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There are currently 28 member reviews
for Turn of Mind
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Cheryl W. (Cassville, MO)
Turn of MInd
The adjectives on the back cover of the book describe it well, "extraordinary, haunting, startling, poignant, compelling". I read it in one sitting and was sorry to see it end. It is thought provoking, disturbing, and very sad. Even so I would recommend it to just about anyone. It made me think of dementia in a new way.
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Bonnie B. (Fairbanks, AK)
A Mind Lost
'Turn of Mind' by LaPlante is a fascinating book. Dr. Jennifer White is suffering from early onset Alzheimer's disease and this book is told mainly from her perspective in the first person. She is deteriorating rapidly and is having trouble remembering anything recent or even recognizing her children. She was an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hand surgery before she retired. Complicating matters is the fact that her best friend has been found murdered with four digits of her hand cut off. Jennifer is the prime suspect. The book is very well written and gets the reader deeply into the mind of a person with dementia. The book was so interesting that I had trouble putting it down. I highly recommend it.
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Bethany T. (Annapolis, MD)
Turn of Mind Makes the Mind Turn!
Turn of Mind was by far the most intriguing fiction I've read in quite some time. The title is a fabulous choice for upcoming book discussions. Not only does it give the reader a first hand view of Alzheimers but it's complexities go far deeper delving into the true meaning of friendship, love, motherhood and betrayal. I was riveted to the very end. The characters are well drawn and the plot is fast-moving. It's a quick read while still full of meaty "food for thought". I highly recommend Turn of Mind.
Bethany, Mountain Road Library Associate, Pasadena, MD
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Molly K. (San Jose, CA)
From the Inside Out
This is a compelling story delivered in exquisite narrative and conversational prose, taken from the diaries of a medical doctor as she descends into the throes of Alzheimer's disease. The story is wrapped around the unsolved murder of an old family friend, and during the investigation we gradually gain insight into the complex motives of the members in these two families.
I found the characters to be complex and real, and I empathized with all of them. I credit the author for drawing me in to the lives of these people, not all of them likeable.
This is a novel that grabs on the first page and barely releases its hold on the last. The story stayed with me for days.
The book jacket gave no information about the author and her background. How did she surmise the thought processes and mind games of a person with Alzheimer's disease? Research? Observation? Can we trust the memories and observations of someone suffering such a tragic illness?
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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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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.
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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.
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