Living in the Labyrinth: A Personal Journey Through the Maze of Alzheimer's [Paperback]

Diana McGowin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1994

Living In The Labyrinth is the story of  how one woman found the strength and the courage  to cope with a devastating disease that has  afflicted five million Americans. Far from being an  exercise in self-pity or a standard autobiography,  this is an unflinching and ultimately uplifting look  at a debilitating illness from the inside  out.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A brave record...searingly  honest."--People  

"A stunner of a book...It takes the  reader on a terrifying by enlightening  journey."--San Antonio News Express

From the Publisher

Living In The Labyrinth is the story of how one woman found the strength and the courage to cope with a devastating disease that has afflicted five million Americans. Far from being an exercise in self-pity or a standard autobiography, this is an unflinching and ultimately uplifting look at a debilitating illness from the inside out.

"A brave record...searingly honest."--People

"A stunner of a book...It takes the reader on a terrifying by enlightening journey."--San Antonio News Express

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Delta (October 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385313187
• ISBN-13: 978-0385313186
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.5 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #275,080 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Book, December 4, 2001

By 

Brenda Parris Sibley (Decatur, AL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Living in the Labyrinth: A Personal Journey Through the Maze of Alzheimer's (Paperback)

This amazing book is written by an Alzheimer's victim herself. Diana Friel McGowin began having symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease at age 45. She gives us an inside look at what it's like to have this disease, from the first symptoms noticed, through the ordeal of searching for a diagnosis, to the finality in the diagnosis itself and the daily losses that come. Diana has a wonderful attitude, finding comfort in her memories of simple things: the smell of the small town library of her childhood, the the taste of icicles on her tongue, the sight of the first daffodils of spring, lightning bugs, a train whistle, her grandmother's violin. What a wonderful way to view it all, as she says "I can sometimes enjoy the sweet fragrance of night blooming jasmine when no one else can." We, the children of Alzheimer's victims, hope that a cure can be found, but if it doesn't come in our time, we do have an example of radiant acceptance.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and informative, September 15, 2000

By 

Judith E. Pavluvcik (Dreaming of the beach in Hawaii, but living in the reality of the desert in Arizona!!) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Living in the Labyrinth: A Personal Journey Through the Maze of Alzheimer's (Paperback)

Living in the Labyrinth is a very personal account of one woman's journey through the maze of early-onset Alzheimer's. I found this book to be incredible and helpful as I am coping with a grandmother with Alzheimer's.

I applaud Diana on her fight to maintain her independence as well as on her brutal honesty in letting the reader into very personal areas of her life.

I cannot even begin to imagine what it would be like for a person so young to begin seeing their life slipping away from them and knowing that it will forever be different, no matter how much one wants it to stay the same. Diana does fight - she does not give up and she is still fighting. Her struggles throughout the book, her hiding information from her family and friends, all testify to her strength and fierce determination to conquer this disease.

I thought the actions and reactions of her children as well as her husband was very revealing and at times sad.

This is an excellent book for anyone coping with a loved one with AD - I found it very insightful, informative, and helpful. I found comfort in this book in helping me to deal with my grandmother.

Thank you Diana for allowing us to enter into your private world.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for those caring for others with AD, April 26, 2002

By 

Liz Carroll, Long-Term Care Consultant (Knoxville, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Living in the Labyrinth: A Personal Journey Through the Maze of Alzheimer's (Paperback)

When I first began my zealous quest to understand the disease of Alzheimer's, I stumbled across this book. To this day, it remains the most influential book I've read for understanding stages 1-5. Written in first person, it provides a soul-revealing glimpse into the maze of AD as one woman shares her quest to deal with the loss of function and depression accompanying this stage of the journey. Years later, I still pick it up occassionally to reconnect.