The Things We Keep

Library Journal ¡ï 12/01/2015 Thirty-eight-year-old Anna Forster is married with a challenging career as a paramedic when she is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Her decline is rapid, and before long she's divorced, unemployed, and living at Rosalind House, an assisted-living facility. The residents are at least twice Anna's age except for Luke, another young victim of early-onset dementia. In this environment of aging, deterioration, and death, Anna finds something precious¡ªlove born from the ashes of her shattered life. When newly single mother Eve Bennett comes to work at Rosalind House, she thinks she, too, has lost everything until she meets Anna and learns what loss really means. VERDICT While on the surface a sad, realistic portrayal of a heartbreaking disease, Hepworth's (The Secrets of Midwives) latest is much more. The story, told through the alternating voices of Anna, Eve, and Eve's young daughter, is nothing less than a poignant testament to the immeasurable and restorative power of love. Sure to appeal to fans of Jojo Moyes, Jodi Picoult, and Lisa Genova; book clubs will be lining up.¡ªJeanne Bogino, New Lebanon Lib., NY