Finding Rosa: A Mother with Alzheimer's, a Daughter in Search of the Past

Finding Rosa: A Mother with Alzheimer's, a Daughter in Search of the Past is not quite what I was expecting but never the less is a richly rewarding reading experience ~ a memoir, a biography, a history. It is a heartfelt testimony about Alzheimer's disease, mothers and daughters, family relationships, ancestry. The title certainly suggests a complex story and Alzheimer's disease was definitely the hook for me. What I was expecting was a memoir more like John Bayley's Elegy for Iris (which I highly recommend) but Caterina Edwards, even though she does tell the very moving account of her mother Rosa's Alzheimer's disease, also examines in quite lengthy detail the suppressed, denied and tragic history of her mother's ancestral homeland and its people. Most of the book is in fact more a history and geography of Italian Istria (now part of Croatia) rather than the actual story of Rosa's Alzheimer's. Nevertheless, this stunning memoir is a beautiful love story as Caterina attempts to uncover the real Rosa as she used to be. In the prologue Caterina admits that for years "I was afraid that I would turn into my mother." Rosa was a strong, stubborn, domineering woman whose past was an unknown force, a mysterious lost world to her daughter Caterina. Their mother-daughter relationship was always difficult and the challenges of their relationship only worsened as Rosa slowly disappeared into the even darker world of Alzheimer's disease. Caterina very bravely and with the loving support of her husband and daughters took on the in-home care-giving for her ailing mother. Rosa's deterioration from the Alzheimer's disease together with the fear, the confusion, the hostility, the paranoia ~ all became the impetus for Caterina to search out the truth of her mother's mysterious past. As Rosa's body failed and her mind faded, Caterina was driven to really recover her mother's personal history, thus in truly knowing her mother she would truly know her own roots, her own self. To reconstruct Rosa's past is to reconstruct the history of Istria. It is a tragic, shocking story of an annihilated country, of exile, of ethnic cleansing, of diaspora. Caterina draws a compelling line of narrative through the complexity of details she uncovers in her research. At times the reading does get a bit bogged down with detail but I'm sure the reader interested in Istrian history will greatly appreciate Caterina's extensive research. I wasn't expecting a book with so much history rather than a personal exploration of Alzheimer's but still I am left very satisfied and well-informed. Finding Rosa: A Mother with Alzheimer's, a Daughter in Search of the Past is a scholarly but emotionally written, personal story which definitely has left a lasting effect for me. I recommend it highly for both those interested in Alzheimer's disease or the history and current events of Istria.

I work with Dementia patients and I found this book very enlightening. When the patient isn't part of your family it's easy to keep your emotional distance but it is a whole different story when the patient is your mother or father. In "Finding Rosa" Caterina Edwards sheds some light on what it's like for the family when a parent is diagnosed with Alzheimers disease. The author details her difficult journey of caring for her mother and discovering her hidden past along the way. This book is a great read and I would recommend it to anyone who works with dementia patients as well as any family members. It will help you to understand the process of Alzheimers disease from a more human aspect instead of just the medical side. Highly recommended!!!

When this book arrived I meant to read the prologue and save the rest for evening, but I couldn't put it down. I read four chapters in one sitting and only gave it up because my kids were starved. I spent all my spare time (and some that wasn't spare) over the next few days reading. I laughed and cried and loved it through and through. It is an intimate, thoughtful and informing exploration of the nature of identity - personal, familial, cultural, and national. It crosses continents and a century and carries you along for the ride. A beautiful and moving work of art. It's unforgettable.

"Finding Rosa", written by Canadian author, Caterina Edwards, is an insightful depiction of her personal journey to discover who her mother is as a human being and why her personality is such that it is. As Rosa descends deeply into the province of Alzheimer's disease, she lives with and is cared for by Ms. Edward's and her family--two teenage daughters and her husband. She admits to being unwell and exhausted because of the physical and emotional demands she encounters during this time. It is clear from early on in this book that life with Rosa was always fraught with conflict, as is the case with many mothers and daughters. The honesty with which she reveals details of their relationship, without any hint of self-pity, is admirable. Ms. Edwards explores unfathomable depths in order to understand and to become more compassionate toward her mother. In her search, she delves into her families' Italian heritage. She interviews survivors and records events of the ethnic cleansing that occurred in Istria under Tito's domination. Rosa and her family were among the numbers of Italian descent who were forced out of Istria while Tito was in power. These passages are horrific, yet compelling. "Finding Rosa" is much more than a memoir; it is also the telling of a historical travesty, about which little has been written. As Ms. Edwards learns more of Rosa's history, she comes to understand her mother's vindictive outbursts, even those prior to the onset of dementia. In the end, she is able to forgive Rosa, as we all must offer forgiveness to others if we are to have any sense of serenity within ourselves. I imagine Ms. Edwards has found such peace in the writing of this beautiful and absorbing work. I highly recommend "Finding Rosa".

Finding Rosa is a must-read for anyone dealing with a parent with Alzheimers. The novel is a journey of discovery about the disease, the parent, and the care-giver. This difficult subject has been approached in a way that is both informative and entertaining. Kudos to Ms. Edwards!