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    An Absent Mind
    An Absent Mind
    An Absent Mind
    Audiobook4 hours

    An Absent Mind

    Written by Eric Rill

    Narrated by Sandra Burr and Mel Foster

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Seventy-one, and a man used to controlling those around him, Saul struggles to make peace with his disconnected family before Alzheimer’s consumes his sanity.

    His ramblings, humor, emotions, lucid moments, and confusion are laid bare, as well as the thoughts and feelings of his loved ones: his wife, Monique, conflicted and depressed…caring, yet angry; his daughter, Florence, compassionate, yet proper and reserved; his son, Joey, self-centered and narcissistic, seemingly indifferent to his family’s challenges; and his doctor, an Alzheimer’s specialist, who cares for Saul until his final days.

    From the beginning Saul and his family know how it has to end, because no one has ever outsmarted Alzheimer’s. But as they navigate the meandering road that will eventually bring Saul’s demise, they leave behind their once disconnected lives and come together to weather their difficult journey.

    Heartfelt and moving, this lauded novel, winner of 2014 gold medals from the Independent Publisher Book Awards, Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, and the Living Now Book Award for Inspirational Fiction, will appeal to fans of Lisa Genova’s Still Alice or Nicholas Sparks’s The Notebook.

    Best Book Of 2014 —Alzheimer’s Weekly

    Revised edition: This edition of An Absent Mind includes editorial revisions.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateFeb 17, 2015
    ISBN9781501237041
    An Absent Mind
    Author

    Eric Rill

    Born in Montreal, and later moving to California where he graduated from UCLA with a master’s in business, Eric Rill went on to run a global hotel group. After discovering his passion for adventure, he left the corporate world, travelling and enjoying the excitement of skydiving, scaling volcanoes, scuba-diving—and, to his surprise, stand-up comedy. Somewhere along the way he also discovered the joy of writing fiction. His first two bestsellers were thrillers, Pinnacle of Deceit and The Innocent Traitor. Then came An Absent Mind, a novel about family and adversity. His latest, The Window Washer, inspired by a real life situation, takes the reader into the world of killers, money launderers, moral and immoral cops, and corrupt politicians. Now living in Panama, Eric is available to connect with your book club through Skype. Just contact him at pantravel@gmail.com.

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    Reviews for An Absent Mind

    4/5

    42 ratings6 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I know I am very fortunate to know anyone personally with Alzheimer disease. This author though definitely knows what he is talking about as he watched his fathers downward spiral for eight years.This is narrated by Saul, seventy, who is diagnosed with the disease, his wife of many years who wants to keep him home as long as possible. His grown son, who is not able to forget what he considers his cold upbringing and his sister, Florence who he thought was always the favorite. Also by the doctor who explains how he makes his diagnosis and exactly what is happening to Saul at various stages.A good hard look at how this disease affects the whole family, told in entries almost like a diary or journal. Parts were funny, Saul does and thinks some amusing things. Poignant, as his wife, Monique is his main caregiver and one sees the extreme stress this causes her. I felt it was told in a distant, somewhat unemotional way but I preferred this. What the characters are going through is heartbreaking enough, I think the distance lets us fill in our own emotions. Well done, I thought providing a clear understanding of just how hard this disease is on families and the patient themselves.
    • 4/5
      A special thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC i n exchange for an honest review. Eric Rill’s AN ABSENT MIND, is a riveting account of one man’s struggle with Alzheimer’s and the emotional journey of his family and those around him. Saul is a man in his early seventies when this terrible illness strikes. We also hear from the other family member’s perspective and how this horrific disease has touched each life. His wife, Monique; Florence-daughter; and Joey, the son. With short chapters we hear from the controlling Saul as he feels he is losing his control and slipping away. At times of course your heart goes out to him with the confusion and other times he can be humorous. As we hear from each family member, his wife is depressed and feels obligated, the daughter is reserved, yet compassionate and worried; and then of course we have the son who is more self-centered and removed. If you have been around anyone with Alzheimer’s, it is rather scary, as you can only image what is going on in their confused mind. If they could only tell you.My sister cares for a woman with Alzheimer’s, ninety years old and she can be a real hoot; however, as the day progresses she seems more confused and disoriented. This was my first book by Eric Rill and his personal journey with his father definitely brought insights to the novel. However, I would not compare this book to Lisa Genova's novels, as have read all her books; and one of my favorite authors -she brings much more emotion and feelings from her characters to her stories. If you enjoyed this book, would highly recommend Genova’s new upcoming novel Inside the O’Briens , a family’s struggle with HD (Huntington’s Disease)—was fortunate to have read an ARC. With Genova’s books you feel each person’s emotion deeply; whereas with Rill’s did not have the same impact. However, I would recommend AN ABSENT MIND, as a realistic portrait of a family and how each person is affected by the illness. Rill also includes chapters from a doctor’s perspective with nice research. Look forward to reading more from this author.
    • 5/5
      I have to say, I really loved this book. I work in geriatrics with people of various stages of dementia, and I cannot say how accurate this portrayal is of a family dealing with the course of Alzheimer's. I have seen every person represented in this book...the person tragically suffering the disease, the devoted spouse going through the disease along side of their partner as well as the detached child that rarely comes in to the devoted child doing what little bit they can to make their parent's life more bearable. What was especially good about this book was the narration by the 'doctor' explaining biologically what is happening to the Alzheimer's patient. What a great novel for anyone going through this, about to go through this, working with people who go through this, or just the curious.
    • 4/5
      An Absent Mind begins as Saul, a conventional professional man, gives a drily humorous account of leaving the house one day without his trousers and his subsequent diagnosis with Alzheimer’s. As the book progresses we also hear from his wife Monique about their more-or-less happy marriage, and from their two children, along with occasional interventions from Saul’s doctor.The style is conversational, as if the family were participants in a documentary, each recording their own video diary, addressing an unspecified listener. There is also, despite the confessional style, the sense that they may be holding something back, or showing themselves in a good light, as they contradict one another. Inevitably Saul’s contributions becomes less vivid and coherent until he is finally unable to speak at all.There are no great events or stunning twists in this story. There is just the relentless progression of Saul’s illness and the shifting dynamics in his family. It is a subtle and absorbing read. -I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.
    • 5/5
      I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through Netgally. Walking on Trampolines is a lovely book. It is very much a familiar book of domestic fiction about family, friends and relationships but it is particularly well done. The writing is very good. Some of the characters are very interesting and sympathetic despite their flaws -- the main character Lulu's mother and boss in particular. And the evolution of Lulu's character -- although predictable -- is very engaging. I must admit that I shed a few tears along the way and definitely had trouble keeping my nose out of this book. It also made me think that this book falls within a genre that a few Australian authors seem to be particularly good at -- Liane Moriarty and Monica McInerney for example. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a good cosy -- sometimes sad but heart warming -- story from time to time. I would be happy to read the author's next book.
    • 5/5
      This was...so good. I couldn't atop reading, the whole family is real to me, and their situation in many ways familiar.