Memory’s Last Breath

"The book is remarkable not only for its fiercely honest, sometimes-poetic portrayal of mental decline, but also for the way the author effectively celebrates 'the magisteria of a mind'.... A courageous, richly textured, and unsparing memoir."

"[A] deeply emotional and humbling memoir...a work of breathtaking defiance."

"This courageous and singular book describes both the indignities inscribed in the erosion of memory and the surprising grace to be found in that experience. At once observer and subject, Gerda Saunders demonstrates how a powerful intellect can remain undiminished even as other mental capacities are compromised. Her book's lessons in dignity will be invaluable to anyone facing the complex meanings of dementia."

"The abrupt loss of everyday memory due to brain injury is swiftly and seriously unsettling. Its slower, subtle decline, the hallmark of dementia, provides time for introspection on its troubling trajectory. Gerda Saunders has given us a window into that chilling, yet poignant, psychological reality. Memory's Last Breath is personal, lucid, and inspiring."

"Navigating the onset of her own dementia with intelligence and charm, Gerda Saunders has written an engaging mélange of reflection, family history and quest. Memory's Last Breath is a surprising and subtly triumphant contribution to the literature of recollection."

"Gerda Saunders' Memory's Last Breath is not only a how-to manual for navigating the emotional and physiological terrain of dementia--an illness that effects the daily lives and hopes of millions--but a highly compelling account of the life of the mind, its developments, repetitions, omissions, and flourishes. Through eloquent, unwavering prose, Saunders guides us through the horrors and humors of an illness that is slowly erasing her mental and physical memory; her insights are lessons in longevity. Above all things, Memory's Last Breath is indelible--a testament to the capacity of language both in a writer's life and a reader's."

"Saunders...writes bravely about her early-onset dementia diagnosis, and nicely bridges the intensely personal experience of her failing mind with examinations of neurological science.... Her evocative writing shows her to be a researcher and craftswoman."

"The book (with its astonishing subtitle: 'Field Notes on My Dementia') is a literary achievement ... blend[ing] meditations on memory and identity with brain science, rooted by the writer's anthropologic jottings of daily misadventures."

"An intimate, revealing account of living with dementia.... Saunders approaches some of the most difficult questions a human being can face with clarity and wisdom."

"Melodious.... The last chapter is stunning in both senses of the word, gorgeous and shocking... A graceful, innovative writer.... Saunders's awareness of her own mortality has turned her into an omniscient eye."

"Memory's Last Breath: Field Notes on Dementia is a testament to perseverance, a weaving together of past and present experiences and an exploration of a changing identity. Memory's Last Breath shows that there can be life, joy and accomplishments after a dementia diagnosis."

"Extraordinary ... an unflinching self-portrayal by a woman losing the key markers of her identity."

"[A] fascinating look at the diminishing lifestyle of a person with Dementia.... Gerda Saunders has given us a window into her inspiring and courageous journey of life."

"[Saunders] writes with clear-eyed honesty and, yes, humor about living with early-onset microvascular disease... Brilliantly illuminates the gulf between memories richly preserved and memory lost."