Saving Cecilia

by Elle Botz

It's Christmastime

but nothing will be the same without the two women who kept Cee Cee tethered to the Earth. Especially not the holidays. With her grandmother, Cecilia, quickly being consumed by Alzheimer's, and the loss of her mother still so heavy on her heart, Cee Cee is navigating the season the best she can.

She's determined, through countless batches of shortbread cookies, and cups of coffee smuggled into the nursing home, to bring one last spark of memory out of Cecila. Will it work? And will the recognition be enough to bring some joy into an otherwise darkening year for Cee Cee?

39 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 26, 2018

About the author

Elle is a coffee fiend, baker, and storyteller. She lives in Wyoming--a place where the beautiful landscapes and warm people have inspired the best parts of her writing.

She writes Sweet Romance and Women's Fiction, and loves the opportunity to provide enjoyable escapes and stories where the good guys win to her readers.

Reviews

[Lea · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sweet story! I read this as a challenge category fulfillment for a local author and it was great! I didn’t know what I was in for but coming to terms with my own loss helped me really get into this story.

[Bookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly relatable, powerful story.

This story is not long but it sure packs a punch. It is powerfully emotive, not only in the writing but also in its messages about caring for those we love and maintaining our relationships with family beyond what is merely convenient or, worse still, shallow tokenism.

‘Saving Cecilia’ is the story of Cee Cee and her grandmother, Cecilia, and the love between them that endures despite the ravages of grief, time and Cecilia’s dementia.

I found that I could identify strongly with Cee Cee, having cared for my own mother during her own battle with that soulless disease, and having experienced many of the same anxieties and sorrows that Cee Cee did. Her character was very honestly and thoughtfully developed, particularly through her relationship with Cecilia and her thoughts and responses to the events and other characters of the story.

This is a story that everyone from mid-teens and older should read, because at some time in our life, most people will know a Cecilia or a Cee Cee if they are blessed enough to not actually become them.

[Dale Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book touched my heart and made me cry.