Tangles: A Story about Alzheimer's, My Mother, and Me (Paperback or Softback)

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.

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.

Says 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.

Midge Leavitt begins showing symptoms of Alzheimer's 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 mother's gradual decline and her family's 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 Leavitt's 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 Smart

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-one's 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 Alzheimer's. --E. Prather Palmer, MD, former Director, Alzheimer s Disease Clinic, Lahey Clinic, Burlington, Massachusetts

Says 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.

This is a really important book. I can t get it out of my head...we should all own a copy. --Rosalind Penfold, author of Dragonslippers

Midge Leavitt beginsshowing symptoms of Alzheimer's 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 mother's gradual decline and herfamily's 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 Leavitt'svoice 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 Smart

[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 Motion

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, Massachusetts