My Review of "Where the Light Gets In"

Kimberly Williams-Paisley's Where the Light Gets In: Leaving My Mother Only to Find Her Again is a moving yet disturbing memoir which recounts the story of her life and tells of her mother's struggle with primary progressive aphasia (PPA), a brain disease for which there is no treatment or cure.

Kimberly grew up in a tight-knit family, with two siblings. Her parents were initially both journalists; later, her mother went to work as a fund-raiser for the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Her mother, Linda, had always been her daughter's "private applause section", cheering her on from childhood belly flops at the pool to later acting parts (including her first major role in the Father of the Bride remake). In her early 60s, however, Linda begins to show disconcerting signs of memory loss, and is diagnosed with PPA in 2005.

When Kimberly married well-known country singer, Brad Paisley, and moved to Tennessee, she began to struggle with her mother's care "long distance". Though they initially hoped to keep the disease secret, it became clear that the family needed outside help. Realizing that she has lost her "old mom", Williams-Paisley moved beyond denial and grief to develop a surprisingly joyful bond with a "new" mother who eventually must be placed in a care-giving facility. This intimate memoir concludes with a resources section that will be helpful to families facing the devastation of dementia.

I received a free copy of this book as part of the Blogging for Books program in exchange for my honest review here.

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