When artist Maleonn realizes that his father suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, he creates “Papa’s Time Machine,” a magical, autobiographical stage performance featuring life-size mechanical puppets. Through the production of this play, the two men confront their mortality before time runs out and memories are lost forever.

ADULT NONFICTION

Cheng, Nien. Life and Death in Shanghai.New York, NY: Grafton Books, 1986.
A first-hand account of China's Cultural Revolution. Nien Cheng, an anglophile and fluent English-speaker who worked for Shell in Shanghai under Mao, was put under house arrest by Red Guards in 1966 and subsequently jailed. All attempts to make her confess to the charges of being a British spy failed; all efforts to indoctrinate her were met by a steadfast and fearless refusal to accept the terms offered by her interrogators. When she was released from prison she was told that her daughter had committed suicide. In fact Meiping had been beaten to death by Maoist revolutionaries.

Harper, Lynn Casteel. On Vanishing: Mortality, Dementia, and What it Means to Disappear. New York, NY: Catapult, 2020.
In On Vanishing, Lynn Casteel Harper, a Baptist minister and nursing home chaplain, investigates the myths and metaphors surrounding dementia and aging, addressing not only the indignities caused by the condition but also by the rhetoric surrounding it. Harper asks essential questions about the nature of our outsized fear of dementia, the stigma this fear may create, and what it might mean for us all to try to "vanish well." Weaving together personal stories with theology, history, philosophy, literature, and science, Harper confronts our elemental fears of disappearance and death, drawing on her own experiences with people with dementia both in the American healthcare system and within her own family.

Ingram, Jay. The End of Memory: A Natural History of Aging and Alzheimer’s. New York, NY: Thomas Dunne Books, 2015.
It is a wicked disease that robs its victims of their memories, their ability to think clearly, and ultimately their lives. For centuries, those afflicted by Alzheimer's disease have suffered its debilitating effects while family members sit by, watching their loved ones disappear a little more each day until the person they used to know is gone forever. The disease was first described by German psychologist and neurologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906. One hundred years and a great deal of scientific effort later, much more is known about Alzheimer's, but it still affects millions around the world, and there is no cure in sight.

Jebelli, Joseph. In Pursuit of Memory: The Fight Against Alzheimer’s. New York, NY: Little, Brown Spark, 2017.
Alzheimer's is the great global epidemic of our time, affecting millions worldwide - there are more than 5 million people diagnosed in the US alone. And as our population ages, scientists are working against the clock to find a cure.
Neuroscientist Joseph Jebelli is among them. His beloved grandfather had Alzheimer's and now he's written the book he needed then - a very human history of this frightening disease.

Kozol, Jonathan. The Theft of Memory: Losing my Father one Day at a Time. New York, NY: Crown Publishers, 2015.
National Book Award-winning author, Jonathan Kozol, shares his father’s life story. Dr. Harry Kozol was a nationally recognized neurologist who treated prominent figures, such as the playwright Eugene O’Neill. When diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, his father was able to narrate his own descent into memory loss. Jonathan captures his connection with his father, even as Harry’s verbal and cognitive skills disappear.

Leavitt, Sarah. Tangles: A Story about Alzheimer’s, my Mother, and Me. New York, NY: Skyhorse Publishing, 2012.
This graphic memoir written and illustrated by Sarah Leavitt shares how the Alzheimer’s disease affected her mother, Midge, as well as the whole family who came together to be caretakers and support for each other. The simple black and white drawings go through all of the stages of her family’s journey with Alzheimer’s and emphasizes the strong bond between mother and daughter.

McDermott, Simon. The Songaminute Man: A Tribute to the Unbreakable Bond between Father and Son. New York, NY: Park Row Books, 2018.
Ted McDermott enjoyed a long career as an entertainer before his Alzheimer's diagnosis in 2013. As the disease took its toll on Ted's relationships, memory, and mood, his son Simon found a way for them to connect again: carpool karaoke.

Mitter, Rana. Modern China: A Very Short Introduction.Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2016. China today is never out of the news: from international finance to human rights controversies, global coverage of its rising international presence, and the Chinese 'economic miracle'. It seems to be a country of contradictions: a peasant society with some of the world's most futuristic cities, heir to an ancient civilization that is still trying to find a modern identity. This Very Short Introduction offers the reader an entry to understanding the world's most populous nation, giving an integrated picture of modern Chinese society, culture, economy, politics, and art.

Powell, Tia. Dementia Reimagined: Building a Life of Joy and Dignity from Beginning to End.New York, NY: Avery Publishing Group, 2019
Despite being a physician and a bioethicist, Tia Powell wasn't prepared to address the challenges she faced when her grandmother, and then her mother, were diagnosed with dementia - not to mention confronting the hard truth that her own odds aren't great. In the U.S., 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 every day; by the time a person reaches 85, their chances of having dementia approach 50 percent. Dr. Powell's goal is to move the conversation away from an exclusive focus on cure to a genuine appreciation of care--what we can do for those who have dementia, and how to keep life meaningful and even joyful.

VanderMeer, Jeff. The Steampunk Bible: An Illustrated Guide to the World of Imaginary Airships, Corsets and Goggles, Mad Scientists, and Strange Literature. New York, NY: Abrams Image, 2011. Steampunk, a grafting of Victorian aesthetic and punk rock attitude onto various forms of science-fiction culture, is a phenomenon that has come to influence film, literature, art, music, fashion, and more. The Steampunk Bible is the first compendium about the movement, tracing its roots in the works of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells through its most recent expression in movies such as Sherlock Holmes.

Zukerman, Eugenia. Like Falling Through a Cloud: A Lyrical Memoir.Glasgow, UK: East End Press, 2019.
What if the dreaded world of Alzheimer's was also a world of emotional discovery? Eugenia Zukerman's poetry and simple prose, both heartbreaking and ultimately inspirational, ushers the reader into her world as she unflinchingly examines familial loyalties, moments from her past and present, and the need to face an uncertain future due to the diagnosis of a condition that she truly hopes "will remain unnamed." Flutist, writer, artistic director of major music series, television journalist, educator and internet entrepreneur, Zukerman addresses her "lapses and losses" as she confronts and deals with a future under the shadow of her Alzheimer's diagnosis.

Donohue, Keith. The Motion of Puppets.New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press, 2016.
In the Old City of Québec, Kay Harper works as an acrobat while her husband, Theo, is translating a biography of an influential photographer. Kay is walking home from dinner when she fears she is being pursued. She takes shelter in an open toy shop named the Quatre Mains. The next morning Kay is missing. Her husband, Theo, is desperately looking for her while also under police suspicion. Kay has been magically transformed into a puppet who only comes to life between the evening hours of midnight and dawn. Theo must find and recognize Kay in her puppet form to order bring her back to the human world.

Genova, Lisa. Still Alice. New York, NY: Gallery Books, 2009.
Alice Howland is proud of the life she worked so hard to build. At fifty years old, she's a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard and a world-renowned expert in linguistics with a successful husband and three grown children. When she becomes increasingly disoriented and forgetful, a tragic diagnosis changes her life and her relationship with her family and the world forever. As she struggles to cope with Alzheimer's, she learns that her worth is comprised of far more than her ability to remember.

Harding, Paul. Tinkers: 10th Anniversary Edition. New York, NY: Bellevue Literary Press, 2019.
In this deluxe tenth anniversary edition, Marilynne Robinson introduces the beautiful novel Tinkers, which begins with an old man who lies dying. As time collapses into memory, he travels deep into his past, where he is reunited with his father and relives the wonder and pain of his impoverished New England youth. At once heartbreaking and life affirming, Tinkers is an elegiac meditation on love, loss, and the fierce beauty of nature.

Khong, Rachel. Goodbye, Vitamin.New York, NY: Henry, Holt and Company, 2017.
Freshly disengaged from her fiancé and feeling that life has not turned out quite the way she planned, thirty-year-old Ruth quits her job, leaves town and arrives at her parents' home to find that situation more complicated than she'd realized. Her father, a prominent history professor, is losing his memory and is only erratically lucid. Ruth's mother, meanwhile, is lucidly erratic. But as Ruth's father's condition intensifies, the comedy in her situation takes hold, gently transforming her all her grief. Told in captivating glimpses and drawn from a deep well of insight, humor, and unexpected tenderness, Goodbye, Vitamin pilots through the loss, love, and absurdity of finding one's footing in this life.

Rill, Eric. An Absent Mind.Place: Lake Union Publishing, 2015.
Seventy-one, and a man used to controlling those around him, Saul finds himself slipping into what he describes as his slow dance with death. 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.

Leblanc, Andre. The Red Piano.Melbourne, Australia: Wilkins Farago Pty Ltd, 2011.
A beautiful and extraordinary account of international concert pianist Zhu Xiao-Mei's hardships and triumphs while growing up during China's Cultural Revolution. Stirring and inspiring, this picture book relates the story of a gifted young girl's passion for the piano in a time of historic turmoil.

Lerner, Adrienne. Alzheimer’s Disease: Perspectives on Diseases & Disorders.Greenhaven Press, 2008.
Each volume in this series explores a particular disease or disorder in detail, beginning with an overview chapter that covers symptoms, causes and effects, treatments, cures, and medical advances; a chapter presenting numerous pro/con essays on the controversies surrounding the disease or disorder; and a final chapter containing engaging first-person accounts from people coping with the disease.

Ros, Hana and Matteo Farinella. Neurocomic: A Comic about the Brain.London, UK: Nobrow Press, 2014.
Do you know what your brain is made of? How does memory function? What is a neuron and how does it work? For that matter what's a comic? And in the words of Lewis Carroll's famous caterpillar: "Who are you?" Neurocomic is a journey through the human brain: a place of neuron forests, memory caves, and castles of deception. Along the way, you'll encounter Boschean beasts, giant squid, guitar-playing sea slugs, and the great pioneers of neuroscience.

Snyman, Matthew. The Dementia Diaries: A Novel in Cartoons. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2016.
Follow the stories of Brie, Fred, and other young carers as they try to understand and cope with their grandparents' dementia at all stages of the illness. Adapted from true stories, and supplemented with fun activities and discussion ideas, this book for children aged approximately 7-14 cuts to the truth of the experience of dementia and tackles stigma with a warm and open perspective.

Acheson, Alison. Grandpa’s Music: a Story about Alzheimer’s. New York, NY: AV2 by Weigl Publishing, 2013.
Grandpa takes care of the garden, kneads bread, and makes music on the piano. Everyone in Callie's family helps out around the house, now that Grandpa, who has Alzheimer's, lives with them. The family becomes Grandpa's "home team," and Callie loves spending time with them. As months go by, Grandpa forgets more, and he can't do as much as he could before. But he can still make music - his fingers remember the notes on the piano. And when he can't recall the words to a favorite old song, Callie helps him come up with new things that they can sing about together.

Eagar, Lindsay. Hour of the Bees.Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2016.
While her friends are spending their summers having pool parties and sleepovers, twelve-year-old Carolina is spending hers in the middle of the New Mexico desert, helping her parents move the grandfather she's never met into a home for people with dementia. At first, Carol avoids Grandpa Serge. But as the summer wears on, Carol finds herself drawn to him, fascinated by the crazy stories he tells her about a healing tree, a green-glass lake, and the bees that will bring back the rain and end a hundred years of drought. As the thin line between magic and reality starts to blur, Carol must decide for herself what is possible and what it means to be true to her roots.

Fitzgerald, Sarah Moore. Back to Blackbrick.New York, NY: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2013. Cosmo's granddad used to be the cleverest person he ever knew. That is, until his granddad's mind began to fail. In a rare moment of clarity, his granddad gives Cosmo a key and pleads with Cosmo to go to the South Gates of Blackbrick Abbey, where his granddad promises an "answer to everything." In the dead of night, Cosmo does just that. When Cosmo unlocks the rusty old gates, he is whisked back to Blackbrick of years past, along with his granddad--now just sixteen-years old and sharp as a tack--beautiful Maggie, and the absolutely dreadful Corporamore family. But much more than time travel adventure awaits Cosmo on the old, sprawling estate: he'll also discover revealing truths about his granddad, his family, and himself.

Fox, Mem, and Julie Vivas. Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge. La Jolla, CA. Kane Miller Book, 1984.
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge, a rather small boy, lives next door to a nursing home in which resides Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper, his favorite friend, because she has four names as well. When Miss Nancy "loses" her memory, the intrepid Wilfrid sets out to find it for her.

Selznick, Brian. The Invention of Hugo Cabret.New York, NY: Scholastic Press, 2007.
Orphan, clock keeper, and thief: Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.

Steinhofel, Andreas. If My Moon Was Your Sun.Farmington, PA: Plough Publishing House, 2017.
Max lives in a small town, much smaller than yours. His grandpa is losing his memory, but still remembers quite a bit. You can imagine how they hurried, Max and his grandpa, followed by old Miss Schneider, who insisted on coming along. Why were they in a hurry? Because everyone was after them. Max had skipped school to rescue his grandpa, and they were just starting out on what promised to be one of the best days of their entire lives.

Sullivan, Sarah. All That’s Missing. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2013.
Arlo's grandfather travels in time. Not literally, he just mixes up the past with the present. Arlo holds on as best he can, fixing himself cornflakes for dinner and paying back the owner of the corner store for the sausages Poppo eats without remembering to pay. But how long before someone finds out that Arlo is taking care of the grandfather he lives with instead of the other way around?

Walliams, David. Grandpa’s Great Escape. New York, NY: HarperCollins 2017
Grandpa is Jack's favorite person in the world. It doesn't matter that he wears his slippers to the supermarket, serves Spam a la Custard for dinner, and often doesn't remember Jack's name. But then Grandpa starts to believe he's back in World War II, when he was a Spitfire fighter pilot, and he's sent to live in an old folk's home run by the sinister Matron Swine. Now it's up to Jack to help Grandpa plot a daring escape!

This resource was created, in part, with the generous support of the Open Society Foundation.