Still alice tells the story of a university professor who is diagnosed with an aggressive earlyonset dementia. Alzheimers is deadly, costly and finally getting the blunt discussion it needs. The book club i am a part of decided on still alice by lisa genova for our next book. Meet the alzheimers patient who helped julianne moore win an.
Oliver sacks, the man who mistook his wife for a hat. While the book is fiction, i believe the authors careful research resulted in a very realistic depiction of younger onset alzheimers. Alice moves to live with her daughter, dana, in vermont, and the story begins. In still alice, a professor slides into alzheimers the.
I realize it is fiction but from the comments above you have written quite a few facts. Genova holds a phd in neuroscience from harvard and is an online columnist for the national alzheimers association. In lisa genovas extraordinary new york times bestselling novel, an accomplished woman slowly loses her thoughts and memories to alzheimers diseaseonly to discover that each day brings a new way of living and loving. These discussion questions will help confirm students understanding of the storyline and. Opinion alzheimers, awareness and still alice the new. These discussion questions will help confirm students understanding of. Still alice the book was written by neuroscientist and debut novelist lisa genova who researched her subject matter so well that the book became an alltime bestseller and thrilled. I loved the book by lisa genova, so i was concerned the movie wouldnt do the book justice, but i am happy to say it does. Caring for someone with dementia poses unique challenges, but it can be difficult to figure out where to turn to ask about senior care options or how to cope with difficult. The novel is about a woman who suffers earlyonset alzheimer s disease. In the film, still alice, julianne moore portrays the title character who becomes diagnosed with early onset alzheimers shortly after her 50th birthday. People with alzheimer s are perceived as zombies, bodies without minds, waiting for valiant researchers to find a cure, walrath explains in the introduction to her book. A linguistics professor and her family find their bonds tested when she is diagnosed with alzheimer s disease. I have been around so many with alzheimers in my mothers maternal family that is is my pet topic.
Still alice is directed by richard glatzer and wash westmoreland and is adapted from lisa genova s selfpublished bestselling novel. Still alice novelist shines spotlight on early onset. Still alice is the bestselling book written by firsttime author lisa genova, a harvardeducated neuroscientist. On her 50th birthday, sandy oltz sat on the film set of still alice and listened to actress julianne moore speak a line that oltz, an early onset alzheimers. People with alzheimers are perceived as zombies, bodies without minds, waiting for valiant researchers to find a cure, walrath explains in the introduction to her. The respected and otherwise healthy linguistics professor, alice howland, is a fiftyyearold mother of three, an accomplished scholar, and a tragic victim of earlyonset alzheimer s. A recently released film based on a novel by lisa genoa is elevating alzheimers disease to the national stage. Still alice novelist shines spotlight on early onset alzheimers. Still alice is shockingly accurate people living with.
Mar 09, 2015 still alice tells the story of a university professor who is diagnosed with an aggressive earlyonset dementia. Still alice is far from a good thing for dementia awareness. The harvard university setting plays an important role in still alice. If youd like to learn more about alzheimers or help those suffering from the disease, please visit. In lisa genovas bestselling novel still alice, a linguist with earlyonset alzheimers navigates her symptoms with her husband and three adult children.
Still alice is a compelling debut novel about a 50yearold womans sudden descent into early onset alzheimers disease, written by firsttime author lisa genova, who holds a ph. Still alice explores life locked in the mind of a person. Walrath dared to follow alice down the rabbit hole of the disease and emerged with a courageous depiction of a fascinating world below. Genova wrote her book in 2007 and selfpublished it before simon. Still alice book cover in examining disease, we gain wisdom about anatomy and physiology and biology. In examining the person with disease, we gain wisdom about life. When neuroscientist lisa genova first pitched still alice to literary agents, she was rejected by all of them. To write still alice, genova read every book she could find on alzheimer s and interviewed neurologists one of whom she shadowed for two days at the massachusetts general hospital memory disorders unit, general practice physicians, research scientists, genetics counselors, and social workers. It tells the story of alice, a 50 year old linguistics professor who is diagnosed with early onset alzheimers disease. Alice howland, a 50yearold woman, is a cognitive psychology professor at harvard and is a worldrenowned linguistics expert. Alice also has alzheimers, and while she can remember all the songs from the music man, she can no longer attend to the basics of caring for herself. If you have not read it, i highly recommend you do. Alzheimers through the looking glass, dana walrath uses drawings and stories to chronicle three years of caregiving for her mother, alice, who was in the middle stages of alzheimers disease. Within the pages of this bestseller she had read as an undergraduate, lisa genova found something more profound than a set of intriguing.
I dont have enough experience to comment on its generalizability to all alzheimers patients, but as i watched the film, i constantly made comparisons to my own grandmother with alzheimers and our familys situation. Published in 2009, still alice is a moving, compelling and heartbreaking work of fiction that totally captures the experience of earlyonset alzheimers. In the latest episode of emory looks at hollywood, ken hepburn, education core. With julianne moore, alec baldwin, kristen stewart, kate bosworth. In still alice, a professor slides into alzheimers. Nancy stearns bercaw, seven days thoughtful, exploratory, and deeply loving. Jan, 2015 even though the book is a novel, it was very real. The book is about alice and her not so slow downfall into early onset alzheimers at the age of 50. Caring for someone with alzheimers dementia makes such an impact on the carers life that it is common to want to share that experience through a book. Only after a deceptively innocent slip of the tongue, a shortterm memory loss during a lecture, and a disorientation attack inside the campus will it become.
Still alice is a compelling debut novel about a 50yearold womans sudden descent into early onset alzheimer s disease, written by firsttime author lisa genova, who holds a ph. Alice howland, happily married with three grown children and a house on the cape, is a celebrated harvard professor at the height of her career when she notices a forgetfulness creeping into her life. Alice howland, happily married with three grown children and a house on the cape, is a celebrated harvard professor at the height of her career when she. The film accurately portrays many of the signs across the three stages of alzheimers. Dec 05, 2014 the title suggests otherwise, of course, and one of the tragedies of alzheimers for the friends and family of the afflicted person is that the sufferer seems present and absent at the same time. The film successfully captures the tragedy of the disease, and moores portrayal of alice is riveting, which largely makes up for the films weaknesses. Her intellectual and physical capacity declines cruelly, and its certain that she. Meet the alzheimers patient who helped julianne moore win. The world as a whole needs all the education it can get.
Still alice is about the life of alice howland, who is stricken with alzheimers disease. Dec 17, 2014 alzheimers is deadly, costly and finally getting the blunt discussion it needs. Alice howland, happily married with three grown children and a house on the cape, is a celebrated harvard professor at the height of her career when. Still alice shares the struggle of a middleaged professor who is diagnosed with alzheimer s disease. Still alice is a 2007 novel by lisa genova, set in boston. Throughout the book, alice grapples with the frustrations that face anyone affected by alzheimers disease, from becoming disoriented while traveling to the humiliation of incontinence. Alice s story is tender, frightening, and certainly thoughtprovoking, but mostly, its a. I cried, laughed and thought about all my patients enrolled in the trials. I am a caregiver of many who have suffered over the years. Alice is a very well respected professor of linguistics at harvard university, traveling all over the globe giving lectures, and her opinion is listened to with respect.
Still alice is a compelling debut novel about a 50yearold woman s sudden descent into early onset alzheimer s disease, written by firsttime author lisa genova, who holds a ph. A linguistics professor and her family find their bonds tested when she is diagnosed with alzheimers disease. Alzheimers disease as an adventure in wonderland the new. Still alice novelist shines spotlight on early onset alzheimer s.
It was so tragic reading of the impact on her life, how others change they way they treat her, and how her husband and children deal with it. Alice howland, happily married with three grown children and a house on the cape, is a celebrated harvard professor at the. Its a small miracle that still alice, lisa genovas novel about alice howland, a 50yearold linguistics professor faced with earlyonset alzheimers. Still alice is a 2014 american independent drama film written and directed by richard glatzer and wash westmoreland and based on lisa genovas bestselling 2007 novel of the same name. The experience turned out to be a magical trip down the rabbit hole of memory loss, an outcome that inspired dr. The film also provides an accurate depiction of the difficulties and emotions experienced by a person with alzheimers. Its about alice, a woman beloved by her family and respected by her colleagues, who in the end, is still alice, not just her disease. Feb 23, 2015 still alice novelist shines spotlight on early onset alzheimer s. Feb 23, 2015 on her 50th birthday, sandy oltz sat on the film set of still alice and listened to actress julianne moore speak a line that oltz, an early onset alzheimers patient, had struggled. Still alice earlyonset alzheimers disease is soon to be. Alice in a world filled with dementia alzheimers reading room. The frustrations of their loved ones and their desperation for a cure.
For several days after watching still alice, a tender and deeply sad adaptation of lisa genovas bestselling novel about a woman living with earlyonset alzheimers, i caught myself scouring. This one is available through chirp, so youll need to download the free app to listen. Lisa genovas still alice is a fictional novel that tells the story of a successful neuroscientist who is diagnosed with earlyonset familial alzheimers disease. My mother, her three siblings, their mother and many more relatives have had or have alzheimers. I am a registered nurse and worked as research nurse on alzheimers clinical trials. Still alice shares the struggle of a middleaged professor who is diagnosed with alzheimers disease. Still alice is a 2014 american independent drama film written and directed by richard glatzer and wash westmoreland and based on lisa genova s bestselling 2007 novel of the same name. If you live in the cambridge area, hold your meeting in one of the harvard square cafes. The film stars julianne moore as alice howland, a linguistics professor diagnosed with familial alzheimers disease shortly after her 50th birthday. The book is about alice and her not so slow downfall into early on set alzheimer s at the age of 50. Still alice mass market paperback december 16, 2014. What is the difference between alzheimers and dementia how to test your memory for alzheimers and dementia 5 best tests dementia patients are people too how to listen to an alzheimers patient the last 25 articles in the alzheimers reading room water is invisible and disconcerting to dementia patients from alice in wonderland. Maria carrillo, chief science officer at the alzheimers association, served as scientific consult on still alice.
I decided to read still alice because the average reader. She is married to an equally successful husband, and they have three grown children. On this front, still alice actually provides reassurance. With women at the epicenterboth more likely to have alzheimers and more likely to be caring for those with the diseasethe alzheimers association and the women of still alice ask all women to help wipe out alzheimers. Still alice, starring julianne moore, chronicles a distinguished linguistic professors descent into the depths of alzheimers. Many of us thought we were starting to have signs of early onset alzheimers disease. Now a major motion picture starring julianne moore, alec baldwin, kate bosworth, and kristen stewart. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Still alice is directed by richard glatzer and wash westmoreland and is adapted from lisa genovas selfpublished bestselling novel. A group of us that used to work at the touchmark at harwood groves retirement community read this book years ago. How accurate is the portrayal of alzheimers disease in. The film stars julianne moore as alice howland, a linguistics professor diagnosed with familial alzheimer s disease shortly after her 50th birthday.
A book about living with alzheimers that gives voice to both caretaker and, insofar as is possible, patient. Still alice by lisa genova, the notebook by nicholas sparks, the madonnas of leningrad by debra dean, merci suarez changes g. I laughed, i cried, i lost sleep thinking about it. The respected and otherwise healthy linguistics professor, alice howland, is a fiftyyearold mother of three, an accomplished scholar, and a tragic victim of earlyonset alzheimers.
Still alice is beautiful, frightening and powerful, and a reminder that alzheimers needs to be addressed now. Still alice is written not from the outside looking in, but from the inside looking out. Alice howland, happily married with three grown children, is a renowned linguistics professor who. By most accounts, moores portrayal of successful linguistics professor alice howland was spoton for showing the frustrations and loss of dignity that accompany this devastating disease. In the new movie still alice, julianne moores character is stricken with early onset alzheimers disease. I feel so blessed and fortunate that i am now 81 and the oldest in my family. As confusion starts to cloud her thinking and her memory begins to fail her, she receives a devastating diagnosis. This book is an amazing look at the life of a highly intelligent college professor who is diagnosed with early onset alzheimers disease. Alice was always beautifularmenian immigrant beautiful, with thick, curly black hair, olive skin, and big dark eyes, writes dana walrath. Genova holds a phd in neuroscience from harvard and is an online columnist for the national alzheimer s association. The title suggests otherwise, of course, and one of the tragedies of alzheimers for the friends and family of the afflicted person is that. I really thought this was a non fiction book while reading it. Jan 23, 2015 in the new movie still alice, julianne moore s character is stricken with early on set alzheimer s disease. Alice howland, happily married with three grown children and a house.
766 1516 1218 441 226 930 1030 209 435 1525 1013 297 380 693 656 370 686 1154 884 501 638 1451 75 1205 677 1438 1321 1347