Product Description

This is the poignant tale of a woman who resides in a nursing home, and who seems to live more in a worldof memories than here in the present. Although Miss Olivia is unable to respond, and their presence often seems to go unnoticed, daughter Angel and great-grandson Troy know better. Anything from a beautiful sunset to the mention of her porch swing - Troy's favorite place - can take her back into her past, from when she was just a little girl out on the farm with her papa, to a recent birthday shared with her daughter.

Laminack treats this sensitive topic with care, giving voice to the often silent tragedy of watching a loved one slip out of the present and into the past. Bergum's delicate watercolors also give soft expression to the love that holds a family together during difficult times.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #121587 in Books
• Published on: 1998-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781561451395
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3AWhen her daughter and great-grandson visit Miss Olivia Wiggins in a nursing home, their words and actions cause the woman to remember significant moments in her life. A repeated phrase, "She didn't move, she didn't even blink, but slowly, quietly she began to think..." signals the change from the present to the past. These remembrances, which occur on every other page, are printed in italics. Through this story, readers will be reassured that older people can have a full inner life and will understand the importance of visiting them. With the growing number of elderly requiring full-time care, this book could fulfill a need. However, its appeal to youngsters is doubtful. Unlike Mem Fox's Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge (Kane/Miller, 1985), which addresses a similar subject, the story here is told from an adult perspective. The sun-dappled watercolor illustrations work with the text to present a sanitized, loving tribute to one woman's life. They do try to create a child-oriented connection between the past and the present by including a toy horse in many of the scenes and yet it's not enough. The overall focus of this title remains on the adult with little to engage youngsters.AMartha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 5^-9. When her daughter, Angel, and her great-grandson Troy come to visit her in a nursing home, Miss Olivia Wiggins doesn't appear to notice their presence: "She just [sits] there, staring straight ahead, at nothing and at everything." But small things they say and do bring back memories for her. As Troy hums a little tune by her chair, she remembers holding her babies and singing to them, and the smell of the lilacs he has brought her reminds her of a special, long-ago spring day with the man she would marry. Although Troy finds it somewhat puzzling that his great-grandmother doesn't seem the same, he can tell that his visits bring her joy. Realistic watercolors flow gently between present and past in this tender depiction of a life well lived, which speaks to the value of maintaining loving relationships, even when they are altered by Alzheimer's disease. Susan Dove Lempke

Review
"Realistic watercolors flow gently between presnet and past in this tender depiction of a life well-lived, which speaks to the value of maintaining loving relationships, even when they are altered by Alzheimer's disease." -- Booklist, 5/1/98

"Through this story readers will be reassured that older people can have a full inner life and will understand the importance of visiting them." - School Library Journal "Moments of real eloquence.... The book provides an unusually empathic look at the reality of aging.... Children perplexed or upset by their own visits to deteriorating elders may find this book helpful and even consoling." -Publishers Weekly "Realistic watercolors flow gently between present and past in this tender depiction of a life well lived, which speaks to the value of maintaining loving relationships, even when they are altered by Alzheimer's disease." -Booklist "The story will strike a chord with young children who may, for the first time, realize their grandparents and great-grandparents were once children like themselves.... The gentle watercolor, illustrations of Miss Wiggins' life--past and present--help bring the story to life for readers of all ages." - Boston Herald

Customer Reviews

A Beautiful Story
Miss Olivia just sits with her hands folded in her lap and stares, saying nothing. Her daughter Angel and great-grandson Troy visit, and she still sits as they talk to her. She still says nothing, but she thinks of beautiful memories from her past, beautiful as the sunset the nurse had pointed out that evening. Beautifully illustrated by Constance R. Bengum, this wonderful book was written by Lester Laminack, who went to the same high school as I. Though it was published in 1998, I didn't discover this book until Christmas 2001 when I was visiting my sister and she showed me the copy she had purchased. It is such a beautiful book, and a wonderful gentle and loving story that can help young and old cherish their loved ones who have Alzheimer's.

A wonderful story for anyone who is affected by Alzheimers
Lester Laminack has done it. He has captured what many others attempt to do. He has reached into the heart of a person who is affected by someone with Alzheimers and put their thoughts into words. My grandfather passed away from Alzheimers. I never thought he knew me. However, after reading Lester's book, I realized he was still "all there". If you have a child who is struggling with understanding this illness, this is the book to get. I agree that this book should be recommended to anyone who is going through the heartache of Alzheimers.

Sensitive, Truthful and Filled with Hope
The language in this sensitively told story is almost poetry. There is such love in these words that you can tell it comes from some heartfelt experience. It is a rare treat to see art that so carefully supports and extends the language in ways that make the meaming more robust for even the younger listener. Though the subject is serious, the story leaves you with great hope.

The jacket indicates that this is Mr. Laminack's first book, I certainly hope there are others to come.