A BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week
Brave,illuminating and inspiring,Somebody I Used to Know is the first memoir ever written by someone living with dementia.
What do you lose when you lose your memories What do you value when this loss reframes how you've lived,and how you will live in the future How do you conceive of love when you can no longer recognise those who are supposed to mean the most to you
When she was diagnosed with dementia at the age of fifty-eight,Wendy Mitchell was confronted with the most profound questions about life and identity. All at once,she had to say goodbye to the woman she used to be. Her demanding career in the NHS,her ability to drive,cook and run - the various shades of her independence - were suddenly gone.
Philosophical,profoundly moving,insightful and ultimately full of hope,Somebody I Used to Know gets to the very heart of what it means to be human. A phenomenal memoir - the first of its kind - it is both a heart-rending tribute to the woman Wendy once was,and a courageous acceptance of the woman dementia has seen her become.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLCISBN: 9781408893333Number of pages: 320Weight: 224 gDimensions: 198 x 129 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
'A revelatory book.'- The Guardian
'...this is a book from which we can all learn. And it's lessons go beyond treating those living with Alzheimer's with less pity and more respect.'- The Sunday Times
'...a moving,brave book...'- The Times
'Mitchell is a likeable narrator: remoselessly honest and astonishingly lacking in self-pity.'- The Financial Times
'A brave and illuminating journey inside the mind,heart,and life of young-onset Alzheimer's disease.'- Lisa Genova,neuroscientist and author of'Still Alice
'An extraordinary book about a little-understood disease. Awe-inspiring,courageous and insightful. I would recommend it to everyone.'- Rosie Boycott
'Nothing is more frightening than dementia,says Wendy - and yet,every day,she chooses to face her fears head on. By sharing her story Wendy challenges assumptions and ignorance about dementia. Read this amazing book. It will change a lot of people's minds about what it means to have the disease.'- Professor Pat Sikes,University of Sheffield
'Wendy's book is an absolutely compelling account of life with dementia. The writing is brutally honest as she faces life with her diagnosis but what she tells us is uplifting and a testimony to human spirit and ingenuity. Public and professionals alike will learn a lot from reading her book.'- Jan R Oyebode,Professor of Dementia Care,University of Bradford
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