Tangles : A Story About Alzheimer's, My Mother, and Me

What do you do when your outspoken, passionate, and quick-witted mother starts fading into a forgetful, fearful woman? In this powerful graphic memoir, Sarah Leavitt reveals how Alzheimer's disease transformed her mother Midgeand her familyforever. In spare black and white drawings and clear, candid prose, Sarah shares her family's journey through a harrowing range of emotionsshock, denial, hope, anger, frustrationall the while learning to cope, and managing to find moments of happiness. Midge, a Harvard-educated intellectual, struggles to comprehend the simplest words; Sarah's father Rob slowly adapts to his new role as full-time caretaker, but still finds time for word-play and poetry with his wife; Sarah and her sister Hannah argue, laugh, and grieve together as they join forces to help Midge get to sleep, rage about family friends who have disappeared, or collapse in tears at the end of a heartbreaking day. Tangles provides a window on the complexity of Alzheimer's disease, and ultimately opens a knot of moments, memories, and dreams to reveal a bond between a mother and a daughter that will never come apart In this powerful memoir the the LA Times calls “moving, rigorous, and heartbreaking," Sarah Leavitt reveals how Alzheimer’s disease transformed her mother, Midge, and her family forever. In spare blackand- white drawings and clear, candid prose, Sarah shares her family’s journey through a harrowing range of emotions—shock, denial, hope, anger, frustration—all the while learning to cope, and managing to find moments of happiness. Midge, a Harvard educated intellectual, struggles to comprehend the simplest words; Sarah’s father, Rob, slowly adapts to his new role as full-time caretaker, but still finds time for wordplay and poetry with his wife; Sarah and her sister Hannah argue, laugh, and grieve together as they join forces to help Midge. Tangles confronts the complexity of Alzheimer’s disease, and ultimately releases a knot of memories and dreams to reveal a bond between a mother and a daughter that will never come apart. What Do You Do When Your Outspoken, Passionate And Quick-witted Mother Starts Fading Into A Forgetful, Fearful Woman? In This Powerful Graphic Memoir, Sarah Leavitt Reveals How Alzheimer's Disease Transformed Her Mother Midge--and Her Family--forever. In Spare Black-and-white Drawings And Clear, Candid Prose, Sarah Shares Her Family's Journey Through A Harrowing Range Of Emotions--shock, Denial, Hope, Anger, Frustration--all The While Learning To Cope, And Managing To Find Moments Of Happiness. Tangles Confronts The Complexity Of Alzheimer's Disease, And Gradually Opens A Knot Of Moments, Memories And Dreams To Reveal A Bond Between A Mother And A Daughter That Will Never Come Apart--page 4 Of Cover. Sarah Leavitt. "What do you do when your outspoken, passionate and quick-witted mother starts fading into a forgetful, fearful woman? In this powerful graphic memoir, Sarah Leavitt reveals how Alzheimer's disease transformed her mother Midge--and her family forever. In spare black-and-white drawings and clear, candid prose, Sarah shares her family's journey through a harrowing range of emotions--shock, denial, hope, anger, frustration--all the while learning to cope, and managing to find moments of happiness. Tangles confronts the complexity of Alzheimer's disease, and gradually opens a knot of moments, memories and dreams to reveal a bond between a mother and a daughter that will never come apart"--Page 4 of cover. "What do you do when your outspoken, passionate, and quick-witted mother starts fading into a forgetful, fearful woman? In this graphic memoir, the author reveals how Alzheimer's disease transformed her mother, and her family, forever. In spare black-and-white drawings accompanied by prose, the author shares her family's journey through a harrowing range of emotions - shock, denial, hope, anger, frustration - all the while learning to cope, and managing to find moments of happiness. This book confronts the complexity of Alzheimer's disease, and gradually opens a knot of moments, memories, and dreams to reveal a bond between a mother and a daughter that will never come apart"--Page 4 of cover Recounts in graphic novel format how the author's well-educated, intellectual mother, Mildred, known as Midge, began showing signs of Alzheimer's disease at fifty-two, and follows the effects of the disease on the woman and her family