BOOK NOOK REVIEWS: Linda Brendle

Title: A Long and Winding Road: A Caregiver's Tale of Life, Love, and Chaos

Author: Linda Brendle

Publisher: Anaiah Press, LLC

Genre: Adult Memoir

Synopsis: Sometimes the wishful dreams of life after retirement doesn't turn out as planned. Sometimes LIFE deals a pretty hard hand and all you can do is pray things turn out right. That is just what one woman does when she finds herself learning how to adjust to daily life with her aging parents while traveling the open road. Five weeks in a 40-foot motor home can seem like a lifetime when you are trying to come to terms with caring for a mother struggling with Alzheimer's and a father suffering from vascular dementia. Everything from stopped up toilets to sinus infections have to be dealt with as one family makes their way through sixteen states in fifty-three days. There a lot of personal discoveries to be made while traveling A LONG AND WINDING ROAD.

Why you should read it: When I was offered an ARC of Mrs. Brendle's debut book, I jumped at the chance to read it. I had viewed the trailer and knew this would be an interested read. What I WASN'T ready for was how much it touched my heart. This debut memoir novel is written in a conversational tone and I was immediately drawn into the preparations for an extended family trip in a newly purchased motor home.

On a personal level, I could relate to living in Dallas during the same time Linda did, also working in an insurance office while ignoring one's true calling, and even, on some levels, connecting with the feeling of regret when watching a loved one slowly change from the person they used to be into someone almost unrecognizable. 

I think A LONG AND WINDING ROAD offers a touching look back into one woman's memories growing up in a co-dependent family while offering insight into how to keep stay spiritually grounded while dealing with the daily challenges of becoming a caregiver to aging parents.

Like-O-Meter Rating: 5 out of 5...grab it!