Review of Not Dead Yet

[Nancy Kilkenny Barnhart]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Not Dead Yet" by Mark Fletcher.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Review for Not Dead Yet: Stories from the last stop, by Mark Fletcher

This book is written up as short stories from several key residents in an old age care facility. They are all heart warming and heart wrenching at the same time. This book resonated with me because my mother is in a memory care facility that engages the residents and hopefully does a better job of caring for the residents than the facility in the book.

Each resident shares their feelings and demonstrates that they are still viable human beings and want their words and opinions to be heard. They want to feel comfortable in the fact that they are just as important now as they were when they were young.

Their stories come in the form of songs, lyrics, poems and verse. A wife journals about caring for her husband after he enters the facility. She goes every day to see to his needs as he slips into a dementia state where he doesn’t remember the needs he once had or the family that fulfilled those needs. The wife witnesses her husband laughing with another woman and holding hands with her. She tries to insert herself in between them and the husband doesn’t acknowledge that he even knows his wife. It’s a journal of letting go and realizing that her husband has a different set of needs now and they don’t include her anymore.

Its sadness comes through with each story of dealing with the end of their lives alone, with family or new friends in the facility. It causes us to think about how our elderly are cared for and the voices they have and wishes to be heard. It’s sorrowful and enlightening at the same time.

I rated this book a 3 out of 4 stars because even though I could identify with the book, it became boring to read and I had to make myself finish. I would state that even though it got boring, it needs to be read and heard so that our society doesn’t become complacent or families don’t forget about their loved ones. The book is a good reminder to be aware that our loved ones are still alive, still wanting to be heard and they are not dead yet.

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Not Dead Yet
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