Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante
This book was an emotionally difficult read for me. Alice LaPlante does such a good job of taking you through the inevitable mental decline of Dr. Jennifer White that it's at once fascinating and devastating to watch. If you require a feel-good ending to your fiction, you'll want to pass this one by, because LaPlante unflinchingly depicts the progression of her Dr. White's disease.
I would definitely not classify this as a mystery though. The murder is really incidental.
Rated of 5
by Lori (Wayland, MA)
Turn of Mind
A great read. I flew through the book, hardly able to put it down. It reminded me of Still Alice, as far as imagining life with dementia and the vulnerability associated with it, but it had the added suspense of a murder investigation, interesting history which gets revealed in lucid moments, and peripheral characters who made you wonder about their motivation.
Rated of 5
by Judy G. (Carmel, IN)
Poignant Read
This truly was a book I couldn't put down, read in two sittings on the eve of the first anniversary of my mother's death from Alzheimer's complications. I had only brief glimpses of what my mother's reality was like as I tracked her decline from a distance. This book filled in the blanks for me--at alternating times tearfully, joyfully and with humour.
The writing is so skillfully done that the story flowed seamlessly from beginning to end. The masterful integration of intrigue with what would have been a powerful book without it is amazing and brilliant.
I believe the BookBrowse readers will place this book at the top of their recommendation list to others. As for me, I'll remember this book not only for the writer's expertise but also for bringing me greater understanding of the last years of my mother's life.
Rated of 5
by Cynthia A. (Grand Rapids, MI)
One of the best books I've ever read!
I dropped everything, canceled everything to read this book, it was that good! The style, format, characters, plot, storyline, all together, make this about the best I have ever read! I will recommend this book to everyone. I can't wait to suggest it to my book club.
Rated of 5
by Catherine M. (Grand Forks, ND)
Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante
In her novel, Turn of Mind, Alice LaPlante explores themes of contrition, disintegration, and indebtedness. The story concerns Jennifer White, a retired orthopedic surgeon; her husband, James, who is deceased; her two adult children, Mark and Fiona; and her best friend, Amanda, who is the victim in an unsolved murder case. It is also about the debilitating effects associated with Alzheimer’s disease, which, as the story opens and the reader learns, is Jennifer’s unfortunate fate—“to awaken from nightmares and find they were, comparatively, the sweetest of dreams” (p. 297).
Through the blurry lens that is Alzheimer’s and with the help of supporting characters, Jennifer tells her story—her loss of professional esteem, the difficult relationships she shares with her husband and children, and her entangled and turbulent friendship with Amanda.
LaPlante makes effective use of voice. The first half of the story is told from the main character’s point of view. The reader comes to know and understand Jennifer through her introspective and soul-searching observations. By the story’s third part, the author has switched to second person voice—a more passive and outward “you”—as the reader begins to lose touch with Jennifer’s thoughts. In the final section and through mostly third-person story telling, Jennifer is all but lost to the reader and to herself.
Rated of 5
by Marilyn J. (Harvey, ND)
Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante
Turn of Mind is as riveting and heartbreaking a read as Still Alice which my book club recently read. A portrait of Alzheimer's, the story illustrates the downward spiral the disease takes and the havoc and heartbreak it wreaks on the lives of all of those involved. The mysterious murder of Dr. Jennifer White's friend Amanda adds an element and layering to a story that in itself is terrifying in its reality for many of us. It's a frightening yet fascinating look into the mind of one caught in the web of a disease unlike any other. For me the story was as helpful in understanding what Alzheimer's does, how it progresses, and how it affects the families involved as it was a story I couldn't put down. I am passing my copy on to my friend, an 88-year-old nun, who wishes to gain more insight into and understanding of some of the people she serves who are afflicted with dementia.
Rated of 5
by Beatrice D. (Floral Park, New York)
Living With Alzheimer's
Wow! Alice La Plante has managed to get inside the the head of 65 year-old Dr. Jennifer White, an orthopedic surgeon who had to "retire" from her practice because she is suffering from dementia.
The author uses the device of a journal that Jennifer keeps to take us on the harrowing and frightening ups and downs of this disease that turns the person you know into a total stranger. We learn about Jennifer's life, her children and why she is suspect in the mysterious death of her best friend.
From the very first entry to the last line, this story holds your interest and then some.
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of 5
by Leann A. (Springfield, IL)
