Rating: 
Summary: a warm and honest book meant to be read and reread
Review: I've read and reviewed lots of books about Alzheimer's, but I think I can honestly say this is the most beautifully written that I've ever read. Elizabeth Cohen, at the time a single parent, writes of her baby girl Ava's growing and learning at the same time that she write's of her retired Economics professor father's forgetting and his descent into Alzheimer's disease. Set in a rural New York state farmhouse, the events of daily life bring both tears and laughter, and the helpful caring neighbors warm our hearts. Every time I began reading, I didn't want to put down this book, and yet, I didn't want to finish because I knew how I would miss Elizabeth, her Daddy, baby Ava, Jody the helpful caregiver, and all of the wonderful neighbors that surrounded them. Highly recommended, a must read for all caregivers of Alzheimer's patients!
Rating:
Summary: The most beautifully written memoir
Review: I've read and reviewed lots of books about Alzheimer's, but I think I can honestly say this is the most beautifully written that I've ever read. Elizabeth Cohen, at the time a single parent, writes of her baby girl Ava's growing and learning at the same time that she write's of her retired Economics professor father's forgetting and his descent into Alzheimer's disease. Set in a rural New York state farmhouse, the events of daily life bring both tears and laughter, and the helpful caring neighbors warm our hearts. Every time I began reading, I didn't want to put down this book, and yet, I didn't want to finish because I knew how I would miss Elizabeth, her Daddy, baby Ava, Jody the helpful caregiver, and all of the wonderful neighbors that surrounded them. Highly recommended, a must read for all caregivers of Alzheimer's patients!
Rating:
Summary: Everyone should read this book.
Review: Please, everyone, read "The House on Beartown Road." You will surely be affected in some way by Alzheimers in your lifetime and this book will be important to you. For the past year and a half I was the caregiver for my elderly parents, my Dad with Alzheimers. He died in May and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss him. Of everything I've read about Alzheimers, this book touched me the most and was the most realistic in terms of the sadness, the poignancy, the fun (yes, sometimes!) and the heartbreak of the disease. Thank you Elizabeth Cohen.
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Summary: Poignant, honest, beautifully written
Review: Poignant, honest, beautifully written, this is the story of a woman of 40, her father of 80 and her daughter who is not yet 1. Elizabeth Cohen is truly in the middle as she struggles to care for both her father and her child, while working and trying to maintain some sort of life in an old farmhouse in rural New York. (Her young husband has found the stress too great and has taken off.) The author, who is used to viewing herself as the kind of person who receives help from others, does receive kindness and help from her neighbors, but also develops into a strong and loving person who can cope with life's hardships. As she struggles to keep things going, she stands back occasionally and watches with awe as her father and daughter cross each other in their own journeys, her father backward to a time of knowing/understanding very little, and her daughter forward to a place of knowledge, competence and understanding. The way the little girl and the old man love each other and help each other is also poignantly expressed. This book is unsentimental but emotionally powerfully, and told with a truth and honesty that grab the reader.
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Summary: A family is a kind of poem
Review: Single mom Elizabeth Cohen records her life as her toddler daughter grows up while her father descends into Alzheimers (and she has sole care of both of them). Cohen finds poetry rather than tragedy as her daughter and father cross paths: daughter Ava surging into consciousness, learning new words by the hour, father Sanford finally forgetting even his name.I am overwhelmed by the truth of this poetry, because I am in a similar situation: my father-in-law was diagnosed with dementia a few months after my daughter's birth. As Dad has declined, my daughter has thrived. It is undeniably sad. Yet they are central to each other's worlds; even on days when Dad seems to know no one, you can tell he remembers G. You can tell she loves him and he loves her even though they can't speak. A greater theme in Cohen's book is the power of community; her neighbors help her bear her burdens (chopping firewood, shoveling her driveway, watching Ava), just as she helps her father bear his. Thus, even if you are not directly touched by Alzheimer's or the like, this well-written and touching book is likely to resonate with you too. May the world still be this way when we are older.
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Summary: A Daughter's Loving Tribute
Review: The House of Beartown Road is an exceptional nonfiction story that chronicles the decline of the author's father who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. What makes this book so special is the fact that the author is trying to raise her young toddler at the same time she has taken on the responsibility of caring for her father. Set in rural upstate NY, the author is a reporter for the Press and Sun Bulletin in Binghamton. Having moved to an old farmhouse that is far from the city, the author is faced with many personal hardships as her family situation changes. This book is a loving tribute to a once brilliant man, written by his daughter who refuses to give up on him.The author touches over and over again on the relationship that develops between her young daughter and her father , as one is growing intellectually in leaps and bounds and the other is sliding backwards. Anyone who has ever watched a loved one suffering from Alzheimer's understands the heartbreak described by the author, and the deep appreciation for any slight sign that signals awareness of people, events , or even self. This book is a loving gift from Elizabeth Cohen- not only to her dad, but to her daughter, who will somday read it and have a better understanding of who her grandfather was and what he meant to his family! To all of those who call themselves the Sandwich Generation', this book is a must-read!
Rating:
Summary: a warm and honest book meant to be read and reread
Review: The House on Beartown Road is an insightful memoir of how Elizabeth Cohen and her family cope with her father's journey down the path of Alzheimer's Disease. I originally bought this book because of my own dad's struggle with this disease; I felt the anger and the heartache and the unfairness of it all. Elizabeth changed my outlook. She reached out with her own story and taught me that along with the tears, there are still memories that can be created and laughter that can be shared. She understands. I cannot thsnk her enough for writing with such warmth and honesty. It's so cathartic that I've read it over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: beautiful and touching
Review: The House on Beartown Road moved me to tears. I am going through a similar situation with my grandfather and the book mirrored some of my experiences. I felt Elizabeth's struggles, pain and frustration. I saw her messy house and equally messy family and I fell in love with them. I hated to finish the book because I wanted to live there forever.
Anyone with a relative that suffers any form of dementia should read this helpful and inspiring novel. If you are lacking understanding for what is happening to your loved one, Eliazabeth's explanations of this horrible disease will put everything into perspective for you. Sometimes funny, mostly sad and always beautiful, this novel is simply wonderful.
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Summary: A Page-Turner! Moving and Uplifting.
Review: This book is an incredible, fast, fun read. It's heartfelt but often hilarious too. As Elizabeth Cohen manages her rapidly progressing infant and her rapidly regressing dad she tells an amazing story of human survival and will. She reminds us of the comforts of family, of poetry, of neighbors. What I love most about this book is how the author finds the good in a situation where most people would find only heartache. She reminds us of the beauty of everyday life, and of what's important. A celebration of family, parents, kids, of what it means to learn, to think, to be human. I don't usually like memoirs but I highly recommend this one. I've read it twice and couldn't put it down either time.
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Summary: Praise for The House on Beartown Road
Review: This is a lovely book about a courageous caregiver/mother/career woman who learns to handle an aging parent and a growing child at the same time. She draws upon her own resources, and finds help in her community as well. How touching it was to see her daughter develop intellectual and language skills while her father was gradually losing his.
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