Alice Howland, a psychology professor at Harvard, is guest speaker at a colloquium at Stanford. In the middle of her address she can't remember a significant word. It is a subject she has often spoken about and, after 25 years as an academic in the field, not one where she would expect the word to elude her.

She has found lately that items don't stay where she left them She shrugs it off until one day when she is on her daily run in her neighbourhood, she can't find her way home. Then she can't remember a recipe she has made every Christmas since she was a child, she forgets to attend a conference, and doesn't remember meeting someone at a party to whom she had been introduced minutes ago.

Alice is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. She is 50 years old

The story traces Alice's pro-gression over two years. It is a remarkable look at Alzheimer's not only from the patient's view but also that of her husband and children. At one point she declares she would rather have cancer - those patients get support, she is treated like an outcast. In a lucid moment she tells her husband "I miss myself".

The author is a neuroscientist who became interested in Alzheimer's when her grand-mother was diagnosed with it. Her science background helped her to understand the disease and opened doors to researchers and doctors who advised her during the writing.

The reader quickly becomes immersed in Alice's life, rooting for her, waiting to see what will happen next, and weeping with her. She is such a resourceful person that one admires her and feels saddened at her situation.

This book is recommended for everyone - it is a revelation about what other people can face and what someone close might be trying to cope with. It is available in Toronto Public Library.