The Journey Home

Name: The Journey Home
Price: $25.99 USD
Author: Gabriel Bron
ISBN: 9781663222954

Portraits of Healing

by Gabriel Bron

Formats

Softcover

$25.99

E-Book

$11.99

Softcover

$25.99

Book Details

Language : English

Publication Date : 6/9/2021

Format : Softcover

Dimensions : 8.5x8.5

Page Count : 240

ISBN : 9781663222954

Format : E-Book

Dimensions : N/A

Page Count : 240

ISBN : 9781663222831

About the Book

The Journey Home is a novel narrated through 35 engaging vignettes involving a son’s relationship with his parents during their final year of life. Using amplified recollections, vivid dreams, and impressionistic illustrations. The Journey Home leads the reader on an amazing pilgrimage of discovery and healing. Staring with the onset of his mother’s Alzheimer’s and proceeding through the eventual admission of both his parents to nursing homes. The Journey Home explores the complex and intimate process of evolving relationship in the final passage of life. Immersing the reader in the experience of caring for someone facing physical decline and dementia, this novel offers encouragement for all caregivers of the elderly. Told with the warmth and humor, each vignette invites the reader to understand the bittersweet emotions that are part of grieving and healing. Through making honest connections with the past and present, the Journey narrative demonstrates how life-altering challenges can be faced with openness, dignity, and grace.

About the Author

Gabriel Bron is a renowned American linguist, specializing in psycholinguistics, language acquisition, language loss, in dementia. He has worked on language project in multiple countries and government institutions. Formerly a professor of linguistics, he currently lives in San Francisco as an independent scholar and author.

Customer Reviews

The Journey Home, written by linguist Gabriel Bron, chronicles a family and the process of them navigating the world of Alzheimer's they are thrust into. While the story focuses on the mother, it is also an exploration of caring for their elderly father as he declines in health. The story begins with a simple game of bridge, during which Gabriel’s mother, Emma, exhibits her first lapse in memory. She forgets how to play a game she had played for years. This is the moment that propels the story forward and acts as the dividing line separating the families life into two time periods; The period before Emma gets sick, and after. The story progresses with Gabriel spending time with both his mother and father, attempting to see how to exist in the new dynamic that has been created between them. The interactions between Gabriel and his parents are an excellent example of how important language is to this story. Bron excels in his use of unique diction and dialogue to illustrate the complex feelings associated with caring for and elderly parent. Often the most impactful lines are written in a mix of German, English, and occasionally , or are words broken down and deconstructed to create a whole new meaning. Bron’s hectic and hallucinatory illustrations combined with the creative use of language does an amazing job of capturing feelings that are often difficult to convey. The confusion, loneliness, and at times moments of humor and peace that accompany diseases of memory jump off of the page. On page 116 Bron writes “my chances of communicating coherently about memories with Mom and Dad are becoming thinner and thinner by the minute. I can visualize the moment when everything has simply burned”. The author writes with a stream of consciousness style that creates a feeling of urgency within the reader. Memories, fragile and ever-changing things, are important. The stories of our loved ones are treasures. We should enjoy them and record them while we have them. The Journey Home is a great novel for both those who have cared for an elder, and those who have yet to experience it. Caring for an elder can be difficult, strange, and emotional. However, as this story illustrates, it is also a time filled with relived memories and flashes of brilliant moments of love.

Cameron Barba
The Journey Home Portraits of Healing is a memoir by Gabriel Bron. This book is told in a beautiful, exquisite, and personal way. Bron covers the journey of his mother developing Alzheimer’s and the eldercare of his father. Each section is accompanied by a hauntingly beautiful portrait that goes with the chapter. It illustrates that particular part of the journey just as much as the words on the page. We see not only the emotions of those looking at the decline in Bron’s parents, but we see their side of it as well, giving the reader a complete and intimate picture. I absolutely love this book. I highly recommend this book to everyone who may want to know more about caregiving, Alzheimer’s, and life in general. The first eye-catching part of this book is the cover. It is incredible and gorgeous. All of the art perfectly captures the emotions of the situation in a raw and real way. I have first-hand experience being a caregiver for people with Alzheimer’s, and I feel this book takes those moments and shares them so people who do not have the experience can understand. Something unique to Bron’s telling is how he shows the point of view of his mother and others’ points of view. Telling the story from his mother’s point of view hits it home for people who do not understand what it is like to take care of someone with Alzheimer’s. This book is such an authentic experience right from the first page. This brand of storytelling with sincerity and humor immersed me right into the story, and I felt the emotions jump right off the page. Something I gained from this book is learning something from everyone we meet in life. I love that Bron states that it is best to understand their native tongue to understand them best. Things get lost in translation, and it is best to know from their point of view and their language to fully grasp meaning. I had not previously thought of that, but it makes sense and left me thinking about my various experiences with others who do not speak English natively. One of my favorite quotes in the book, which is positively fitting for it overall given the subject matter is: Or maybe it’s that grief has its way of punctuating stories, of overwhelming them, of commandeering every event, hijacking every memory in its path.” This resonated with me. Over the years, and more recently, I have lost people I have loved dearly, more than anyone else. In that moment of grief, everything is gone. It is hard to bring up the good memories and the happy stuff when you are in the thick of it. But it also reminded me that it is okay to be in the middle of grief, but at some point, you get something out of it with enough feeling and time.

Jessica
The Journey Home is a uniquely reverent portrayal of aging. An odyssey spanning the final years of both father and mother, Gabriel Bron honors the lives of his parents through this novel-style memoir. Walking alongside the family’s story-teller, the stage of each chapter set before the eyes of expressive, emotion-evoking artwork, we are privileged with valuable glimpses into the twilight years of Daniel and Emma Bron, bearing witness to the changes wrought by a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and the natural decline of time. Every life is worthy of remembrance, worthy of a book to keep those memories within reach, for the sake of loved ones and strangers alike. I am one such stranger. My path would have never crossed those of Daniel or Emma in life and so I am honored to partake in these, their stories, even after death. Emotionally raw, humbling, yet a comfort and an inspiration none the less, I wish I had possessed this book before the passing of my grandfather, finding solace in the paralleled experiences and struggles of others. I was brought to tears in more than one chapter, laughing aloud in others, reading every portion with careful introspection. What will I be remembered for when it is my time to go? Who will be left to tell my stories? “And so we all let go. The paradoxical question that we have climbed to mountaintops to seek answers to now becomes clear. No, you don’t need to suffer when you die. Yes, you do need to understand the nature of suffering before you can let go.”

Erin Kleveland
The Journey Home is hard to describe properly, even after a day of reflection. Nothing I could write would match Gabriel Bron’s effortless and eloquent storytelling. It’s one of those novels that instantly leaves a lasting impact, the type that forever changes your outlook on the world. It’s a novel built on years of cultural knowledge and personal family “wisdom”, all combined to form a comforting view of the ageing process and the inevitable death of the body. Through masterly woven, vivid recollections of his youth, and his parents’ roles in his life and the world, the reader is given a multi-faceted view of Bron’s parents. The depth provided is critical to bringing these individuals to life on these pages. With every anecdote, there’s one more quirk to cherish or life lesson imparted, both of which create this sense of truly knowing someone. His depictions make it even more real and heartwrenching when exploring their declining health and personal struggles. From the first diagnosis to a parent’s movement out of the home, any caregiving child can relate to the complex feelings and questions that arise. The last three paragraphs of chapter 29 are some of the most beautiful and tear-inducing lines I have ever read. Honestly, I lost my composure and broke down at Bron’s musings of his dad’s final days. It’s not too often that someone lovingly and optimistically writes about those silent, bedridden moments near the end, the final moments you spend paralyzed in sleep. The most poetic thing I had ever heard from Dad was once when I asked him how he fell in love. “I don’t have the words to describe how I know this, but I felt like I was feeling something spiritual for the first time. There was something in the air between us,” he had said. Maybe he’s dreaming of baseball, the timeless beauty of coordinated motion. The crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd. Or maybe he’s dreaming of all these things at once, in a wonderful fusion of timelessness. In addition to the masterful storytelling, there are paintings before every chapter. These paintings serve as a visual guide of the chapter to come, reinforces the humanity of the people depicted, and offers a moment for reflection. They truly allow the reader to pause and take in all they’ve read and all that is to follow. They ensure that you remember these are real individuals and not tiny black letters on a page. More authors should include meaningful artwork like this, as it enhances the story and experience. With all these techniques, it’s impossible to walk away unscathed or less informed. Dying and ageing with grace isn’t about maintaining a strong facade or only succumbing after trying every innovative treatment available. Dying with grace simply means living true to reality, and authentically acknowledging your body’s unique journey into death and whatever comes after.

Paul
There were a lot of detailed and relatable real-life experiences in this story. I have spent several years working with and taking care of people living with Dementia and Alzheimer's. The raw pain and understanding in this book came through. I found myself teary-eyed throughout my reading. This story was an emotional journey that spoke loudly of how much the son cared for and loved his parents. Another part of this book that I enjoyed was the art for each of the chapters. There was a different painting style art piece at the beginning of each of the chapters. They were illustrated in a simple yet, captivating way that added extra character and helped capture the emotion throughout the ongoing situation and struggle. I would recommend The Journey Home – Portraits of Healing for anyone with interest in understanding Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Whether you want just to read a story on the effects and difficulties it has within a family or are just wanting a more real-life understanding of the disease, I believe The Journey Home is a great story to start. I can only find positive things to save after reading this book. It was a raw and realistic tale that provided necessary insight and hope. When families stumble upon difficult times such as these – where the future and ending are visible and heartbreaking – you find the happiness in between the lines. Our families and loved ones are part of who we are, and they are worth the effort it takes to find the best in the bad times.

Julia
Review of The Journey Home written by Gabriel Bron Reviewer: Ashley Rulo There are no happy endings when watching a parent decline with old age, and there are definitely no happy endings when watching a parent decline even more rapidly and more insidiously with Alzheimer’s. Spoiler alert: The Journey Home does not offer a standard happy ending to the reader, but it does offer something better: closure and peace. We await to see what will happen to the author at the end, but at the end of every story, isn’t that what we all crave; to not end on a cliffhanger? I highly recommend The Journey Home: Portraits of Healing, not just to caregivers and people directly involved with aging and decline, but to everyone who appreciates the fragile nature of human life. The Journey Home is a deeply personal tale of one family becoming unmoored, drifting through their own separate lives until Emma, the matriarch, is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. This diagnosis immediately changes the trajectory of their individual journeys to bring them together to weather the storm of Emma's illness progressing. Parallel to Emma’s decline, we also witness the advancing weakening of Dan, the family patriarch, as age begins to wear on his body and mind as well. Each character has a role to play in this memoir — Protagonist, Heroine, Messenger -- to navigate together on an inevitable journey. Gabriel, this memoir's “Messenger” (he says at the outset that his mother gave him the name Gabriel because it signifies “Messenger of God”) gives us ongoing commentary and insight into his family dynamic, and intimate peeks into how his parents' minds are evolving through a combined medium of the word and graphic art. The artwork that accompanies each chapter sets an impactful tone, sometimes of isolation, or confusion, or the feeling of a brain on fire with passion. The deep, pronounced lines in the subject's faces and heavy color saturation throughout the portraits draw the eye to the stark nature of the subject and story line. There are no frills or sugarcoating in these portraits, dovetailing perfectly with the raw writing of each epsiode. As we all know, Alzheimer's is not pretty, flowery, or frilly — and neither the art nor writing style allows us to indulge in this kind of illusion. Instead, we are given a truthful, yet comforting and supported tour of a journey into this disease. As someone who is now watching my grandfather battle dementia, this stark study of Gabriel's own parents, without flowery euphemisms or frills, was a parallel that I didn't know I needed to read to feel less alone in my caregiver role to my own grandfather. This book led me to the realization that when my own grandfather passes, “a beautiful woman in silk stockings” (an image from one of the closing chapters of the book) will be waiting for him to make his final passage. This is not an easy book to begin, but once you become absorbed in the story, you realize that the journey you are taken is one you need to take, and you will find a deep understanding, peace and fulfillment in taking that journey.

Ash Rulo
Nothing is more heart breaking than a quiet storm. To watch it whimper as the days go on, and it's something that happens to people — all the time. We can't control it like we're in the driver seat. But we can adjust to the tragedy. And in this book, Gabriel Bron, his brothers, his sisters, his family, have no choice but to accept a cruel fact of life. That their parents aren't invincible titans. They can't stay on this Earth forever... It's starts with Gabe's mother, Emma Bron, when she can't recall things like she used to. That's normal for someone who's getting on in years. After all, everybody forgets things. But to lose aspects of what makes you...you? Now, that's a cause for alarm; the smoke leading to fire, or in this case, Alzheimer's. Her decline is like a paradox. Obvious, yet slow. It's not like she is diagnosed, then she dies the next chapter. At least, not like you'd think. By all means, a part of her dies. Like a broken faucet with a bucket underneath. You don't know how much is leaking until the floor is inch deep. As for Gabe's Father, Daniel, he too is crumbling. Though, in a more ideal circumstance — that's still just as heartbreaking. He's a great man, who may constantly surprise you, and almost make you forget... he's just as fragile as her. And by the end, you'll have a tear. Probably two. Every chapter is met with a picture depicting what's to come. Sort of like a guide, and they might fill you with dread. Something you can't avoid even if you tried. In that way, you can really start to appreciate those pictures even more. Arguably just as much as the many great quotes in this book. Don't believe me? "Was it the medication, or was it the disease?" The conclusion you decide is yours to keep, but there's no debating one thing. "The Journey Home" is a very good read.

JayJackson11
Five Stars! I felt a strong connection to Gabriel Bron’s novel as a man who has lost both parents to cancer and witnessed the physical deterioration and inevitable resolution of my grandmother’s life recently. My grandfather currently suffers from dementia. Watching someone you love and knew as a strong person become frail and suffer from visions, confusion, and amnesia is unfathomably difficult to cope with. I find myself avoiding him because it breaks my heart to witness my aunt have to explain to him who I am every time I walk into the room with him, usually through references to my mother and a picture of my daughter that is on his fireplace: “You know, your grandson. He’s the dad of the little girl whose picture you like to talk to at home.” Gabriel Bron’s novel, The Journey Home, takes the reader on a powerful, heartbreaking journey -- one that best identifies the values of life by offering an intimate glimpse into the struggles coping with its inevitable degeneration and resolution. When his mother exhibits symptoms of forgetfulness and progressively falls prey to Alzheimer’s disease, Bron and his family find themselves forced to watch as the woman they love changes, losing parts of herself and parts of them as well. During his efforts to rejuvenate his mother’s failing memories, Bron takes the opportunity to reflect on life and gain insight not only about her but also about the other members of his family, particularly his father, who face their own struggles in the aftermath of the diagnosis. As if the situation wasn’t difficult enough, Bron is forced to endure his grieving father, a strong, willful veteran, begin his own battle against the erosion of time and the aftermath of a world forever changed. As the family learns to adapt to different circumstances, Bron learns that there’s nothing like the impending specter of death to make one contemplate the many complexities of life. The story is real, incredibly well-written, poignant, and enjoyable. I highly recommend that you read it, particularly if you or someone you know has to deal with these sorts of ailments or if you want to understand more about what life can be like. If nothing else, it’s a well-told story that makes a lot of revelations about humanity and will keep you turning the pages (or scrolling) straight until the end. Bron’s writing style feels relaxed and down-to-earth, yet erudite. As he invites you into his world, he sprinkles his story with humor and philosophical observations. His thought-provoking insights often appear as anecdotes that may seem like degressions at first, until he masterfully brings these stories full-circle, applying them to the present. His words reverberate with the ringing of truth, as anyone who has experienced the tribulations and mental anguish involved in having family members that suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or other ailments that come with advanced age. The cover is clever and attractive, depicting a double-helix that entraps within its borders a set of flowers, seemingly representative of the mother’s encapsulation by Alzheimer’s disease. The artwork throughout the book is unorthodox, but appropriate, especially due to the novel’s subject matter. They consist of colorful illustrations that correspond well with plot events, yet lack specific definition at times, in line with the hazy, confusing nature of the illness. Some of my favorite quotes from the book that spoke to me (and there were many): ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The dementia is certainly an obstacle, but it’s not the adversary, not the antagonist. The antagonist in this story is our resistance: our resistance to understand the course of nature and our resistance to embrace aging and decline as an actual ally on our journey. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mom doesn’t respond. The memory is not there. “I can’t remember that. But was it a good time?” she queries. “Oh, sure. You’ve had a lot of good times,” Kate says buoyantly. At that moment it became clear to me: Kate is keeping Mom alive. Physically. Mentally. Spiritually. She’s preventing the library from burning down. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Xavier J. Lockhart
Caregiving for an older adult is a challenging task, particularly for a family member, as simple activities can dredge up an array of complex memories and emotions. In The Journey Home: Portraits of Healing, author Gabriel Bron captures what it is like to be a caregiver for his aging parents, both of whom gradually slide into the world of dementia. As the story unfolds, Bron gently teaches the reader valuable lessons about the fragility of communication within a family and the importance of respecting the power of memories. It also teaches us to develop the ability to appreciate the transient beauty of life itself, to experience witnessing the passing of our loved ones as a gift. As Gabriel narrates the story from a first-person perspective, the reader can directly experience the dynamics with the family. Daniel, Gabriel's father, plays the role of the stalwart leader of the family and the carrier of the "family code." The intimate conversations between Gabriel and Daniel gradually reveal the father's vulnerability and fears. One of the many memorable conversations in the book is in the chapter "Leonardo," Daniel says that he is hoping against all hope that his wife Emma will recover from Alzheimer's (spoiler alert: she doesn't). Daniel has difficulty verbally expressing his innermost feelings, a common trait of the "World War II generation," compounded by Daniel's own traumatic war experiences. Gabriel draws him out and helps him experience the bittersweet sadness of facing the reality of our inevitable death. One inspiring character in the novel is Gabriel's sister, Kate. She is described as the "hero" of the story and excels at communicating with Emma – and her voice, combined with Emma's, reveals much of the fabric of the family's history. Most importantly, Kate knows how to connect with Emma in her world to assure Emma that she is still loved and appreciated. In this endearing way, Kate can achieve the quality of caregiving and protection that Daniel strives to give Emma. As a caregiver myself, I was inspired by this memoir. It helps me appreciate the importance of mutual assistance in caregiving, of joining community groups that educate and support the individual caregiver in our "journey." As Bron's story reveals, caregivers often depend too much on medical professionals to provide care and direction for their loved one. However, caregiving is an individual act of connecting with the patient on all levels — physical, familial, emotional, and spiritual. One lasting image for me from reading occurs in the final chapter called "Rasa Yatra" (which is a Sanskrit word for "personal journey"). In this chapter, when Gabriel visits his parents' gravesite, he notices some dying flowers ("winter roses," depicted on the book's cover). He recalls a lesson from his mother, who was an avid gardener. She taught him that dying flowers are a gift that nature provides — they leave fertilizer for a new generation of flowers to bloom. Metaphorically, I feel that the reader of The Journey Home will learn this lesson and will come to cherish the final passage of life.

Manicia
Gabriel Bron furnishes a heart-wrenching sneak peek into the life of caregiving for people with Alzheimer's in The Journey Home Portraits of Healing. His narration as "the designated storyteller" curates a story that's as beautiful as it is chilling. Each section gets accompanied by a piece of art that flawlessly sets the tone for the chapter by providing a thought-provoking glimpse into the narrator's observations. As a former caretaker to my grandparents, I couldn't help but cry at the account of the time leading to his parents’ deaths. Bron takes you on an emotional journey that tugs at your heartstrings from beginning to the very end. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that has been a caregiver to the elderly or anyone that wants to learn more about Dementia and Alzheimer's. The Journey Home is a great teaching tool to understand the effects and hardships that Alzheimer's can have on a family. It's a profound story that doesn't hold back on the dark moments, yet it presents hope to those in a similar situation. Watching a loved one grow older is a reality that we all have to face, but it's the beauty in knowing that they will always be a part of you that provides light at the end of a dark tunnel.

Cydney
Written eloquently against a backdrop of philosophy and Eastern mysticism, the writer uses his experience with his parents to draw in readers and then educate them. Watercolor artwork throughout the book breathes emotion into the text and gives the reader a chance to wipe his or her eyes before continuing this poignant tale. This book serves as a guide for anyone with aging parents, as it discusses the tests that are used to determine if an elder can continue to live in his or her home and how to gauge the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease. Bron humorously showcases show the determination of his father (a Bataan Death March survivor) as the insurance would cover hospice care only for seven days, and his father outlived the contract. “Yup, this is what dying looks like,” remarked the nursing home doctor, owing to how coldly modern medicine treats end-of-life care in a system ruled by insurance and corporations. “But I have no idea why it’s taking so long.” Readers of this book will be tempted to put it down at several points and call their aging loved ones just to check in. This is a warm read that should be read by all family members so everyone can start the discussion early about the road ahead for all of us.

James Charles
The Journey Home is an extremely touching account of Gabriel Bron’s experience of facing the unknown, brought on by Alzheimer’s, with the people he has known his whole life. While doing something she has done a thousand times, Gabriel’s mom, Emma, can’t remember how to do it. She knows she is supposed to remember what to do, but she just doesn’t. This opens the door for what turns out to be the final journey, not just for Emma, but for the family’s walk together. Gabe pulls on a lifetime of memories and experiences to navigate this new situation. He learns more about himself, his mom, and especially his dad, with whom he builds a new way of relating. He recalls all the ways his mom showed him her love and care. He tells her the stories of travels they did together and lessons she taught him in life. He helps his dad in new ways he never imagined happening. Through this journey, he gets to embrace every moment and look toward the future with a new calmness and a full heart. Each chapter is opened with a colorful and thought-provoking painting of a moment in time. These pieces do an amazing job of conveying the feelings the people are living. They are so emotional and mean even more after you finish each chapter. You will find yourself looking at them over and over, seeing the weight of the feelings, especially after you understand the context and the people who lived these moments. Toward the end, Gabe thinks, “There are days when you wake up and you know today is a day when your heart is about to be broken.” Every day he spends with his parents is precious and full of emotion, but in the end, there was no other way for their journey to end. The gravity of knowing your heart will break and you can’t stop it is so heavy, you just have to take the next step and continue your own journey and be thankful for the time you got to travel with those who leave and embrace all the memories as long as you can.

Elizabeth
This book was so hard to put down. The characters and the story were instantly relatable. The writing style was quite seamless and transparent. There is a beautiful balance between delivery of fact and thoughtful interpretation of those facts. The artwork was interesting as well – the bright colors and somewhat chaotic drawing seemed evocative of what one might feel when the world is suddenly unfamiliar. I expected a sad story, but in many ways it was not. Every step of this journey is recounted with candor and grace. And in the end, the author and his parents found their own gifts.

Mary Pellegrinetti
“The Journey Home” is a thought-provoking and enlightening page-turner. It gives a “voice” to the often overlooked and ignored caregivers, who must “solider on” even when the “going gets tough.” This is where the author excels. He focuses less on the disease and more on its effects on the “family system.” Told from the perspective of various family members, it helps the reader understand what it feels like to have a loved one, struggling...sinking, and being unable to “fix it” or “stop it.” It’s heartbreaking. Thus, I highly recommend this book to any person, who is caring for a loved one and struggling to cope with his or her decline. This book will change his or her life. More specifically, it will help reframe how he or she sees life and death and everything in-between. “The Journey Home” is a remarkable book that is transparent, real and raw, honest, calming, comforting, thought-provoking, respectful, and validating.

Dr. R. Y. Langham
The Journey Home is a heart-gripping story that captures and embraces the reader. The author guides us on his truly touching and personal journey — we walk alongside Gabriel’s every step of the way, experiencing his wonder, heartache, and love while caring for his parents in the final chapter of their lives. Gabriel encapsulates all of these emotions that affect both the patients of Alzheimer’s and their caretakers through his story: anger, fear, confusion, sadness. He writes with compassion, empathy, and warmth. And just as his parents are gradually losing their own sense of memory, Gabriel’s past memories, dreams, and fantasies come flooding in with utmost clarity. An added bonus of this journey is the colorful artwork that introduces each episode. The artwork is playful, simple, and yet reflective. It beautifully illustrates the complexity of the human brain in decline, while the lively brushstrokes evoke juvenile bliss. As someone that worked in healthcare supporting caregivers, I found this memoir extremely comforting. For example, I was touched by this passage: “I slide into the driver’s seat gingerly. I look at myself in the rearview mirror. Eyes drooping, cheeks hollow, mouth lax. I’m beat. It’s been a draining visit. As I start the car and wheel out of the parking lot, I consider stopping at Caribou Coffee. It’s become my favorite contemplation spot in the neighborhood, especially if I need a bit of respite from Dad.” (p. 151) This passage reminds me of all the times I would tell family members it is perfectly normal to feel emotionally exhausted when you’re embedded in the roller-coaster role of caregiving for a patient with dementia. I would personally recommend this book to anyone with a loved one diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia and all of those working with these patients. It gives you true insight into how an entire family is affected, increasing one’s empathy, kindness, and patience.

Brittany H
The Journey Home is a beautifully written memoir encapsulating the love of a family facing the ultimate challenge - losing a wife/mom slowly to a disease that attacks the mind. The storyteller takes you on a journey through the struggles and blessings of caregivers, the true unsung heroes, and the sacrifices they make to provide peace and comfort to loved ones while the world keeps on ticking. Watercolor artwork accompanies the story each step of the way providing a lovely glimpse into the storytellers mind for each stage of the journey. The artwork by itself could be a book on its own as it beautifully reflects the carefully chosen words of Bron and the emotions he must have felt/portrays in the memoir throughout his journey. This is definitely a must-read memoir for those who are new caregivers to loved ones or feel like their personal journey of being a caregiver is not being understood by those around them. As an individual who personally experienced being a caregiver, the journey written by Bron sheds light to a highly intimate part of life that most don’t understand until they are personally affected. Additionally, this memoir helps remind you that you aren’t alone during your own journey as a caregiver while providing a personal touch that allows you to feel a common-bond with the storyteller.

Kevin G.
This condensed story of two generations reached deep inside me and wrenched at my heart. As someone who comes from a matrilineal line of Alzheimer's sufferers, this reminded me of the descent of my grandmother, and reminded me of the oncoming fear of knowing my mother is going to go through this soon. Yet at the same time, in that fear, it gave me hope that I could still find the beautiful in a terrible situation. With his intimate exposure of the twilight years of his own parents, combined with an incredible amount of philosophical knowledge from different places around the world, Bron displays the harsh realities of the end of life as nothing to be feared, but revered. Unlike some authors who wish to make their works sound smarter by doing a few google searches and peppering in some French or Latin, Bron displays how he gained these perspectives and where he’s learned them. He also never claims to fully understand them, which I find admirable. (Also, the German that is used is either used correctly, or that he didn’t know what it meant. Wunderbar!) The images were also evocative of primal feelings underneath a pensive exterior, much like Munsch, and the simplicity of the backgrounds and poses allows for deeper meanings to be extracted from them. As a literature enthusiast, I was very interested in the angle of breaking down an actual family into character archetypes and plot points, labelling himself both narrator and participator. At first, it sounded a little insensitive, yet his narration throughout brought to light the different ways our stories are told, and why the telling matters as much as the story itself. All in all, a wonderful read for a sentimental night in.

Juliet Clark
It is rare to find books on grief written from a male perspective. This one is outstanding and helps us look at life (and death and loss) through a practical lens. The author does a great job showing both his mother's decline from dementia and his father's physical decline in the context of opportunities to connect, grow, and understand that death is a continuum of life. The artwork accompanying each chapter is lovely and, as I know it, done by a family member of the author. I highly recommend the book for its various stories (many of which can be stand-alone short pieces) and its compassion toward the subjects of death and grief.

cynthia douglas-ybarra
This book was truly a moving story of the rawness of our humanity. This memoir is evocative, poignant and powerful, documenting to stories of two people as they begin to decline, and how their family copes with these changes. From the pictures to the dialogue to the imagery, the story kept me captivated from beginning to end and I couldn't put it down. I think this is a great memoir for anyone passing through elderly care and end of life care. The story is incredibly relatable and you will find yourself in the pages. We are navigated through this moment in time where memory and fate and choice are running wild and the memoir keeps us together through it all, guiding us along our own journey through the text. A must read for care takers, families of people with Alzheimer's, and those who are struggling to take care of themselves while caring for others.

Catherine

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