The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth isn't a book I would normally choose (it was a book club read), especially after reading the hearth wrenching Still Alice, but after the first few pages, I couldn't put the book down. Told from the story of Anna who has early onset Alzheimers disease, Eve whose life fell apart after her husband's ponzi scheme was discovered and Eve's daughter.Sally Hepworth draws the reader in and gives you a glimpse into the minds of each of her characters. She shows you the struggles Anna has with the disease, how Eve copes with being a single mother, and how her daughter, Clementine views the world through her young eyes.
Anna
Dr. Brain once told me that an Alzheimer's brain was like the snow on a mountain peak - slowly melting. There are days when the sun is bright and chunks drop off all over the place, and there are days when the sun stays tucked behind clouds and everything remains largely intact. . .
I'd have felt better about my prognosis if he'd reworded a little. Something like, the brain is like a filthy, stinking pile of crap. When the sun comes out, it stinks worse than you can imagine, and when it's cold or cloudy, you can barely smell it at all.
