrown in from Harry's horrid wife, and Jeremy's awful parents. This poor kid is doomed. At least Harry will forget he knew these people.
October 7, 2024
Taking Flight is a story of a very special but unlikely friendship between a teenage boy and an elderly man who suffers from Alzheimers. Both try to escape the harsh reality of their lives. Their paths first cross on an airplane headed to JFK airport. The boys as well as the man's story are told in the first person throughout alternating chapters. Other involved characters are the boys severely mentally ill mother, his father and the man's family who are all written about in the third person. This gives the book an unusual twist. Once at the airport the two decide to take off together. Their journey takes them across the country on a long wild disorganized trip during which they share their common hobby of birding. It is hard to tell who has abducted who. Although at times a bit lengthily in various szenes, Taking Flight is a sad but heart warming story of an unlikely friendship.
August 12, 2018
4.5
What a wonderful book! I generally don't care for books where kids or teens take a central role, but this book was an exception. The book is filled with dysfunctional-but-normal people that you can't help but empathize with. I really suck at writing reviews so the best I can say is "Read it!"
What a wonderful book! I generally don't care for books where kids or teens take a central role, but this book was an exception. The book is filled with dysfunctional-but-normal people that you can't help but empathize with. I really suck at writing reviews so the best I can say is "Read it!"
January 13, 2017
Loved this tale of unlikely friendship
The theme isn't new but is so well told. The complex relationships of the various characters are engaging and believable. I barely put it down.
The theme isn't new but is so well told. The complex relationships of the various characters are engaging and believable. I barely put it down.
August 23, 2013
overall, a very good story about a young boy and an aging man with Alzheimer's who randomly meet and form a life altering relationship.
October 31, 2015
What a wonderful book. Makes me be less afraid of growing older.
December 1, 2018
Useless drug companies. He could take a pill to give him an erection, but not one to help him remember what to do with it.
“See Jeremy, that’s the one true advantage at my age, you can say nearly anything you damn well please. Something to look forward to sixty years from now.”
Now he’s stooped and shriveled, the way my grandfather was just before he died. But his eyes are quick and clear like a bird’s.
Parenthood, on the other hand, requires a commitment far exceeding that of marriage. You can’t divorce your children, though some try.
So I know it’s the meds she doesn’t take that makes her the way she is, but it’s hard not to think she’s just a bitch.
She was never meant to have children. She couldn’t even meet her son’s plane without falling apart.
Can’t even be pissed off that Dad’s away saving lives. But I am pissed off.
Damn rotten-cheese memory.
“Getting old isn’t much fun, is it?”“Nope. Not when you spend much time thinking about it. But considering the alternative, I’m thankful to be on the right side of the grass.”
Now is all we ever have. At least that’s what I kept telling myself. The past few years of watching Harry decline had brought me to truly understand how fleeting life is, how fragile.
“Here today, gone tomorrow,” they say. We toss off these words as if they mean nothing, but they mean so much when tomorrow really is tomorrow, and not some far off object near the vanishing point of perspective.
Frustration twists his face into anger at a world which no longer bends to his will, no longer cares whether he comes or goes.
“Imagine the biggest room you can think of. Maybe your school gym. On the floor is a million-piece puzzle. The picture of your life so far. It’s filled with all the people you’ve ever met, and all the places and things you’ve ever seen. It’s about half filled in, many small groupings, just a few pieces each, and big sections where lots fit together, but even those have holes here and there.
After a while you’d swear someone was taking pieces out of the puzzle and putting them back in the box.
My puzzle is emptying, slowly but surely. My recent memories are all but gone. My middle years fade quickly. By tomorrow, I may have forgotten that I even had this thought. Too soon, all that will be left is this day, this hour, this moment. All the pieces will be back in the box, and someone will close the lid.
What sort of a mean-spirited creator would offer up his finest work, the human brain, then twist it so unmercifully?
“God giveth and he taketh away” came back from my teenage years.
Perhaps trust is a thing shared between two people, existing not in separate minds but in the conjoined consciousness, a thing unto itself and independent of the individuals who share it.
“White men come and go. We remain. You give us Band-Aids, but we are bleeding to death.” Jackson recognized the truth of the driver’ s accusation. Yes, they made a difference, but for every life saved, many were lost, the aid they provided a drop in the bottomless African bucket.
Jay was here for only one reason, the same reason I was here, because he knew Harry needed him. Because he loved Harry. It was in every look and every gesture and every word. I do not know how it happened, and the irony of it hit me hard. How could this boy bond so quickly to a man most people found prickly and irascible, when his own son could not?
It occurred to me then that Jackson had probably spent his entire marriage like this, waiting for Rose to make up her mind. This may have been what poisoned their relationship and placed Jay squarely between them.
Things we will say to a total stranger are often more intimate than what we are willing to divulge to those who love us best.
“Sometimes what seems like a little thing at the time, a simple choice, ends up changing your entire life…like hopping a plane.
“We’re not birds. We can always do something else,” he immediately answers then pauses a moment. “Know what an internal compass is?”“How birds find the way while migrating?”“Right. They orient themselves, adjusting to the position of the sun, stars, and the earth’s magnetic field. Their world is simple, physical. Ours is more complicated, but each of us has an internal compass. Problem is, we make a habit of not following it.” He pauses again and turns his head toward me. “I should never have gotten on that plane, Jay, but I’m glad I did.”“Yeah, me too.”
By trial and error, we picked our way through the maze of dead ends that were becoming Harry’s mind. Sometimes we found a way in. More often, ways that had been open now closed.
“See Jeremy, that’s the one true advantage at my age, you can say nearly anything you damn well please. Something to look forward to sixty years from now.”
Now he’s stooped and shriveled, the way my grandfather was just before he died. But his eyes are quick and clear like a bird’s.
Parenthood, on the other hand, requires a commitment far exceeding that of marriage. You can’t divorce your children, though some try.
So I know it’s the meds she doesn’t take that makes her the way she is, but it’s hard not to think she’s just a bitch.
She was never meant to have children. She couldn’t even meet her son’s plane without falling apart.
Can’t even be pissed off that Dad’s away saving lives. But I am pissed off.
Damn rotten-cheese memory.
“Getting old isn’t much fun, is it?”“Nope. Not when you spend much time thinking about it. But considering the alternative, I’m thankful to be on the right side of the grass.”
Now is all we ever have. At least that’s what I kept telling myself. The past few years of watching Harry decline had brought me to truly understand how fleeting life is, how fragile.
“Here today, gone tomorrow,” they say. We toss off these words as if they mean nothing, but they mean so much when tomorrow really is tomorrow, and not some far off object near the vanishing point of perspective.
Frustration twists his face into anger at a world which no longer bends to his will, no longer cares whether he comes or goes.
“Imagine the biggest room you can think of. Maybe your school gym. On the floor is a million-piece puzzle. The picture of your life so far. It’s filled with all the people you’ve ever met, and all the places and things you’ve ever seen. It’s about half filled in, many small groupings, just a few pieces each, and big sections where lots fit together, but even those have holes here and there.
After a while you’d swear someone was taking pieces out of the puzzle and putting them back in the box.
My puzzle is emptying, slowly but surely. My recent memories are all but gone. My middle years fade quickly. By tomorrow, I may have forgotten that I even had this thought. Too soon, all that will be left is this day, this hour, this moment. All the pieces will be back in the box, and someone will close the lid.
What sort of a mean-spirited creator would offer up his finest work, the human brain, then twist it so unmercifully?
“God giveth and he taketh away” came back from my teenage years.
Perhaps trust is a thing shared between two people, existing not in separate minds but in the conjoined consciousness, a thing unto itself and independent of the individuals who share it.
“White men come and go. We remain. You give us Band-Aids, but we are bleeding to death.” Jackson recognized the truth of the driver’ s accusation. Yes, they made a difference, but for every life saved, many were lost, the aid they provided a drop in the bottomless African bucket.
Jay was here for only one reason, the same reason I was here, because he knew Harry needed him. Because he loved Harry. It was in every look and every gesture and every word. I do not know how it happened, and the irony of it hit me hard. How could this boy bond so quickly to a man most people found prickly and irascible, when his own son could not?
It occurred to me then that Jackson had probably spent his entire marriage like this, waiting for Rose to make up her mind. This may have been what poisoned their relationship and placed Jay squarely between them.
Things we will say to a total stranger are often more intimate than what we are willing to divulge to those who love us best.
“Sometimes what seems like a little thing at the time, a simple choice, ends up changing your entire life…like hopping a plane.
“We’re not birds. We can always do something else,” he immediately answers then pauses a moment. “Know what an internal compass is?”“How birds find the way while migrating?”“Right. They orient themselves, adjusting to the position of the sun, stars, and the earth’s magnetic field. Their world is simple, physical. Ours is more complicated, but each of us has an internal compass. Problem is, we make a habit of not following it.” He pauses again and turns his head toward me. “I should never have gotten on that plane, Jay, but I’m glad I did.”“Yeah, me too.”
By trial and error, we picked our way through the maze of dead ends that were becoming Harry’s mind. Sometimes we found a way in. More often, ways that had been open now closed.
June 6, 2020
In the description, this book seems to be a story about inter-generational friendship, a road trip adventure that promises some lighthearted shenanigans as well as some deep emotional understanding between a teenager and an older man. And that's partly correct -- the sections of this book that do follow these characters are enjoyable, lighthearted but with emotional depth to them. Sadly, these characters have to share page space with other supporting characters... and these secondary plots make me feel such loathing for those characters that it spoils my enjoyment of the main story.
Harry is an ex-professor suffering from Alzheimer's, who wanders away from home one day and finds himself boarding a flight from Seattle to the East Coast. Jeremy is a sullen teenager who resents being used as a pawn by his bickering parents, and cuts and runs from his mom in the crowded JFK airport. When these two characters' paths cross, they find themselves taking an impromptu road trip together, bonding over their mutual love of birdwatching and exchanging wisecracks while helping each other keep going. And as Harry's frantic wife and Jeremy's angry parents keep searching for them, they forge a lasting friendship together.
The writing in this book is okay -- not great, but servicable for this sort of story. The author does make some odd writing decisions, though. Sections told from some characters' points of view (Harry, Jeremy, Harry's wife Abby) are told in first person and present tense, while sections from other characters' points of view (Jeremy's parents Rose and Jackson) are told in third person and past tense. I'm not sure why this was done, and it just makes for jarring shifts when the POV shifts. Just my feelings on the matter, anyhow.
As I stated before, the parts of this book that focus on Harry and Jeremy are enjoyable. Harry is a curmudgeon but means well and has a wicked sense of humor, and Jeremy is your typical moody teenager but grows over the course of the novel and has a passion for birds. They snark at each other, get excited over the birds they both love, and help each other out -- Harry protecting Jeremy from the harsher elements of the world, Jeremy helping Harry when his memory slips away from him. Had the story focused solely on these two, it would have been excellent.
It's when the narrative shifts to Abby, Rose, or Jackson that I find myself starting to loathe the book. Abby's sections are at least tolerable, though some of her behavior (such as allowing her husband to drive despite his worsening dementia) comes across as highly irresponsible. Rose and Jackson were horrific, however -- the narrative clearly states that Jackson sees their son as nothing more than a tool to get his wife to fall back in love with him, while Rose only sees Jeremy as an annoyance and a burden (not helped by the fact that she has bipolar disorder -- people with bipolar CAN be good parents, but the narrative acts like Jeremy only worsens her condition). Both are manipulative, arrogant, and hostile, and use the people around them like tools to get what they want... and the final resolution of their story arc turned my stomach. I won't spoil it, but it would have had me flinging the book at the wall had it not been a Kindle read.
On an unrelated note... quite a few plot elements in this book depend solely on coincidences, or on characters acting like complete idiots when the plot requires it. I get that coincidences and people acting stupidly happens in real life, but when it happens in fiction it's much more obvious and can jar the reader out of the story.
"Taking Flight" tells a few stories at once, and the main story is a funny and sweet one. The sub-plots range from annoying to intolerable, and spoiled my enjoyment of the book. I think the book would have been much better had it focused on Harry and Jeremy's story, and kept other characters out of focus. But that's just my thought.
Harry is an ex-professor suffering from Alzheimer's, who wanders away from home one day and finds himself boarding a flight from Seattle to the East Coast. Jeremy is a sullen teenager who resents being used as a pawn by his bickering parents, and cuts and runs from his mom in the crowded JFK airport. When these two characters' paths cross, they find themselves taking an impromptu road trip together, bonding over their mutual love of birdwatching and exchanging wisecracks while helping each other keep going. And as Harry's frantic wife and Jeremy's angry parents keep searching for them, they forge a lasting friendship together.
The writing in this book is okay -- not great, but servicable for this sort of story. The author does make some odd writing decisions, though. Sections told from some characters' points of view (Harry, Jeremy, Harry's wife Abby) are told in first person and present tense, while sections from other characters' points of view (Jeremy's parents Rose and Jackson) are told in third person and past tense. I'm not sure why this was done, and it just makes for jarring shifts when the POV shifts. Just my feelings on the matter, anyhow.
As I stated before, the parts of this book that focus on Harry and Jeremy are enjoyable. Harry is a curmudgeon but means well and has a wicked sense of humor, and Jeremy is your typical moody teenager but grows over the course of the novel and has a passion for birds. They snark at each other, get excited over the birds they both love, and help each other out -- Harry protecting Jeremy from the harsher elements of the world, Jeremy helping Harry when his memory slips away from him. Had the story focused solely on these two, it would have been excellent.
It's when the narrative shifts to Abby, Rose, or Jackson that I find myself starting to loathe the book. Abby's sections are at least tolerable, though some of her behavior (such as allowing her husband to drive despite his worsening dementia) comes across as highly irresponsible. Rose and Jackson were horrific, however -- the narrative clearly states that Jackson sees their son as nothing more than a tool to get his wife to fall back in love with him, while Rose only sees Jeremy as an annoyance and a burden (not helped by the fact that she has bipolar disorder -- people with bipolar CAN be good parents, but the narrative acts like Jeremy only worsens her condition). Both are manipulative, arrogant, and hostile, and use the people around them like tools to get what they want... and the final resolution of their story arc turned my stomach. I won't spoil it, but it would have had me flinging the book at the wall had it not been a Kindle read.
On an unrelated note... quite a few plot elements in this book depend solely on coincidences, or on characters acting like complete idiots when the plot requires it. I get that coincidences and people acting stupidly happens in real life, but when it happens in fiction it's much more obvious and can jar the reader out of the story.
"Taking Flight" tells a few stories at once, and the main story is a funny and sweet one. The sub-plots range from annoying to intolerable, and spoiled my enjoyment of the book. I think the book would have been much better had it focused on Harry and Jeremy's story, and kept other characters out of focus. But that's just my thought.
August 23, 2017
I had mixed feelings on Taking Flight. Early on, it felt like a four star book and by the mid-point it was down to two. (I rarely 1-star or DNF.) It significantly rebounded in the last quarter so I'll split the difference.
This is the tale of thirteen-year old Jeremy, trapped as pawn between his parents, and 75-year old Harry, suffering from mid-stage Alzheimer's Disease. Jeremy is shuffled off to the east coast to spend two months with his bipolar, insufferable mother Rose, a plan engineered by self-absorbed surgeon father Jackson, himself off to Africa for a stint with Doctors Without Borders, to eventually win Rose back. Harry, moved to the west coast away from everything he recognizes by his wife Abby to be closer to his insufferable son Oliver and their grandchildren, skips town to return to his native New Hampshire. Jeremy and Harry meet on the plane, and once Rose abandons Jeremy at the airport, Harry takes him off on a memorable road trip while losing his own memories.
Harry's failing memory was executed beautifully, from the day to day fluctuations, to themes of finding purpose when others write you off to second chances. Jeremy's innocence (and transition to Jay) was a welcome respite from the reprehensible nature of most of the other characters, with the notable exception of Grace. My biggest issue with Taking Flight was that so much space was wasted on characters that didn't deserve it. Our perspective is split in first person between Harry, Jeremy, and Harry's wife Abby. The balance of the narration is third-person perspectives from Jeremy's parents. They're horrid people. Rose abandons her son at the airport and just assumes he caught a flight home, and Jackson cares little for Jeremy beyond how he might impact his inexplicable desire to win his wife back. They utilize despicable attorney Andrew in their sporadic efforts to find Jeremy, now missing for days, frequently turn their phones off or don't answer them, and refuse to call the police, obsessed with their own lives. Harry's son Oliver makes menacing appearances, along with Harry's old friend Nigel, desperate to get into Abby's pants, along with his jealous wife, who once had Harry in her pants.
The storyline pivots and ends on more solid footing, assuming we accept more suspension of disbelief, specifically with issues of room and board.
There's good stuff in here, but while the story acknowledges that most characters are dirtbags, it asks us to spend too much time worrying about their lives. (What on earth was the point of the chapters on the self-locking door??) The ending leaves them in insightful and realistic places. It just takes significantly too long to get there. It's realistic for everyone to have their own story, but I wanted more from the road trip, and less of Harry's friend's wife's jealously at her husband's old dalliances.
An exceptional tale of friendship, with significantly unnecessary padding.
This is the tale of thirteen-year old Jeremy, trapped as pawn between his parents, and 75-year old Harry, suffering from mid-stage Alzheimer's Disease. Jeremy is shuffled off to the east coast to spend two months with his bipolar, insufferable mother Rose, a plan engineered by self-absorbed surgeon father Jackson, himself off to Africa for a stint with Doctors Without Borders, to eventually win Rose back. Harry, moved to the west coast away from everything he recognizes by his wife Abby to be closer to his insufferable son Oliver and their grandchildren, skips town to return to his native New Hampshire. Jeremy and Harry meet on the plane, and once Rose abandons Jeremy at the airport, Harry takes him off on a memorable road trip while losing his own memories.
Harry's failing memory was executed beautifully, from the day to day fluctuations, to themes of finding purpose when others write you off to second chances. Jeremy's innocence (and transition to Jay) was a welcome respite from the reprehensible nature of most of the other characters, with the notable exception of Grace. My biggest issue with Taking Flight was that so much space was wasted on characters that didn't deserve it. Our perspective is split in first person between Harry, Jeremy, and Harry's wife Abby. The balance of the narration is third-person perspectives from Jeremy's parents. They're horrid people. Rose abandons her son at the airport and just assumes he caught a flight home, and Jackson cares little for Jeremy beyond how he might impact his inexplicable desire to win his wife back. They utilize despicable attorney Andrew in their sporadic efforts to find Jeremy, now missing for days, frequently turn their phones off or don't answer them, and refuse to call the police, obsessed with their own lives. Harry's son Oliver makes menacing appearances, along with Harry's old friend Nigel, desperate to get into Abby's pants, along with his jealous wife, who once had Harry in her pants.
The storyline pivots and ends on more solid footing, assuming we accept more suspension of disbelief, specifically with issues of room and board.
There's good stuff in here, but while the story acknowledges that most characters are dirtbags, it asks us to spend too much time worrying about their lives. (What on earth was the point of the chapters on the self-locking door??) The ending leaves them in insightful and realistic places. It just takes significantly too long to get there. It's realistic for everyone to have their own story, but I wanted more from the road trip, and less of Harry's friend's wife's jealously at her husband's old dalliances.
An exceptional tale of friendship, with significantly unnecessary padding.
January 8, 2023
Another old book that has been sitting on my shelf for a while. Jeremy is a 13-year-old being forced by his father, Jackson, to spend the summer with his mother, Rose. His parents are divorced and he lives in Seattle with his father since his mother moved to NYC 3 years ago. Jeremy does not want to spend the summer with his mother because she is bipolar and often does not take her meds, leading to depressive episodes that gets Jeremy sent to foster care until his father's return from his Doctors Without Borders stint. Jeremy befriends an old man, Harry, on the plane and, when Rose gets upset with Jeremy and leaves him alone in baggage claim, it is Harry who comes to the rescue. The problem is that Harry is on the run too. He has Alzheimer's and left his wife, Abby, in Seattle to go back to New Hampshire, where they used to live, for a bird watching trip. But he forgot to tell Abby that he was going and she is worried sick about him. Jeremy, who Harry calls Jay, likes bird watching too so they set off together to go back to his old home in NH. There they are taken in by Harry's childhood friend, Grace, and she agrees to lend them her old camper so that they can drive back to Seattle and bird watch on the way. Jay often has to remind Harry what they are doing and why they are doing it but then at other times Harry is completely lucid and in control. They have quite the adventure driving and bird watching until they get into a crash and end up in the hospital. That is when Abby catches up with them and there becomes some unspoken agreement that they will become Jay's unofficial grandparents/guardians. They decide to move back to NH, Jay convinces his parents to let him go to a boarding school nearby and he moves in with them to help Abby care of Harry. Harry lasts until Jay graduates school and along the way we get to witness the unique, loving family that they become. I loved the story of the three of them and could have done without the drama between Jackson and Rose and their storylines which were just a distraction.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2019
Taking Flight has two strands of narrative. One narrative is lovely and charming, albeit unlikely and illegal, while the other involves selfish adults who are more concerned about themselves than their young son, Jeremy.
Thirteen-year-old Jeremy (Jay) is forced by his surgeon father to spend some time in New York City with his mother who has mental health issues. This is in spite of the fact that on previous visits, authorities had to become involved since his mother was unable to care for him. Jeremy's father is off to Africa to spend time with Doctors without Borders. Right in the airport, Jeremy's reunion with his mother goes awry and she leaves him. Luckily, the second narrative comes into play.
Harry is a former professor and bird watcher. In his time he definitely was a Lothario so he has a string of unhappy relationships behind him. His current love, Abby, cares for his while Harry experiences the horrors of Alzheimer's. He has good days and bad and one day he decides to leave his home and return East. It is on the flight to New York that Harry and Jeremy form a tenuous bond. Harry witnesses Jeremy and his mother at the airport so he steps in and takes charge by taking Jeremy away. Their common love for birding is the thread that runs through their story.
Of course it's all illegal and dangerous, and yes, stupid. Parts of their adventure traveling back towards Seattle is downright ridiculous. But, there is just something about how Jeremy begins to find a sense of peace within himself while Harry is finding acceptance with his diagnosis. As they travel, there are intermittent scenes with one or the other of Jeremy's parents and with Abby who is desperate to find Harry.
Jeremy and Harry kept me reading.
Thirteen-year-old Jeremy (Jay) is forced by his surgeon father to spend some time in New York City with his mother who has mental health issues. This is in spite of the fact that on previous visits, authorities had to become involved since his mother was unable to care for him. Jeremy's father is off to Africa to spend time with Doctors without Borders. Right in the airport, Jeremy's reunion with his mother goes awry and she leaves him. Luckily, the second narrative comes into play.
Harry is a former professor and bird watcher. In his time he definitely was a Lothario so he has a string of unhappy relationships behind him. His current love, Abby, cares for his while Harry experiences the horrors of Alzheimer's. He has good days and bad and one day he decides to leave his home and return East. It is on the flight to New York that Harry and Jeremy form a tenuous bond. Harry witnesses Jeremy and his mother at the airport so he steps in and takes charge by taking Jeremy away. Their common love for birding is the thread that runs through their story.
Of course it's all illegal and dangerous, and yes, stupid. Parts of their adventure traveling back towards Seattle is downright ridiculous. But, there is just something about how Jeremy begins to find a sense of peace within himself while Harry is finding acceptance with his diagnosis. As they travel, there are intermittent scenes with one or the other of Jeremy's parents and with Abby who is desperate to find Harry.
Jeremy and Harry kept me reading.
January 12, 2018
An accidental Journey
Left alone in an airport after an argument with his bipolar mother, a 13-yr.-old boy is befriended by a older man with whom he became acquainted on his flight to N.Y. Thus begins a journey that brings a cast of characters into the boy's life as varied as the birds the two search out on their birding expeditions. It soon becomes clear to the young boy that his older friend is suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. The boy, Jay, must deal with his indifferent parents, as well as the friends and family of his aging friend Harry, in his search for his own life direction. His love and caring for Harry becomes a central part of his life and helps him to mature in his dealings with the world around him. This author offers a look at some of the tragic aspects of Alzheimer's, but skips over the worst of times near the end of Harry's life. The use of the birding searches and the birding life book as a technique to draw the plot together works effectively for the author, but it is never really a focus. The book is well-written and the characters are plausible. It is a touching and sensitive look at some of the reasons for the choices people make in their lives.
Left alone in an airport after an argument with his bipolar mother, a 13-yr.-old boy is befriended by a older man with whom he became acquainted on his flight to N.Y. Thus begins a journey that brings a cast of characters into the boy's life as varied as the birds the two search out on their birding expeditions. It soon becomes clear to the young boy that his older friend is suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. The boy, Jay, must deal with his indifferent parents, as well as the friends and family of his aging friend Harry, in his search for his own life direction. His love and caring for Harry becomes a central part of his life and helps him to mature in his dealings with the world around him. This author offers a look at some of the tragic aspects of Alzheimer's, but skips over the worst of times near the end of Harry's life. The use of the birding searches and the birding life book as a technique to draw the plot together works effectively for the author, but it is never really a focus. The book is well-written and the characters are plausible. It is a touching and sensitive look at some of the reasons for the choices people make in their lives.
July 19, 2018
My husband has been diagnosed with the beginning stages of Alzheimers so this book seemed like a life jacket. The young boy, so ignored--so unloved, found an improbable friend in a 75 year old man with dementia. Their strange, endearing friendship became the foundation of Magnuson's story.
They decide to run away together, both trying to escape their unhappiness and almost certain fate. Their conversations are priceless as the old man (Harry) "schools" the 13 year old boy in everything from birds and bees to driving an RV.
I laughed and cried throughout the story. Of course we all know what's coming and it did.
This part says it all: "Harry would be "all right", and we would be there to be "all right" with him. He would forget how to dress himself, and we would tease him into changing. He would forget our names, and we would think up ways to remind him. He would ask the same questions over and over, even though we had just answered, and we would pretend otherwise. He would wander off and we would follow, saying what a great idea he had to go for this walk on such a nice day. In short we would shield him from what lay ahead as long as we were able."
I just walked into the family room and kissed my husband--the husband who someday will be Harry.
They decide to run away together, both trying to escape their unhappiness and almost certain fate. Their conversations are priceless as the old man (Harry) "schools" the 13 year old boy in everything from birds and bees to driving an RV.
I laughed and cried throughout the story. Of course we all know what's coming and it did.
This part says it all: "Harry would be "all right", and we would be there to be "all right" with him. He would forget how to dress himself, and we would tease him into changing. He would forget our names, and we would think up ways to remind him. He would ask the same questions over and over, even though we had just answered, and we would pretend otherwise. He would wander off and we would follow, saying what a great idea he had to go for this walk on such a nice day. In short we would shield him from what lay ahead as long as we were able."
I just walked into the family room and kissed my husband--the husband who someday will be Harry.
December 19, 2019
I read this through without pause. The unlikely friendship between elderly Harry, suffering Alzheimers, and young teenager Jeremy (Jay) suffering from parental manipulation is the central theme of the story, but it is told through the voices of each of the characters in turn: Harry, Jeremy, Harry's wife Abby, Jeremy's wealthy surgeon father Jackson and his estranged and bipolar mother, Rose. Having family members and friends with Alzheimers/dementia I found this a very moving exploration of the mind of Harry - the highs of periods of lucidity and the lows of confusion, loss of memory, and lack of recognition of loved ones. I can also relate to Jeremy's relationship with his parents, having experienced a traumatic one with my own. Having read some of the other reviews where the book has been criticised for being far-fetched, I'd like to say two things: firstly, your reaction to this book will, I strongly feel, depend on your own life experiences; secondly, it would be less likely for this to happen in the UK as it's a much smaller country but I can quite envisage something like this happening in the vastness of the USA. It is well-worth reading, I found it totally absorbing, but with a sad ending - keep your tissues handy for the last pages.
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