Customer Reviews

If I Forget, You Remember

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The story of a girl dealing not only with the problems faced by most her age, but also her grandmother's medical condition, this book has some very meaningful lessons to share. Despite an unfinished ending , you will probably smile and cry at the same time. It is a wonderful book for anyone experiencing the effects of a loved one's battle with Alzheimer's disease.

Sooner or later most family siblings will have to come to the acknowledgement that their parents are not just getting old, they are old. It is always a hopeful dream of any aged person, that they will not have to be institutionalized and that they can go quickly and not be a burden on their children. But for many families, that just doesn't happen.

I would suggest for family siblings having to deal with aging parents, that they purchase this book and read it together. In- spite of the fact that the Kirkus Review said this was a sad story, I think "If I Forget, You Remember" has a lot of wonderful humor to it. Humor is the key to anyone's salvation in taking care of the aged.

Carol Lynch Williams has done a wonderful job in making sure the reader doesn't get bogged down in the seriousness of the book. She has managed to show the devastaion of Alzheimers desease yet instills a sense of confidence that taking care of an aged parent isn't only possible, but it can be done while maintaing a somewhat normal lifestyle.

The one great quality of this book is how the family supports the mother/grandmother and always lets her know how much they love her. They love her no matter what she does. They understand that she isn't the way she wants to be. And this love and caring is never breeched even by tragic events.

I think "If I forget, You Remember" should be on every shelf of every home who has a parent or grandparent living there. When that time comes, to us all, that time when we realize we are old, it would be nice to know that your children could read a copy of "If I forget, You Remember".

Marv

P.S. My favorite color is spring-green--for those who have read
the book.

As a Principal of a K-6 Elementary I read this book with 4th,5th and 6th graders as part of a "Principal's Book Talk" program. This was a very realistic and moving book for this age group. They related to a lot of the problems that the main character went through. They could easily relate to the bullies and the main character's problems she faced with trying to fit in. We really enjoyed the way the author describes the character's feelings and thoughts that the events touched in her. I thought this was a great book to share with this age group because of the situations and experiences they face on a daily basis. Her relationship with her grandmother was very touching. If you are a student, teacher, or parent, this would be a great book to share with others.

Elyse faces many changes over her summer vacation from sixth to seventh grade. Her grandmother develops Alzheimer's, her widowed mother begins dating and Elyse develops a crush. In the midst of seemingly disastrous situation she faces, Elyse finds out who she really is when begins to pursue a career in writing. She discovers how important is to support and trust friends and family members. The novel encompasses themes of loss, sacrifice, priorities and family unity. Those who enjoy reading about the changes a pre-teen girl faces, and are interested in learning about Alzheimer's will want to read this book.