The Road to Echo Point

This book is well written for the most part. It takes a look at the daily life of dealing with the issue of Alzheimer's. It is written in such a way that those dealing with this issue will find reading it rather cathartic. The romance flows naturally and is part of the story, but not the only story. However, I found the ending to be less than spectacular. It seemed almost as though the author wanted to write a 300 page book. She took such care with writing the first 297 pages, and then just threw some words down without much thought or conviction to finish up the last three pages. While it did tie up the end of the story, it didn't feel as sincere or as filled with emotion as the rest of the novel.

Insurance claims manager Vi Davis tries to settle an auto claim with Bob Johnson when he points his shot gun at her. Vi drives too fast in her haste to flee and hits a dog. A big man comes out of the nearby brush yelling at her. At wits end, she flees again this time the scene of the accident. Not long afterward, Vi is in front of Judge Tanner in the Echo Point, Arizona courtroom, who rules she must perform community service. She will replace the canine she injured as the companion to Alzheimer's victim Daisy Smith for the next six weeks.Vi's first encounter with Alzheimer's leaves her shaken and wondering what whether she needs a tetanus shot. However, soon Vi falls in love with her elderly companion and her adult son Ian, who was that big guy with the dog she hit. Now she wants to remain with him forever, but that means giving up on her chance at a promotion that has been her objective for a long time.The romance takes a back seat to the deep look at how crippling to the victim and her loved ones Alzheimer's is. Daisy is becoming dangerous to herself, her canine, and her nurturing son to the point that Ian is past the threshold of her needing professional caretaking. The angst caused by whether Vi leaves or not seems shallow compared to Ian's dilemma of a nursing home or his home for his beloved mother. Anyone who has had to face this gut tearing issue will appreciate the scenario Carrie Weaver plunges her audience into and by the way there is a romance too.Harriet Klausner