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Finding the Right Words: A Story of Literature, Grief, and the Brain
The moving story of an English professor studying neurology in order to understand and come to terms with her father's death from Alzheimer's.
In 1985, when Cindy Weinstein was a graduate student at UC Berkeley, her beloved father, Jerry, was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. He was 58 years old. Twelve years later, at age 70, he died having lost all of his memories, along with his ability to read, write, and speak.
Finding the Right Words follows Weinstein's decades-long journey to come to terms with her father's dementia as both a daughter and an English professor. Although her lifelong love of language and literature gave her a way to talk about her grief, she realized that she also needed to learn more about the science of dementia to make sense of her father's death. To write her story, she collaborated with Dr. Bruce L. Miller, neurologist and director of the Memory and Aging Center at the University of California, San Francisco, combining personal memoir, literature, and the science and history of brain health into a unique, educational, and meditative work.
Finding the Right Words is an invaluable guide for families dealing with a life-changing diagnosis.
The book is published by Johns Hopkins University Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.
"Exceptionally well written, organized and presented." (Midwest Book Review)
"A compelling story that will likely touch many who have lived through the loss of a family member with dementia." (Anne M. Kenny, MD, Emerita Professor, University of Connecticut)
"Read this book to understand how your brain creates your self." (Jeffrey Cummings, MD, ScD, University of Nevada Las Vegas)
In 1985, when Cindy Weinstein was a graduate student at UC Berkeley, her beloved father, Jerry, was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. He was 58 years old. Twelve years later, at age 70, he died having lost all of his memories, along with his ability to read, write, and speak.
Finding the Right Words follows Weinstein's decades-long journey to come to terms with her father's dementia as both a daughter and an English professor. Although her lifelong love of language and literature gave her a way to talk about her grief, she realized that she also needed to learn more about the science of dementia to make sense of her father's death. To write her story, she collaborated with Dr. Bruce L. Miller, neurologist and director of the Memory and Aging Center at the University of California, San Francisco, combining personal memoir, literature, and the science and history of brain health into a unique, educational, and meditative work.
Finding the Right Words is an invaluable guide for families dealing with a life-changing diagnosis.
The book is published by Johns Hopkins University Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.
"Exceptionally well written, organized and presented." (Midwest Book Review)
"A compelling story that will likely touch many who have lived through the loss of a family member with dementia." (Anne M. Kenny, MD, Emerita Professor, University of Connecticut)
"Read this book to understand how your brain creates your self." (Jeffrey Cummings, MD, ScD, University of Nevada Las Vegas)
- GenresNonfiction
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First published September 7, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 7, 2021
It’s a little ironic that I’m having trouble finding just the words to describe a book called Finding the Right Words. This little book is packed with so very much. It’s a memoir, it’s a study of the brain, it’s a love letter to literature, and it’s a journey through grief. This book will stay with me for some time, and I’ll be recommending it to friends as they go through Alzheimer’s with loved ones.
In Finding the Right Words, Cindy Weinstein starts each section with a different focus. She writes of her memories of her father, both before and after his diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s at age 58. After her moving and personal memoir, neurologist Dr. Bruce Miller follows her chapter with medical commentary, giving readers an in-depth understanding of brain disorders. We learn the history of the illness and we learn how far the medical field has come in its diagnosis and treatment of such disorders.
Weinstein’s background and love of literature are evident throughout this book. She compares much of her grief and her father’s journey to classic works of literature that we’ve all read (or should have read--I’m looking at you, Moby Dick). At the end of the book, the suggested reading list includes not only resources related to dementia, but also pages and pages of literature suggestions. This to me may be what makes the book stand out the most--Weinstein takes what she knows and she writes her grief through that lens.
In Finding the Right Words, Cindy Weinstein starts each section with a different focus. She writes of her memories of her father, both before and after his diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s at age 58. After her moving and personal memoir, neurologist Dr. Bruce Miller follows her chapter with medical commentary, giving readers an in-depth understanding of brain disorders. We learn the history of the illness and we learn how far the medical field has come in its diagnosis and treatment of such disorders.
Weinstein’s background and love of literature are evident throughout this book. She compares much of her grief and her father’s journey to classic works of literature that we’ve all read (or should have read--I’m looking at you, Moby Dick). At the end of the book, the suggested reading list includes not only resources related to dementia, but also pages and pages of literature suggestions. This to me may be what makes the book stand out the most--Weinstein takes what she knows and she writes her grief through that lens.
April 11, 2024
A solid idea - using the humanities and science to discuss the griefs and difficulties of Alzheimer’s- that should be utilized more today to help people better understand the world. However, the execution was not quite there. I think this is because the sections got a little too technical at times.
September 8, 2021
Finding the Right Words: A Story of Literature, Grief, and the Brain
Author, Cindy Weinstein with Bruce L. Miller, MD
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Pub date: September 7, 2021
Thank you @lettalkbookspromo and @kccpr for my #gifted copy and the opportunity to participate on this tour!
~ The moving story of an English professor studying neurology in order to understand and come to terms with her farther's death from Alzheimer's. ~
Synopsis:
In 1985, author Cindy Weinstein was a graduate student at UC Berkeley when her father, Jerry, began to experience losses in his short- term memory, which indicated a deterioration of the hippocampus and loss of words, which then led to the diagnosis of the logopenic variant, a language syndrome highly characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. Only at fifty- eight years old, Jerry was diagnosed with early- onset Alzheimer's disease. In 2021, according to the Alzheimer's Association, more than six million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease- a progressive disease whose impact is devastating and overwhelming for the loved ones and caregivers left in its wake. Twelve years later, Jerry died after having lost all of his memories and his ability to read, write, and speak.
Finding the Right Words is an intelligent and moving personal memoir that follows Cindy, an English professor, who has a lifelong passion for language and literature. Through her poignant memoir, she finds a way to finally put down in words his story, her grief, and her process of understanding this desase. By collaborating with Dr. Bruce L. Miller, Neurologist and Director of the Memory and Aging Center at the University of California in San Francisco, Cindy also is able to learn, share, and intellectualize the science of dementia.
Review:
Throughout her memoir, Cindy shared memories of her father from both before and after his diagnosis, which really allowed the reader to connect with her grieving process. As a daughter of a father who passed away way too early in his wonderful and fulfilled life of a progressive and devastating cancer of which there is no cure, her words of sadness and joy resonated in my heart and sparked feelings of grief even almost fourteen years later. The process of grief is lonely and different for everyone and there is no end point. It's always insightful and admirable to learn how others fumble through this inevitable and humbling journey. Cindy is managing to make sense of her father's diagnosis and cope with the his death through storytelling and metaphors by escaping into classic literature- the best way she knows how.
Cindy's chapters were followed by Dr. Miller's thorough explanation of the science of brain health, the neurology of Alzheimer's dementia, and of his experiences throughout his career. By integrating both a personal and a scientific side in this unique memoir, the reader has the opportunity to empathize with shared experiences, gain knowledge, understand the importance of advocacy, and aid in the grieving process. As a Nurse Practitioner, I thought that the interdisciplinary approach of the two authors was unique and an invaluable emotional and medical approach to Cindy's story. Together, they found the right words.
~ The brain- is wider than the sky ~ Emily Dickinson
Author, Cindy Weinstein with Bruce L. Miller, MD
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Pub date: September 7, 2021
Thank you @lettalkbookspromo and @kccpr for my #gifted copy and the opportunity to participate on this tour!
~ The moving story of an English professor studying neurology in order to understand and come to terms with her farther's death from Alzheimer's. ~
Synopsis:
In 1985, author Cindy Weinstein was a graduate student at UC Berkeley when her father, Jerry, began to experience losses in his short- term memory, which indicated a deterioration of the hippocampus and loss of words, which then led to the diagnosis of the logopenic variant, a language syndrome highly characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. Only at fifty- eight years old, Jerry was diagnosed with early- onset Alzheimer's disease. In 2021, according to the Alzheimer's Association, more than six million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease- a progressive disease whose impact is devastating and overwhelming for the loved ones and caregivers left in its wake. Twelve years later, Jerry died after having lost all of his memories and his ability to read, write, and speak.
Finding the Right Words is an intelligent and moving personal memoir that follows Cindy, an English professor, who has a lifelong passion for language and literature. Through her poignant memoir, she finds a way to finally put down in words his story, her grief, and her process of understanding this desase. By collaborating with Dr. Bruce L. Miller, Neurologist and Director of the Memory and Aging Center at the University of California in San Francisco, Cindy also is able to learn, share, and intellectualize the science of dementia.
Review:
Throughout her memoir, Cindy shared memories of her father from both before and after his diagnosis, which really allowed the reader to connect with her grieving process. As a daughter of a father who passed away way too early in his wonderful and fulfilled life of a progressive and devastating cancer of which there is no cure, her words of sadness and joy resonated in my heart and sparked feelings of grief even almost fourteen years later. The process of grief is lonely and different for everyone and there is no end point. It's always insightful and admirable to learn how others fumble through this inevitable and humbling journey. Cindy is managing to make sense of her father's diagnosis and cope with the his death through storytelling and metaphors by escaping into classic literature- the best way she knows how.
Cindy's chapters were followed by Dr. Miller's thorough explanation of the science of brain health, the neurology of Alzheimer's dementia, and of his experiences throughout his career. By integrating both a personal and a scientific side in this unique memoir, the reader has the opportunity to empathize with shared experiences, gain knowledge, understand the importance of advocacy, and aid in the grieving process. As a Nurse Practitioner, I thought that the interdisciplinary approach of the two authors was unique and an invaluable emotional and medical approach to Cindy's story. Together, they found the right words.
~ The brain- is wider than the sky ~ Emily Dickinson
September 9, 2021
Finding The Right Words takes us through Cindy’s journey who in 1985, as a graduate student at Berkeley, finds out her dad has been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. This book details her coming to terms with her father’s diagnosis and eventual death. Knowing that she didn’t have the scientific background to make sense of her father’s illness she sets out to learn as much as she can which leads to a friendship with Dr. Bruce Miller. A neurologist at the University of California. That friendship grew into a collaboration on this book which is “both an invaluable guide for families dealing with a life-changing diagnosis and a conversation that combines memoir, literature, and the science and history of brain health into a unique, educational, and meditative work.”
There were a few key things in this book that I really enjoyed. One, I loved having both Cindy and Dr. Miller’s perspectives. Each chapter would start with Cindy’s story and then Dr. Miller would follow with some fascinating science behind what her father was experiencing and why. Secondly, I loved how Cindy shared her relationship with books. She escaped into the world of novels to run away from what was happening with her father and I can totally relate to that. Books are an escape for me! And she has a FASCINATING take on some classic novels that is SO interesting! Lastly, I really learned a good bit about the brain. As a nurse, anything medical intrigues me and this one has some really interesting take home points! My favorite being that reading and continuing to learn as being well studied as a way to diminish your chances of Alzheimer’s!
There were a few key things in this book that I really enjoyed. One, I loved having both Cindy and Dr. Miller’s perspectives. Each chapter would start with Cindy’s story and then Dr. Miller would follow with some fascinating science behind what her father was experiencing and why. Secondly, I loved how Cindy shared her relationship with books. She escaped into the world of novels to run away from what was happening with her father and I can totally relate to that. Books are an escape for me! And she has a FASCINATING take on some classic novels that is SO interesting! Lastly, I really learned a good bit about the brain. As a nurse, anything medical intrigues me and this one has some really interesting take home points! My favorite being that reading and continuing to learn as being well studied as a way to diminish your chances of Alzheimer’s!
April 1, 2023
As an English major, a lover of books and a former dementia caregiver, I was deeply moved by Finding the Right Words. Perfectly titled, this book blends the voices of an English professor and a scientist. After 30 years, Cindy Weinstein revisits her father's illness with the help of neurologist Bruce Miller. At the time of her father's Alzheimer's diagnosis (he was 58), Cindy was a graduate student living across the country from him.
Cindy's love of literature permeates her deeply emotional story, one fragmented by distance and the pain of losing a much-loved father to a confusing disease. Bruce helps fill the gaps with his compassionate understanding and in-depth analysis of brain disorders. Cindy is gut wrenchingly honest about her inability to grieve the loss of her father at the time of his death. Literary references threaded throughout the book help underscore the vulnerable position both she and her father were in, and Cindy's love of books becomes both a shield and a vehicle to process her grief. With a neurologist's precision, Bruce gently escorts her through the complicated layers of Alzheimer's. In the end, this story honors what matters most -- Cindy's love for her father and the relationship, full of kindness and respect, that she and Bruce share.
I have read many books about Alzheimer's, but this one made me slow down and savor each sentence and each section -- partly because I too love books, and partly because I relived my own mother's Alzheimer's and gained new understanding through both Cindy and Bruce's words. I'm so grateful for this treasure of a book!
Cindy's love of literature permeates her deeply emotional story, one fragmented by distance and the pain of losing a much-loved father to a confusing disease. Bruce helps fill the gaps with his compassionate understanding and in-depth analysis of brain disorders. Cindy is gut wrenchingly honest about her inability to grieve the loss of her father at the time of his death. Literary references threaded throughout the book help underscore the vulnerable position both she and her father were in, and Cindy's love of books becomes both a shield and a vehicle to process her grief. With a neurologist's precision, Bruce gently escorts her through the complicated layers of Alzheimer's. In the end, this story honors what matters most -- Cindy's love for her father and the relationship, full of kindness and respect, that she and Bruce share.
I have read many books about Alzheimer's, but this one made me slow down and savor each sentence and each section -- partly because I too love books, and partly because I relived my own mother's Alzheimer's and gained new understanding through both Cindy and Bruce's words. I'm so grateful for this treasure of a book!
March 13, 2022
Weinstein has penned a raw and poignant memoir that processes, reflects, and reprocesses her father’s experience with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Decades after her beloved father’s passing, Cindy Weinstein, a literature professor, connects with Bruce Miller, a dementia neurologist. As such, the writings of Weinstein and Miller are interleaved within each chapter, which provides the reader a fascinating juxtaposition of the inner minds of a literature professor and an eminent neurologist as they share their distinct perspectives on Jerry’s illness. Weinstein writes with her mind wide open, like the pages of one’s intimate diary, showing incredible strength and vulnerability as she reflects and reconsiders the past. Miller writes clearly and compassionately, and not only provides an understandable scientific background to Jerry’s symptoms and situations, but also the historical context of the understanding of dementia. This unique and powerful book relates a universal human experience and should be read by anyone and everyone.
September 13, 2021
3.5 stars. I really enjoyed both the personal and scientific perspectives that are given in this book. I love following Cindy's journey in trying to understand more about her father's experiences with Alzheimer's disease. I enjoyed the mix of a daughter's perspective along with a more scientific explanation of what was probably happening when Cindy was seeing the changes in her father. I also liked Dr. Miller's personal stories as well. There were a few part where I felt the focus jumped around a little bit in the beginning but I would recommend this to people who have a diagnosis in their families.
November 21, 2022
Finding the Right Words is an excellent blend of personal narrative and scientific explanation. I felt like I got to know and appreciate both authors during my time with this book. It was great to hear the perspective of Cindy, looking back, as a young woman, struggling with her own life development on top of adapting to life with a father who is cognitively declining. I think it would be helpful for caregivers and family of those living with Dementia to read this book and know that the emotions and uncertainty are very normal, that they certainly aren’t alone on this journey.
December 7, 2021
I appreciate Cindy's discussion of her dad's illness and its impact on her but I can't help thinking that this is much too personal for publication. Purging her own guilt and grief can be cleansing of course but I'm not entirely sure it merits a wider audience.
September 5, 2022
A memoir about coping with parent having early onset Alzheimer's disease. Also a lot of information about how the brain works.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews