Still Alice moved me to tears as I watched Alice Howland, a brilliant cognitive psychology professor at Harvard, try to hold on to her sense of self as her mind rapidly declines due to early onset Alzheimer’s disease. The book’s vivid depiction of the surreal life forced upon Alzheimer’s victims and their caregivers will definitely help promote Alzheimer’s awareness.

It was a great book written from the woman's point of view. It journeyed through her forgetting things and thinking it may be menopause, to knowing something was seriously wrong. It touched on many subject like the husband and wife's relationship, her relationship with her colleages, and her children. The children have a 50% chance of developing this disease. A wonderful story that will make you laugh and cry in the same passage.

We all recognize symptoms in ourselves and loved ones, but this gave us accuracy of the actual progression of this tragic disease. Written with warmth and compassion about a brilliant mind genetically programmed to self-destruct. You really care about Alice and her struggles.

I really enjoyed this book! This story is told not just from the patient's perspective but you get a feel for what the family, friends and doctors of the patient experience as well. I went through a variety of emotions as I progressed through the book. I laughed more than I thought that I would and cried as much as expected. I felt anger/frustration at Alice and her family in the beginning. But then began to understand and relate to them more as the book went on. This story made me look at this disease in a whole new way. Having a family member recently diagnosed; this book gave me lots to think about. I strongly suggest this book!

I loved that Dr. Alice Howland was able to write (of course fictionally) about her decline into early onset Alzheimers. From reading about Ms. Genova, i believe that it was pretty spot on as far as the medical defiency in Alzheimers patients. I loved Alice's speech where she explained what it was like, because people often overlook them. It was beautiful. I loved that her relationship with her children became much richer when she was able to slough off the demands that she had created for them earlier in her life. She was much more unconditionaly loving.

Alice is a victim of early on set Alzheimer's Disease. This is her story. I couldn't put the novel down. I am going to recommend it to my book club.

This book told the reader how Alzheimer's feels from the victim's perspective and it not only frightened me a little but made me stop and think about things I could do to make my life healthier. It is a beautiful book that I enjoyed with crying and even laughter. I loved it!

thought provoking, and i couldn't put it down. you are in the mind of Alice as she grapples with clarity. And you witness how her family and colleagues respond

This book resonated very strongly with my work with dementia patients. I loved the different family dynamics that play out, as well as the fact that that author made sure that some of the reactions to this devastating disease were hurtful and insensitive. That's the reality. Although there were a couple parts I found to be rather far reaching, overall I felt that this was very insightful and a big help in understanding people who are unravelled by this desease.

Our book club read this for July 2009 - it was wonderful, our discussion was thought provoking and a few tears were shed...at the end of each of our meetings we rate our books and this received a unanimous 10...

What an eye opener. Thought I had read a lot about alzheimers, but this book takes it out of the clinical and places it in every day life. Gave me lots more understanding for my neices who placed their dad in a home where he can be monitored and his condition understood by a caring staff.

Alice's story is one that needs to be shared and celebrated. Alzheimer's is often misununderstood and ignored, particularly early onset. This story is told with passion and compassion. I couldn't put it down. Alice is a brilliant woman who is completely caught off guard by the disease; she is literally struck down by it midstride in the prime of her life. I was moved to action. I have an idea for a fund raiser with my daughter's sorority, which supports Alzheimers. I cried the last half of the book - get your box of Kleenex out!

This was a book I would have never picked up had it not been for being on the bookclub list but am glad I read it. I know several people who are taking care of Altheimer's inflicted parents and it was very informative on the disease. So often we see it all from the caregivers perspective but here, the author brings the disease to light via the victims perspective, which I found the most intriguing.

A warm insightful story.

Such a well written book on a heart breaking & tragic disease. Left me with great insite.

Very insightful and interesting book with helpful information. A can't put down book.

This book was a look into what it must be like to have Althimers (Sp?) disease. The was it was written was easy to read and inspiring.

It's the story of one woman's journey into early onset alszimers disease and how it affects her whole family. I have to say it was very well written on a very sad and most difficult disease that anyone should have to go through.

I found this book to be very insightful. It provides a look at this awful disease from the patient's point of view. If you or anyone you know is dealing with or knows someone with this disease this is a must read. I think it will help you understand the fear & uncertainty that confusion brings as well as the coping mechanisms that are used. Great discussion book.

Such a quick and unexpected read for me; this book broke my heart, scared the hell out of me, and had me, at turns, cheering and weeping for Alice. If you have had a family member or loved one afflicted with Alzheimer's or dimentia, you will relate to this book. The author is a scientist with the heart and soul of a brilliant storyteller. Loved this one!

Difficult subject that most people prefer to shy away from, yet so much a part of so many lives. I loved that this book was written from the point of view of someone who is actually suffering from early onset Alzheimer's Disease. Very insightful. Almost haunting. I read it months ago and still can't get it out of my mind.

Interesting perspective having the patient (Alice) give her viewpoint of her illness. Good character development of the whole family. Interesting to have a linguistics proffessor (Harvard no less) with Alzheimer's. Informative. Great book for a book club discussion (we are still talking about it after we met). Wonderfully written.

Don't miss reading this book. I almost did and I would have regretted it. Still Alice gives so much insight into the world of Alzheimer's from the perspective of the inflicted. It was catching from the beginning. I was able to put myself in Alice's shoes and live the ride. Not a great ride but a very thought provoking and for me emotional ride. My book club is reading this in February and I can't wait to see what everyone else thought. It will be a great discussion I think. Don't miss this book - it is a fast read but worth every laugh, disturbing thought, and tear!

Don't miss reading this book. I almost did and I would have regretted it. Still Alice gives so much insight into the world of Alzheimer's from the perspective of the inflicted. It was catching from the beginning. I was able to put myself in Alice's shoes and live the ride. Not a great ride but a very thought provoking and for me emotional ride. My book club is reading this in February and I can't wait to see what everyone else thought. It will be a great discussion I think. Don't miss this book - it is a fast read but worth every laugh, disturbing thought, and tear!

Reading Still Alice is a bit like watching a train wreck. It's devastatingly real, frightening, and you can't take your eyes off it, or in this case, you can't put it down. This month by month chronicle of a brilliant woman's decline into early onset Alzheimer's Disease will keep you up long after you should turn the light's out. We, the readers, can all relate to Alice on so many levels and the unfolding of her family's reactions to this life changing news, is riveting. Alice will stay with you long after you finish the book

Still Alice is a dramatic, emotional, story that our book club was glad that they read, although it was not an easy read. The book tells the story of Alice, a 50-year old Harvard Professor who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's Disease, from Her point of view. The book begins with misplaced items and forgotten words that can be easily attributed to aging, hormones and/or stress. As the book progresses, so does her disease. Alice remains aware, at least to some extent, until almost the very end of the book that she has Alzheimer's and she knows what the disease is taking from her. It is this knowledge and self-awareness that makes some scenes in the book, although compelling, emotionally difficult to read.

Interspersed regularly throughout the story are moments where Alice is alone, usually at home or in her office, and the reader's access to her unfiltered thoughts and feelings at those times makes clear the unremitting progression of her disease. However, it is Alice's interactions with her family members, the choices that they each make about how to deal with the progression of her disease, and the affect the disease has on their relationship with Alice, that really move the story forward. At least for our group, it was also the actions/reactions of her family that stimulated the most lively portions of our discussion.

This book was very well written and quite insightful...we many times think of the poor care givers...but rarely get a view into the terror that EOAD patients are expiriencing...as they lose their memories...and mind.

This was a very depressing story but overall a lot of information I didn't know. I read it in a day so not hard to get into and the story pulls you along. Very good for discussion.

A compelling page turner!

This is a debut novel and a wonderful attempt at explaining dementia from the viewpoint of the afflicted 50 year old Alice. Alice is a Harvard professor and teaches psychology, linguistics and cognitive development. That makes her "fall" into dementia that much more harrowing. The idea of this book was brilliant and the only reason I didn't rate it 5 stars was because the ending felt a little forced and much of the dialogue was too "pat." Still, it was a great read and highly recommended.

Sensitive and informative rendering

Topic generated impressive discussion at our book club meeting. Participants shared their personal experiences and knowledge of the topic. My husband and I are looking into long term health care.

Insightful in understanding beginnings of dementia issues.

A middle-aged woman is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimers and life as she knows it is over. This story reveals the saddness, confusion, disappointment, and rage experienced by an Alzheimers patient. The author does a fantastic job of using a third person narrative to show the perspective of a person diagnosed with this awful disease. Incredibly depressing, but a worthwhile read. Our book club had a lot to talk about, stories to relate about relatives who have gone through similar diagnoses. This book affected each of us differently. There were parts of the book that were vague which allowed us all to speculate and debate whether Alice's relatives knew certain things or various motivations. This wasn't due to a lack of plot filling on the author's side, but rather things we couldn't possibly know because we only know what Alice knows. Anyway, it left a lot of room for discussion. We all thought this was a good book. I would recommend this for other book clubs with a warning that, particularly if you are over forty, you will likely question everything you forget as a possible sign of Alzheimers for a couple of months following!

This book is about early onset alzheimer's. Really puts things in perspective as to taking life more seriously. It was sad but I thought made for great discussion and is one of those terrible things that could happen to anyone.

This was wonderfully written in the perspective of an Early Onset Alzheimers patient....it was heartbreaking and tearjerking..definitely a worthwhile book for a book club

Still Alice was a WONDERFUL book. I read it in two days, I couldn't put it down.

The thing that sets this book about a woman with Early Onset Alzheimer's disease apart is that it is told from the patient's point of view.

Very educational info on Alzheimer's and helped me to understand the disease and its progression. I liked that it was written from the disease sufferer's viewpoint. Well written.

While Alzheimer's destroys the memories, it doesn't rob the heart. It was a memorable and enlightening story for our book club. It also spun off many good discussion topics. One of our members said it was an 'important' book, and I believe that's true. Highly recommend this book.

Still Alice is a well written book that is easy to read, is convincing and very informative. I thought the ending was perfect.

Our group loved this book even though it is devastatingly sad and frightening. It is beautifully written and it feels like you truly are able to understand how nightmarish life with this disease is.

Beautifully written with a terrific young woman suffering from Alzheimer's.

While this disease is "still hopeless" to those who have it, this book did give a positive step one can take if they are young enough to have children. Do as the main character's daughter did and have her embryos checked for the Alzheimer's gene. This would at least ensure that your children would not get it and help eradicate the disease. Other than this, the book did not offer much hope. It did examine the reactions to this disease by loved ones as well as the victim. Who is to know how you would try to cope with a spouse having it, and is trying to keep a future alive for yourself selfish or just trying to survive? This book packs an emotional punch.

My book club really liked this book. I think we especially liked it because it was from the unique perspective of the person with Alzheimer's. The author did her homework and made the story fun and compelling. You could not help but relate to the characters in the book because of their honest reactions.

A look at Alzheimer's from the patients perspective. Still Alice is not a book written in beautiful passages but is information driven. Genova is a scientist by trade and her writting is somewhat clumsy but the subject matter ...WOW! She describes the unraveling of the life of a brilliant woman at the top of her career in a competite academic environment. We watch as her priorities change as her disease progresses. The reactions of her three children and husband to her disease and the different ways each of them deal with and react to her situation is quite believeable. A heartbreaking story of loss of self.

The author gave an insightful view of the impact Alzheimer's disease has on not only the individual who develops the illness but also those who love and care for that individual. While the illness is devastating, it can also provide an opportunity to improve relationships as all those involve learn to cope and overcome.

Very well written. Moving, sad but beautiful!

I understand this illness (Alzheimer's dementia) from a professional point of view. This book gives you "the other view", the one from the patient suffering from it. The portray of the Alzheimer's patient is 100% true. It is brilliantly written. You need time to process what Alice is going through. Interesting family dynamics and how this illness can change them. It will give you a lot to talk about at the book club meeting. I'd recommend this book to everyone, but specially to those who would like to understand this illness from another perspective.

I think this is one of the most well-written books we have read as a bookclub. I say that because I had to remind myself over and over again that it wasn't Alice who was writing her own story. The topic is certainly a difficult one, but one that we should all be aware of in the end. I am 55 and have found myself questioning everything I forget to do or whenever I find myself standing in a room for no particular reason! I freely recommend this book as an important, engaging read for anyone.

This story was very effectively told from the point of view of an Alzheimer's patient. It wouldn't have been nearly as interesting if told by another character in the book.

This book was difficult to read at times. It seemed to me to be every person's worst nightmare, but I feel like I might be a better person for reading it, like I might have a better understanding for what a person with alzheimer's might be feeling. It is a horrible lonely disease, and I was amazed by the way the writer was able to capture the feelings of Alice and make the reader walk in her shoes. It was brilliant!

This book sat on my book shelf for over a year as I thought it would be too depressing. While the subject matter is hard to think about, this is a beautifully written book told from the perspective of a patient with early-onset Alzheimer's. I was blown away by this story & it haunted be for several weeks.

This is a book best read at one or two sittings as it is quite intense. Our group enjoyed a wide-ranging discussion, finding in Still Alice a very well-written and researched source of the loss of identity inherent in this disease.

Although it would be difficult to say I "enjoyed" the story it was a good read. I think it gave insightful views into a declining life but also unrealistic expectations of a family with 3 children and a patient organized support group. Still a recommend from me. I did not find it depressing but instead informative.

It has been several months since I have read this book. Sometimes I think it is easier to judge the impact of a book if it is not quite so fresh. I read so many different books that the details of most become quite blurry after a while. That is not the case with this one. Still Alice is so different from anything else that I have read that I think I will always remember it. I was totally captivated by the story of Alice and the narration of the progression of her disease. This is a book that would be great for a book club because of the discussion that it would elicit. Unfortunately, I had to miss the meeting when my club reviewed this book, but I hear that it was quite emotional and deep.

Makes you really appreciate the freedom you have.

I think this is an important book to read since so many people know someone who is affected by Alzheimer's. Because it is a disease that affects the mind, sufferers and their families often have a difficult time getting support from those around them. This book will help people to have a better understanding of the disease and, hopefully, help them to be more compassionate.

I finished the book in a day. I found it to be so engrossing with the powerful family dimensions. It's amazing how one person deals with things so differently than the next. Perhaps Alice did things that I wouldn't do, but it was her decision to make while she was able to do so. I feel as if I have a better understanding of this disease after reading the book. Great Job on the first novel Lisa! A couple of my friends took very different things from the book. One of them completely despised the husband. I felt he coped as best he could. The daughters handled the situation in their own unique ways too.

A well written informative but scary look at the journey of an early onset Alzheimer's victim from first diagnosis to her loss of many cognitive faculties and almost total dependence on others.

Very good read

This was a very well written book and very informative. The book at various times was difficult and sad but it tells a story that is all to true for many families. A must read.

Great book.

It was a sad story told from Alice's viewpoint. She was brilliant and had trouble remembering where she was, what she was to do at age 50. Her husband was not helpful and her children were a mixture of helpfulness. Very well researched and a must read for everyone.

Alice may be fictional,but that makes her no less relevant in any way. Alice will stay with you long after you put this book down, and she SHOULD. This account of a woman in her 50's diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's Disease is remarkable, in that it's an account from the point of view of the person with the disease. A striking portrait from the inside looking out. This may well be as close as one can get to experiencing this disease the way a person who has it does. Genuinely and profoundly moving, this is a book everyone should read.

It made you think and appreciate what you have right now.

I loved reading this book, gives insight into a terrifying disease.

A very quick and easy read. Sad story line, but I found myself laughing at parts as well. A great read for a book club. Lots to discuss. Take time away from your normal genre and pick up Still Alice. It will be worth your time.

I really like this book. I read it within two days, due to the fact that I wanted to keep reading about what happens next. I found this book to be accurate, and touching. I loved the relationship between Alice and her youngest daughter Lydia. This book was easy to read, the characters were likable, I felt like I knew Alice and her family.

Excellent writing. Lisa Genova is a knowledgeable skillful writer on matters of the brain plus she keeps her characters interesting and is always concise and to the point. Her books do not drag on and on. Very easy to read. Would recommend this book to anyone whether they are dealing with Alzheimer's in their family or not.

I read this book in one day. It grabbed me and wouldn't let me go. This is a book that everyone should read.

This book was a great book club pick as it has so many potential conversation points. Very respectful, thoughtful book written from the perspective of of a terminally ill woman, but interestingly enough - not really a sad read.

Still Alice is a look into Alzheimer's disease from the eyes of the patient. So sad to indure the loss of losing yourself. Very well written and made me understand the disease at a whole new level. Alice is a Harvard professor and is diagnosed with Alzheimers at the age of 51.

I believe somehow everyone is effected by alzheimer's disease! Whether we know it or not, someone in our lives has been touched by this dreadful disease. This book give the reader insight into what the day to day livelihood is like for the person with the disease.
Having worked with the Alzheimer's population, people sometimes forget that the patient is still a human being. Still Alice focuses on the perspective of the patient. Alice always is personified as a living, breathing, frustrated, and sometimes scared person.
Lisa Genova does a fantastic job advocating for the Alzheimers patients by sharing this book with readers. I believe this is a book everyone should read.

Our club had a lengthy discussion about this book....it was an eye opener as to how Alzheimers is perceived. Would definitely recommend to other clubs!

Our book club really liked this book and would definitely recommend it. The writing was excellent and we all felt we were inside Alice's head.

A great read!

I didn't know what to expect when I began reading, but Genova does an excellent job in allowing the reader to get to know Alice. I loved her and her family by the end of the story. I highly recommend this book, especially for book clubs, because readers will want to discuss this story after you've read it.

Some very powerful moments in the book, our book club really liked it, many relatable characters throughout....but not my first choice.

unique because it is written from the perspective of the alzheimers patient herself. Great discussion.

I thought it was not very believeable.

Seventeen women discussed Lisa Genova’s Still Alice on the men’s patio at Valleybrook. The book was universally liked, given ratings of 5 by all but one, yielding a 4.95 overall. Many book club members related Alice’s travails with Alzheimer’s to people in their own lives, making the story very personal and meaningful. A number of themes emerged from the comments women made.
• Readers became immersed in Alice’s story. The consequences of Alzheimer’s disease were vividly and humanly portrayed. We learned that forgetfulness is only one symptom of this relentless disease. Alice developed perceptual distortions that limited her independence along with losing a myriad of roles that defined her as a person. “Book Wormers” were very moved by Alice’s story, finding humor and joy in her life as well as empathy for her condition. For example, the speech Alice gave was uplifting as was her relationship with her daughters, especially Lydia.

• Readers reported feeling discomfort in reading about the topic. Alice’s early forgetfulness makes us feel anxious and vulnerable about our own memory shortcomings. We wondered if we could pass the diagnostic tests Alice had to undergo (John Black…).

• Alice’s family was a common topic. The children were viewed in a positive light, but the husband was not. Some women found him to be selfish while others tried to understand his position. He was especially disliked for wanting to move Alice to New York in a career change for him.

• The book prompted some discussion about whether or not one would choose to or should know about carrying a genetic disorder.

I found the book to be an easy read and really insightful to the inner struggles of somebody dealing with Alzheimer’s.

This is the kind of book that makes you stop and think about your life. Wonderful to hear it from the affected verses the caregiver. Will never forget Alice and her courage.

This book was very moving. Not one of our group of 14 didn't like this book. Our discussion was one of the best that we have had. The subject is one that touches everyone,

Very eye opening into the world of Alzheimer's Disease. I expecially appreciated this being an RN, and really view my patietns a bit differently after this read. Very informative and scary, being this can come on to someone (Alice) so active, so "healthy". A must read.

A woman suffering with early onset Alzheimers. A riveting story and it led to great discussion in book club.

I loved this book & will definitely read it again! It was extremely hard to put down & very informative. It is from the point of view of an Alzheimer's victim & I loved that most about the book. Most author's would normally have used the point of view of the family members but not Lisa Genova.

Very interesting to read from the perspective of the person going through the disease. This book had us all wanting to learn more about the history of the disease within our own families… as well as making us paranoid every time we forgot something.

This was a great start to a new kick off to our book club. It was great to see so many new enthusiastic faces. The evening started with introductions and a brief description of our book club "rules".
Still Alice generated lots of interesting discussion. Everyone agreed that the book was extremely well written, most likely due to Ms. Genova's academic background. Many described the book as disturbing, unsettling and occasionally a bit scary as it hit too close to home.
There was a mixed discussion surrounding Alice's husband and his reaction to her diagnosis and subsequent illness . The subject matter of this book allowed for everyone to take a look at their own personal "Life Plan" and to see how they think they would want to handle a diagnosis of Alzheimer's.
Overall this book was well received by everyone and is highly recommended.

Still Alice author, Lisa Genova, puts the reader into the mind of a once brillant articulate woman who discovers she is in the grasp of early onset Alzheimer's disease. Family relationships are explored and discoveries of who the characters really are unfold. Alzheimer's disease impacts many families and the author undauntingly brings the reader to the ultimate end. Certainly not for readers that want happy endings but "Still Alice" doesn't disappoint.

14 women reviewed this book. On a scale of 1 to 5 - 5 being high - no one rated it lower than a 4. It recieved an overall rating of 4.14. I do not like to "recap" the events of a book as I think that it takes away from the experience of reading it - so I will only comment on our impressions. We all agreed that it was difficult subject matter to read, but it generated excellent and thoughtful discussion using the readers guide questions. Overalll - despite the sadness that is generated by the disease, it was not a totally depressing book to read. The viewpoint from Alice made some of us rethink our positions on how it might be to have those moments of lucidity amidst the larger periods of confusion and memory loss. We were also somewhat comforted by the love and support that she recieved from various people in her life. There were some of us that either read this book for the second time, or now want to re-read it to pick up on nuances that were missed the first time around. An excellent debut novel. We look forward to more from this author!

Very interesting book and easy to read! A bit sad at times but loved that the book was from the point of view of Alice.

Excellent read! A real insight to dealing with Alzheimers. Many tears but a must read!

This book will make you laugh and cry and change the way you see Alzheimer's. This entire book is told completely in Alice's voice, even when Alice is so far removed from her world by this disease. It is so easy to find information for and about caregivers, but this book takes inside the victim in such a beautiful and insightful way. This was a favorite among our club members and will live in our memories a long time!

Some people in our group have parents will dementia and it provided them with insight and some comfort. To those of us who do not have a personal attachment we felt it provided a lot of information, was well written and insightfully told.

interestingly scary

Great discussion on many issues, especially because a prominent person in our city has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's like Alice

Highly recommend.

A book for everyone who knows someone with Alzheimers or doesn't. Brilliant insight into what it is like to experience memory loss. If you think it's difficult to cope with a friend or loved one who is experiencing memory loss this book will soften your attitude and approach. It also shows the many different ways that people cope with the illness, very interesting!

These three words may seem incongruous. But rarely do you read a book where you immediately appreciate the main character's accomplishments, then recognize her slight missteps we all have in aging and finally faced with a devastating change in life's direction. It's hard to say I loved this book because of the harsh subject it deals with. But it's so beautifully written and devastatingly harsh in knowing in advance that there will not be a fairy tale ending.

Wasn't sure I wanted to read it because the topic is too close to home but I found the way it was written presented a unique perspective. I found it interesting and insightful.

Would you take a test to find out if you have early onset if it ran in your family? That started a rousing discussion that never slowed down from this positive, informative and important book

Having witnessed Alzheimer's Disease first-hand with my grandmother, I thought that Genova did a fantastic job capturing it for others to experience it, too. Written from the perspective of the early onset Alzheimer's patient, it is interesting to see the rapid decline in thought process from beginning-to-end of the book. Suggest this to ANYONE touched by AD.

Unforgettable and a must read

I really enjoyed reading this book! It was very insightful into the disease of early onset Alzheimer's and was a well-written story. I enjoyed reading it from the first person perspective. This book stays with you and you continue to think about Alice as well as her family members long after you finish it.

Great story written by the perspective of one who has early onset Alzheimers. Important, as this disease will touch us all. You laugh and cry. Very well written.

Once I started this book, I could not put it down! It was so well written and such a great story!

A great read...i Highly recommend it!

A very moving account of a Harvard Professor that is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. Moving and informative.

I loved the book and I highly recommend it with the caveat that it is very difficult to read unemotionally. It is a subject all of us know about and all of us fear. We identify negatively with the plight of the main character since none of us want to go down her path. We find that we want to distance ourselves from it in the book and in our real day to day life. Like Alice, most of us would rather have a disease like Cancer which we can fight and which engenders support and encouragement than have Alzheimer’s which makes outcasts of us and engenders avoidance since it makes people uncomfortable to be around someone who is in a perpetual in and out state of confusion which continues to grow worse until all normal functioning ceases and the victim dies in a fetal position. Few people know where to look or how to respond to people with this disease. Although some medications slow the progress, there is no real treatment, no hope of a cure. Victims are isolated and lonely and cannot recreate their former existence nor create a new one.
The story’s narrator is Alice, ironically, a bright, successful Harvard professor of linguistics, who began to experience moments when her memory seemed to fail her as she misplaced things or became confused by ordinary tasks she used to do by rote or lost her command of language as words which always seemed to be on the tip of her tongue were never remembered and speeches she had given before suddenly had missing parts. As these moments became more frequent, she wonders if her problems stem from menopause, aging or something worse like a brain tumor. After extensive testing, it is determined that she has a genetic strain of Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease which she can pass on to her descendants and they, in turn, can pass on to theirs. The question of whether or not to be tested is foremost in her children’s minds. Should they or shouldn’t they? What is to be gained or lost with the knowledge? Is it better or worse to know?
Coming to terms with the diagnosis of a disease which causes its victims to descend into a world of insanity, coupled with the isolation of rejection, was not easy. Alice rises to the task, well determined to live out her lucid days to the fullest. When, finally, she must retire from her job, the people around her, colleagues, family, students all react to her illness with shock and denial. While some automatically ignore her after they learn of her illness, some offer kindness and support. Most people treat Alzheimer’s victims as if they are not present, ignoring them and talking around them which Alice finds disheartening since she once had such a position of respect and was always included in conversations; her input was always sought after and valued. As she descends further into this world of madness, she is spared the humiliation of her behavior because she no longer cares about the reactions of others to her bizarre episodes of forgetfulness.
Alice continues to walk the thin line between being normal and being in the world of her memory loss and hallucinations. She has no idea when she will descend into the insane world of her imagination and lose all connection to reality or if the dementia will lift and allow her some brief period of remission. Sometimes she is fooled into thinking that she is okay, quite normal, actually, but then she relapses and knows she must face her decline. She has no one to turn to for advice. Although there are organizations for the caregivers whose burden is enormous and many are simply not up to the task, none exist for the victims. Alice organizes one herself, while she still has the mental capacity to create it and participate. This allows these victims to share their loneliness and suffering in a friendly environment.
Alice visits a nursing home to check out the Alzheimer’s unit. She finds there are far more women than men in the unit. (This fact made me wonder whether more women are diagnosed with it or do men find it too hard to care for their wives while women remain loyal and devoted to their husbands, keeping them at home. Could it also be that the wives outlive the men and have no one to care for them?) At the end of the tour, Alice decides this is not a place for her and vows to end it all before she reaches that level of mindlessness, if she can only recognize the time when it occurs.
Through Alice we discover that many of us are running so fast to achieve that we often don’t take the time to enjoy the simple things in life like ice cream cones and laughter. As the disease slows her down she begins to notice the small things that make her happy and hopes to live long enough to see her children achieve what makes them happy.
The contrast between Alice’s memory lapses and her husband John’s, highlights the difference between the normal memory loss of aging and the loss of purpose and direction produced by the dementia of Alzheimers. We experience the indignities of the disease as it is experienced by this bright and dignified character and begin to understand the needs of the victims as well as the caregivers.

This story was wonderfully written and unique in its perspective on Alzheimer's Disease. Although difficult to read at times, with the emotions it evoked, I feel that I am a better person for reading it.

I felt this book was SO well written,and the story told from Alice's perspective was fascinating.

Still Alice resonated on a personal level as I have an aunt and uncle who both developed Alzheimer\'s. They were not early-onset cases, but it was still very difficult to watch and tremendously challenging for the caregiver.

It is nice to read a book from the perspective of the person suffering from the disease and reminds us that they are still the people we love and deserved to be respected and treated with dignity.

It's easy to identify with this story - everyone has someone in their group of family and friends who has been touched, if not by Alzheimers, by some other chronic debilitating disease. While the central character is over-idealized prior to the diagnosis, the story of her degeneration, especially told from her perspective, is all too real. This book helped me connect on a very personal level with other book club members as we discussed issues of quality of life and how our lives are being affected by our own aging parents.

This was a very poignant book about early onset Alzheimer's disease. It led to a very good discussion and moved on to end of life issues. The book is very well written and it is easy to identify with the characters.

This book is sad, but important. It is not a cheery read, but did generate a very lively and spirited discussion about life and death, love and marriage, family, ambition, and sexism. It is a great book group book.

Still Alice shares what it is like to have early onset Alzheimer disease and how it affects the person with the disease, the family, and the workplace. A lively discussion for our bookclub. Everyone enjoyed it.

This book provided an insightful look at an individual who was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease and how the diagnoses affected her life.

nicely written book that gives the reader an insightful look into the reality of a person loosing their sense of self and memories of loved ones.

I loved it. Very well written, informative and emotional.

We were all moved by the subject and the fallout of living with Alzheimer\\\'s. My mother is in the later stages of the disease although she did not have early onset. Our discussion was somber yet uplifting. It was a very thought-provoking book.

Heartbreaking, told by the perspective of the person suffering with this disease. Eyeopening because of the detailed description of the disease and how it affects the patient and the entire family. Gave me a desire to see how research is being done to help wipe out this horrific disease.

Loved her speech very sentimental.

This was a very interesting book for me as the daughter of a woman that had dementia. Seeing the stages that Alice went through gave me a a different perspective of what I watched my Mother go through the stages of dementia.

We chose this book with the intent of viewing the movie afterwards. Several of the club members have experienced this dreadful disease with family members.Reading Alice's words as she experienced the panic of not knowing how to get home after her run, or the reviews given to her by the students were heartbreaking. A part in the story that resonated with all of us was when her daughter realized the ongoing debate about her career and life would in time cease. How powerful our communication is and with this disease, the loss felt so terribly. A hard, but powerful read!

Very well done story of something that can happen without people being prepared.

We all loved it. Sad but a real page turner. Some felt the disease was a bit romanticized regarding how bad the reality gets.

This book was such an interesting take on altzheimer\\\'s as it\\\'s told from a language professor\\\'s viewpoint. It is scary to know just what is happening to you, but she handled it gracefully. Worth a read

This book revealed a scary subject to the reader in a
realistic way. It was well written and informative.

I knew that this book was about a woman who slowly descends into Alzheimer's disease, but I wasn't expecting it to be so profound about the meaning of life. Alice Howland discovers she has early on-set Alzheimer's disease shortly after her 50th birthday, when she is in the prime of her career. Her children have recently moved on into adulthood and she and her husband John are empty-nesters, with prestigious careers at Harvard University. The diagnosis shakes her to her core, and John is firmly in denial throughout most of the book.

While I really enjoyed a lot of the story that centered around an understanding of what it may feel like to have Alzheimer's (because we really won't ever know), I think part of the story that really captivated me was the reaction from her family. Her relationships at the beginning of the book are so different from the end. Her two eldest children, Anna and Tom, are closer to Alice than Lydia, the "wayward" youngest, who has defied her mother's expectations for her and moved to Los Angeles in order to begin a career as an actress. Alice has spent most of her life deep into higher education, and she places high importance on it. It seemed to be a personal slight to her that Lydia dismisses it out of hand. But, as Alice loses more and more of her memory and "self", Lydia is the one that seems to deeply understand her, or at least is interested in meeting her where she is.

Alice's relationship with John is probably the saddest part of the entire novel. At first, he rejects the diagnosis outright. He wants to meet with the doctor himself, and argues over and over. When Alice has a DNA test done and it reveals that she has a genetic mutation found in many Alzheimer's patients, John is on a new mission to find some kind of cure or treatment. He begins researching it with as much fervor as he does with his Harvard laboratory experiments. But as Alice descends farther and farther into her disease, John retreats from her more and more. He clearly feels like her handicap is slowing him down. He can't stand to be around her. He won't watch her take her medications. And near the end, when she can't remember the names of her family, or even that she is related to these people, he moves to New York City for a new job and leaves Alice behind.

One of the plot threads that runs throughout is Alice's plan to take her own life once her symptoms become out of hand. She sets an alarm on her Blackberry to ask her every morning to answer 5 basic questions: What month is it, Where is my office, Where do I live, How many children do I have, and When is Anna's birthday. The document instructs her to find a bottle of sleeping pills and take them all when she can no longer answer the questions. The Blackberry unfortunately meets an untimely demise in the freezer, but while poking around on her computer some time later, she happens upon the document, entitled Butterfly (an allusion to her mother's prized necklace that she has taken to wearing). She tries to carry out the instructions in the document, but her forgetfulness (and possibly John's removal of the pills) prevents her from completing the task.

This book is important, I think, for families that have a member who is suffering from Alzheimer's, or even someone in the early stages of diagnosis. There is an empathy that comes from reading about this experience, even if it can never be verified that this is actually how it feels.

I checked off the box for something that scares me, because the idea of one day having Alzheimer's, or caring for someone that does, is really frightening. It does run in my family, although I don't think I'll be having my DNA tested. (Like Lydia, I'd rather not know.) But somehow, this book has tempered the fear. It would still be not the most awesome outcome, but maybe it wouldn't be that terrible.

Beautiful, touching, haunting story. Lisa Genova is a master of revealing characters and transporting the reader inside the character\\\\\\\'s world.

The average age of our members is over 60 so reading about memory loss was difficult. Some of our members had difficulty getting through the book because it made them think they had symptoms of the disease. However, it was excellently written and informative.

I really enjoyed this book! My husband's grandmother had Alzheimers Disease and it was so heartbreaking to see. This book showed the story from the other side and was so riveting! We also watched the movie after discussing and rating the book and that was great.

All of the members of the book club loved the book. The information provided about Alzheimer\\\'s, seeing the effects of this disease from the patient\\\'s point of view -- both of these made the book very scary, but very interesting. Our discussion was wide-ranging and even talked about the possibility of suicide if diagnosed with this disease. Great book!

The author shows a real life side of Alzheimer's disease. Well written and addictive. Sad but true.

Because of the topic, Early Onset Alzheimer Disease, this was not an easy book to read. It was made more difficult because it was narrated in first person by Alice, the victim of EOAD; therefore, making it even more challenging to follow the narrative. While I learned more about the science of this disease, I had a hard time connecting with the characters. While a few developed, most were self-centered, and it was hard to feel empathy for them.

Our book club enjoyed the book thoroughly and the discussion was lively and insightful. We want to watch the movie and discuss how the book and movie go together.

Great book, great discussion

This book made you realize how delicate the human mind is, and helpless one can feel.

We all managed to avoid watching the movie before we read the book, which was impressive! This book was very well written. Though I have only experienced this disease as a family member, I think it was insightful to see the development through the eyes of a patient.

I cheered for Alice and hoped for any relief throughout the book. Her speech was very moving. I think we all worried we had memory loss during the first doctor's visit where he gave her a list and asked her to remember it. I know I'll never forget John Black, 42 West Street, Brighton.

What a book for a club in a senior development...Scary, very informative on a personal level knowing maybe one of us could go through this. Just pray for a cure soon as this disease is so dreadful. We all love the book though and Alice's journey. Beautifully written with care and thoughtfulness throughout. Loved the book.

This book is inspiring . It teaches us the dreadful stages one passes but also the power of love received by all those close to Alice.
Use TED to see how one can try to build up one?s body and learn skills that one can use if God forbid we get this awful illness . Also use the Penn State interview with Genova.

Excellent writing of a difficult disease.
We had a lot of good discussion at our meeting.

Excellent and extremely well written about a tough subject!

Great Book. Brings home the realities of Alzheimers Disease and it isn't pretty. Able to explain the disease with excellent character description and explanation. Highly recommend

Wonderful insight into a tragic disease.

There were several members who were either dealing with, or had dealt with Alzheimer's. This book was a great insight into the progression of this disease.

Even though the topic was difficult to read, it helped me understand memory loss to a different degree.

So helpful understanding from patient's point of view. Author guided reader through the process subtlety just like the actual disease would progress. Different reactions of other characters realistic & helpful. Shied away from reading because of subject matter but learned a lot - information everyone needs.

It would be difficult for anyone to imagine what a patient with any type of memory illness might be thinking, but I think the author was very insightful in relating her thoughts on that subject. She presented very realistically how various members of the family would be affected by this type of illness and their reactions. It was hard to perceive this book as fictional because the characters seemed to come alive.

A sad tale of a woman who discovers she has early-onset dementia.

I will never open the microwave without fear...

This amazing story was expertly crafted. Told from the perspective of Alice, a professor with early onset Alzheimer’s, the reader is given an intimate window into this heartbreaking disease & it’s impact on the person, the family, the caregiver & friends. A must read if you’re looking to gain additional knowledge & perspective on this disease.

We gave this an A

This is a book that provides a totally different perspective on Alzheimer’s and dementia since it is from the point of view of the person experiencing the illness. As those in our book club are all in their 60’s, the story may someday be our own. I think this made the book more immediate and important to us.