Just a Word is more than a book. Even though Rose Lamatt did not intend this, the middle two thirds of the book reads like a wonderfully written three act play. Just a Word: Friends encounter Alzheimer’s The play starts with the startling realization that the diagnosis is — Alzheimer’s. The crushing realization that someone you love is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. The accompanying denial and angst that comes in with the verdict. As the play begins the action begins to rise immediately. As the Alzheimer’s disease worsens in her good friend Carol, the action becomes almost frantic. I was surprised at how fast I was reading the words. The scenes were zooming by so quickly that I felt like I was in a car going 100 miles an hour. Somehow the depiction of the characters became so real that I felt like I was standing in the corner of the room watching each scene play out. I could see the faces of the participants even though I had never met a single one of them. The doctors, friends, support group members and Rose — each and every one of them. They all had a body and a face __________________________ Rose Lamatt has a unique writing style. One thing that surprised me was her ability to end a chapter with a single sentence that encapsulated the entire chapter. When this happened, I found myself putting the book down and thinking about Rose’s words.

Original Source of Just a Word: Friends Encounter Alzheimer’s (Book Review)