Living in the Labyrinth - by Diana Friel McGowin (Paperback)

About the Book

Propelled onto hardcover bestseller lists by its heart-wrenching, compulsively readable, and ultimately hopeful description of Alzheimer's disease by one of its sufferers, this edition features an update by the author. Soon to be a CBS television movie starring Jessica Lange.

Book Synopsis

Living In The Labyrinth is the story of how one woman found the strength and the courage to cope with a devastating disease that has afflicted five million Americans. Far from being an exercise in self-pity or a standard autobiography, this is an unflinching and ultimately uplifting look at a debilitating illness from the inside out.

"Somewhere there is that ever-present reminder list of what I am supposed to do today. But I cannot find it. I attempt to do the laundry and find myself outside, in my backyard, holding soiled clothes. How did I get here? How do I get back?"

Only forty-five when she first began to struggle with the memory lapses and disorientation that signal the onset of Alzheimer's, Diana Friel McGowin has written a courageous, stirring insider's story of the disease that is now the fourth leading killer of American adults.

Diana's personal journey through days of darkness and light, fear and hope gives us new insight into a devastating illness and the plight of its victims, complete with a list of early warning signs, medical background, and resources for further information. But Diana's story goes far beyond a recounting of a terrifying disease. It portrays a marriage struggling to survive, a family hurt beyond words, and a woman whose humor and intelligence triumph over setbacks and loss to show us the best of what being human is.

"A stunner of a book . . . it takes the reader on a terrifying but enlightening journey."--San Antonio News Express

"Touching and sometimes angry . . . a poignant insider's view."--The Cincinnati Enquirer

Review Quotes

"A brave record...searingly honest."--People

"A stunner of a book . . . It takes the reader on a terrifying by enlightening journey."--San Antonio News Express

"Touching and sometimes angry . . . a poignant insider's view."--The Cincinnati Enquirer

About the Author

Diana McGowin was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease when she was 53. She is the author of Living in the Labyrinth: A Personal Journey Through the Maze of Alzheimer's.