Tangles: A Story about Alzheimer's, My Mother, and Me by Sarah Leavitt (English)

Description: Tangles by Sarah Leavitt What do you do when your outspoken, passionate, and quick-wittedmother starts fading into a forgetful, fearful... FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description In this powerful memoir the the LA Times calls "moving, rigorous, and heartbreaking," Sarah Leavitt reveals how Alzheimers disease transformed her mother, Midge, and her family forever. In spare blackand- white drawings and clear, candid prose, Sarah shares her familys 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; Sarahs 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 Alzheimers 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. Author Biography Sarah Leavitt is a writer and cartoonist. She has published comics, fiction, and nonfiction in magazines, newspapers, and a number of anthologies, including "Nobody s Mother" and" Beyond Forgetting: Poetry and Prose About Alzheimer s Disease". She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. Review Beautiful detailed drawings capture perfectly the joy, frustration, sense of loss, humor, and poignancy of dealing with Alzheimer s.I welcome this book, as compelling, instructive, and yet enormouslycomforting too. --Lesley Fairfield, author of TyrannyNot only a spot-on portrait of the dark comedy and vast sadness that Alzheimer s contains, the book is a fitting tribute to Leavitt s mom. --Elissa Schappell, Vanity FairTangles is simply a fine and touching book. As the rateof Alzheimer s continues to increase as the population ages, Tanglesjoins Jeffrey Moore s novel The Memory Artists and Sarah Polley s filmAway from Her at the head of a list of illuminating and much-neededartistic responses. --Ian McGillisThe power of this graphic memoir is not that its story about a familydealing with Alzheimer s is so extraordinary, but that it has become soordinary.In her first book, Canadian writer and cartoonist Leavitt shows her motheragreeing to have her experiences with the disease documented because [m]aybethis will help other families! And likely it will, letting those experiencingthe dementia of someone they love know what to expect, and to reassure that thetangled emotions they feel in response anger, frustration, devotion, humor areinevitable.Though this is primarily an account of the author sexperiences as her mother becomes all but emotionally unrecognizable, it isalso a narrative spanning two three generations of complicated familydynamics.Leavitt illustrates significant differences between her mother scloseness with her sisters and how the disease affects those relationships, andthe contrasting tension between the author and her sister.It shows the strainsthat Alzheimer s puts on everything from the sufferer s well being and sense ofpurpose to a loving marriage to the physical demands of caring for someone whocan no longer care for herself.The narrative is human, honest, loving andoccasionally even funny. I created this book, Leavitt writes in theintroduction, to remember her as she was before she got sick, but also toremember her as she was during her illness, the ways in which she wastransformed and the ways in which parts of her endured. As my mother changed, Ichanged too, forced to reconsider my own identity as a daughter and as an adultand to recreate my relationship with my mother. Not simply the story of a disease, but of the flawed, complex, intelligentpeople whose lives it transformed.[Leavitts] drawings . . . put me in mind of Roz Chast . . . [her] skill, economy of line, and efficiency of vocabulary give you plot and interwoven characters, humor, pathos, comedy, and tragedy enough for 500 pages of prose. --Eleanor Cooney, author of Death in Slow MotionAn extraordinarily moving and vivid account, in text and cartoon-style pictures, of the life and death of an Alzheimers patient. --John Bayley, author of Elegy for IrisThis is a really important book. I cant get it out of my head...we should all own a copy. --Rosalind Penfold, author of Dragonslippers[Leavitt s] drawings . . . put me in mind of Roz Chast . . . [her]skill, economy of line, and efficiency of vocabulary give you plotand interwoven characters, humor, pathos, comedy, and tragedyenough for 500 pages of prose. --Eleanor Cooney, author of Death in Slow MotionAn extraordinarilymoving and vivid account, in text and cartoon-style pictures, of the life anddeath of an Alzheimer s patient. --John Bayley, author of Elegy for IrisMidge Leavitt beginsshowing symptoms of Alzheimers in her mid-50s. Her handwriting starts towobble, she loses herself in familiar parts of town, and strange,"blankety-blank" headaches shift around in her skull. Losing wordsand stories proves particularly debilitating for a woman who was once soenthused by them with her husband, fellow teacher Rob, she "built a lifeof books and art and creativity." Leavitt responds in kind in thisheartbreaking memoir, which follows her mothers gradual decline and herfamilys reaction to it. Her simple line drawings are rarely fascinating inthemselves but they serve the story well, capturing facial expressions withsubtle brevity and showing the subtext behind brave or cruel words as Leavittsvoice stretches from calm rationalizing to an anguished wail and back. Starkdetails accounts of tidying up after a woman whose body is no longer her ownand trying to communicate with a mother who can barely recognize her family are married with warm, funny recollections of Jewish-Canadian life. --James SmartSaysLeavitt, Our parentstaught us, as very young children, that language, words, and books belonged tous, that they were exciting and powerful. Pairing words with simply drawn, evocative line art, Leavitt has crafted a glowing, heart-wrenching memorial tothe woman who gave her such a gift. Useful for anyone with an Alzheimer spatient among family or friends, for health-care professionals, and for graphicarts programs as an example of how simple art can tell a powerful story. Sofar, the only published Alzheimer s-related graphic novel and highlyrecommended.The story has adefinite place in the literature available to persons who have to deal withthis terrible tragedy. The format (a graphic novel) is fresh and will appeal tothe younger generation who are just beginning tocome to gripswiththis crisis. Sarah describes very clearly many of the variousproblems that occur with each stage of the illness. She is very honest abouther reactions and feelings as well as her attempts to cope with them. There aremany lessons for others to learn but the biggest lesson is that it is OK to havereactions, feelingsand frustrations that are not always correct as onewatches a loved-one s progress. I think that the graphic novel tells the storyin a more vivid and personal way thanmost bookscould possibly do Iknow from my years of experience that the novel will be very helpful toothers dealing with Alzheimer s. --E. Prather Palmer, MD, former Director, Alzheimer s Disease Clinic, Lahey Clinic, Burlington, MassachusettsThis is a really important book. I can t get it out of my head...we should all own a copy. --Rosalind Penfold, author of DragonslippersMidge Leavitt begins showing symptoms of Alzheimers in her mid-50s. Her handwriting starts to wobble, she loses herself in familiar parts of town, and strange, "blankety-blank" headaches shift around in her skull. Losing words and stories proves particularly debilitating for a woman who was once so enthused by them-with her husband, fellow teacher Rob, she "built a life of books and art and creativity." Leavitt responds in kind in this heartbreaking memoir, which follows her mothers gradual decline and her familys reaction to it. Her simple line drawings are rarely fascinating in themselves but they serve the story well, capturing facial expressions with subtle brevity and showing the subtext behind brave or cruel words as Leavitts voice stretches from calm rationalizing to an anguished wail and back. Stark details-accounts of tidying up after a woman whose body is no longer her own and trying to communicate with a mother who can barely recognize her family-are married with warm, funny recollections of Jewish-Canadian life. --James SmartSays Leavitt, "Our parents taught us, as very young children, that language, words, and books belonged to us, that they were exciting and powerful." Pairing words with simply drawn, evocative line art, Leavitt has crafted a glowing, heart-wrenching memorial to the woman who gave her such a gift. Useful for anyone with an Alzheimers patient among family or friends, for health-care professionals, and for graphic arts programs as an example of how simple art can tell a powerful story. So far, the only published Alzheimers-related graphic novel--and highly recommended.The story has a definite place in the literature available to persons who have to deal with this terrible tragedy. The format (a graphic novel) is fresh and will appeal to the younger generation who are just beginning to come to grips with this crisis. Sarah describes very clearly many of the various problems that occur with each stage of the illness. She is very honest about her reactions and feelings as well as her attempts to cope with them. There are many lessons for others to learn but the biggest lesson is that it is OK to have reactions, feelings and frustrations that are not always "correct" as one watches a loved-ones progress. I think that the graphic novel tells the story in a more vivid and personal way than most books could possibly do... I know from my years of experience that the novel will be very helpful to others dealing with Alzheimers. --E. Prather Palmer, MD, former Director, Alzheimer s Disease Clinic, Lahey Clinic, Burlington, MassachusettsSays Leavitt, Our parents taught us, as very young children, that language, words, and books belonged to us, that they were exciting and powerful. Pairing words with simply drawn, evocative line art, Leavitt has crafted a glowing, heart-wrenching memorial to the woman who gave her such a gift. Useful for anyone with an Alzheimer s patient among family or friends, for health-care professionals, and for graphic arts programs as an example of how simple art can tell a powerful story. So far, the only published Alzheimer s-related graphic novel and highly recommended.Sarah Leavitt uses the medium of comics to tell her story with more economy and power than either words or pictures could muster by themselves. She brings a good eye for the telling detail--the small observations that reveal larger truths--to her memoir of a family in crisis. Tangles is the work of a perceptive, creative, and honest storyteller.Starred Review. The power of this graphic memoir is not that itsstory about a family dealing with Alzheimer s is so extraordinary, but that ithas become so ordinary. . . .The narrative is human, honest, loving andoccasionally even funny. . . Not simply the story of a disease, but of theflawed, complex, intelligent people whose lives it transformed. Long Description In this powerful memoir the the LA Times calls"moving, rigorous, and heartbreaking," Sarah Leavitt reveals how Alzheimers disease transformedher mother, Midge, and her family forever. In spare blackand-white drawings and clear, candid prose, Sarah shares herfamilys 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 educatedintellectual, struggles to comprehend the simplest words;Sarahs 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 asthey join forces to help Midge. Tangles confronts the complexityof Alzheimers disease, and ultimately releases a knot of memoriesand dreams to reveal a bond between a mother and a daughter thatwill never come apart. Review Text Beautiful detailed drawings capture perfectly the joy, frustration,sense of loss, humor, and poignancy of dealing with Alzheimers.I welcome this book, as compelling, instructive, and yet enormouslycomforting too. Review Quote "This is a really important book. I cant get it out of my head...we should all own a copy." Details ISBN1616086394 Author Sarah Leavitt Short Title TANGLES Publisher Skyhorse Publishing Language English ISBN-10 1616086394 ISBN-13 9781616086398 Media Book Format Paperback DEWEY 616.831 Year 2012 Publication Date 2012-05-01 Subtitle A Story about Alzheimers, My Mother, and Me Imprint Skyhorse Publishing Country of Publication United States AU Release Date 2012-05-01 NZ Release Date 2012-05-01 US Release Date 2012-05-01 UK Release Date 2012-05-01 Pages 128 Audience General Illustrations Illustrations We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:45356239;

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