The Worst Day of My Life, So Far
by M. A. Harper
Format: Paperback; 288 pp.; 14usd
Available Formats: Paperback, Hardback
Publisher: Harcourt

Welcome to Auletta, Louisiana where the typical bumper sticker reads: GOD, GUNS AND GUTS MADE THIS COUNTRY GREAT. Jeanne Roth leaves her job, friends, and fast-paced life in New York City to care for her widowed mother deep in the throes of Alzheimer's. Upon her arrival in Auletta and seeing the bumper sticker, Jeanne thought that "A man's IQ and the number of individual gun racks in his pickup truck seemed inversely proportional" (2).

Once in Auletta, Jeanne is flooded with the memories of her mother's stunning good looks from years before, and the great Velma Buchanan's saint-like devotion to her husband C. Ray Buchanan leaves Jeanne beleaguered by self-doubt and reservations about her own failed marriage. Jeanne is a middle-aged, sleep-deprived woman who believes she is both unattractive and unloved, and is struggling to develop the maturity needed for a life fulfilled.

Jeanne constantly worries that Velma will harm herself or both of them by accidentally burning the house down. She is exhausted and must constantly keep watch over Velma, who is completely dependant on Jeanne for everything. Velma isn't always cooperative, which makes Jeanne's situation challenging; at one point, she allows her to bathe fully clothed since Velma finds dressing and undressing a complete mystery.

Jeanne describes her thoughts concerning time as she waits for her sister-in-law to come relieve her one morning. "Time, I thought, waiting at the window for Barbara's white Miata to pull up and temporarily save me, is the one thing none of us has enough of. Except for Mama. She has oceans of it, and no way to spend it. Who was it once said that Alzheimer's looks a lot like actual death of boredom?" (230)

Many have touted this book as a godsend to Alzheimer's caregivers, but I don't agree with this assessment; it's not a book with problem-solving techniques. It is, however, a very well written novel which gives the reader a view into the intertwined lives of a mother and daughter.

The Worst Day of My Life, So Far covers a myriad of emotions. A parent who has lost the ability to function and is mentally deteriorating is a depressing subject, but Harper has balanced this story with just the right amount of unconventional humor, in spite of the harsh realities of this ravaging illness.

Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved, Julia Brown