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Every Note Played
Every Note Played
Every Note Played
Audiobook8 hours

Every Note Played

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

“Unsparing in her depiction of the disease’s harrowing effects, neuroscientist Genova also celebrates humanity.” —People

“Sometimes it’s easier to tell truth in fiction…And she tells it with heart and hope.” NPR

“Her juxtaposition of scientific detail with compassionate, heartfelt storytelling is unparalleled.” Bookreporter

Every Note Played will grip and gut you.”The Boston Globe

From neuroscientist and New York Times bestselling author of Still Alice comes a powerful exploration of regret, forgiveness, freedom, and what it means to be alive.

An accomplished concert pianist, Richard received standing ovations from audiences all over the world in awe of his rare combination of emotional resonance and flawless technique. Every finger of his hands was a finely calibrated instrument, dancing across the keys and striking each note with exacting precision. That was eight months ago.

Richard now has ALS, and his entire right arm is paralyzed. His fingers are impotent, still, devoid of possibility. The loss of his hand feels like a death, a loss of true love, a divorce—his divorce.

He knows his left arm will go next.

Three years ago, Karina removed their framed wedding picture from the living room wall and hung a mirror there instead. But she still hasn’t moved on. Karina is paralyzed by excuses and fear, stuck in an unfulfilling life as a piano teacher, afraid to pursue the path she abandoned as a young woman, blaming Richard and their failed marriage for all of it.

When Richard becomes increasingly paralyzed and is no longer able to live on his own, Karina becomes his reluctant caretaker. As Richard’s muscles, voice, and breath fade, both he and Karina try to reconcile their past before it’s too late.

Poignant and powerful, Every Note Played is a masterful exploration of redemption and what it means to find peace inside of forgiveness.

Editor's Note

New release…

The acclaimed author of “Still Alice” is back with another beautifully observed novel—this time, about the ravages of ALS, which feels especially poignant given the recent passing of Stephen Hawking.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateMar 20, 2018
ISBN9781508244417
Author

Lisa Genova

Acclaimed as the Oliver Sacks of fiction and the Michael Crichton of brain science, Lisa Genova is the New York Times bestselling author of Still Alice, Left Neglected, Love Anthony, Inside the O’Briens, and Remember. Still Alice was adapted into an Oscar-winning film starring Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, and Kristen Stewart. Lisa graduated valedictorian from Bates College with a degree in biopsychology and holds a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard University. She travels worldwide speaking about the neurological diseases she writes about and has appeared on The Dr. Oz Show, Today, PBS NewsHour, CNN, and NPR. Her TED talk, What You Can Do To Prevent Alzheimer's, has been viewed over 2 million times.  

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Reviews for Every Note Played

Rating: 4.20648975221239 out of 5 stars
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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    As soon as I saw Every Note Played, I knew I had to read it. The author's writing style lends itself perfectly for capturing the heartbreak and devastation involved when dealing with quickly progressing, degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and ALS. She lets the reader get to know the characters involved slowly and without pulling so hard on our heartstrings that we end up a big sobbing mess and having missed the changes in the individuals and their relationships.

    I honestly don't know how this book could have been better. The two narrators also did a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life.

    I highly recommend this book, as well as Still Alice.

    2 people found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Lisa Genova is an amazing writer. She depicted the experience of ALS and realities of caregiving so well. Impressed by this book much like the other two I’ve listened to (Left Neglected and Still Alice).
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A heart breaking account of a man's battle with ALS and it's effect on his courageous ex wife and daughter. Highly recommended!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Raw and gritty. But Life changing. This book made me more grateful for health and all that is good in my life, and less concerned about the petty things.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Incredible (and horrifying) insight into the incremental degradations of ALS.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I'm a musician, and I kept thinking "what if I couldn't play music anymore? Well I'd sing" but even that gets taken away. When he asks his ex wife to scratch his head, I realized the horror of his situation. He can't do any of the stuff we take for granted on a daily basis.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    such a heartbreaking book.. wery well written, another favourite by Lisa Genova. I missed some details which I wish were told in the book, ao 4 stars from me, but it is a really great book
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    "and he blinked & he blinked"
    The book started slow but ended beautifully. It certainly brings goosebumps while simultaneously exploring unidentified territories and emotions.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    As the story opens, Richard Evans is a concert pianist starting to experience symptoms of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). He is estranged from his ex-wife and daughter. As his symptoms worsen, his ex-wife becomes a reluctant caregiver. The storyline documents Richard’s deterioration.

    I had previously read and appreciated Still Alice, and I enjoy musical themes, so this book seemed like a good choice. The focus, and the author’s intent, is to raise awareness about the need for further ALS research and in this she succeeds. The ravages of ALS are described in gut-wrenching detail. Unfortunately, the characters and storyline are thinly developed. For me, it lacked an emotional connection, which is where it falls short in comparison to Still Alice. I think it would have helped if the characters at least liked each other.

    I listened to the audio book. Both Dennis Boutsikaris and Dagmara Domincyzk do an excellent job with the reading, pacing, and voice acting.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Richard is a relatively famous concert pianist. He's divorced and has a teenage daughter, but enjoys the attention and celebrity that his piano renown allows him. He's not especially close to his daughter or his ex-wife, as the divorce was somewhat messy due to his infidelities. When he starts experiencing weakness in one of his arms/hands, he obviously becomes concerned, as this directly affects his ability to play the piano. He is soon diagnosed with ALS, and as his physical function declines, he is forced to confront certain truths, as well as knowing he has to become fully reliant on someone to provide care for him.This was a hard read, not only because of the difficult and sad subject matter itself, but because I recently lost my mother to complications of ALS. I'd had this book on my shelf for quite some time (I'm a Lisa Genova fan), but for some reason was hesitant to start this one. And perhaps immediately following the death of my mom was not the best time to read it, but on the other hand, it seemed to be calling me. Fortunately in my mom's case, she had a slower progressing variety of the disease and lived with it for 15 years. Also fortunate for her and for her family, she never got to the point of requiring a feeding tube or becoming totally dependent on a wheelchair. Her mobility and speech were affected to some degree, but not to the extreme of the majority of ALS patients. So while reading this book did hit close to home, it didn't hit me as drastically as it could have. While I do appreciate Lisa Genova's ability to write a fictional story about a life-shattering chronic illness (as she's done several times now), this was not my favorite of hers. I think this was probably due more to the unlikable characteristics of her main characters than to anything else. I did think this was well-written, as are all her novels, but it just wasn't my favorite. But she has an exceptional ability to present a challenging medical topic to a reader in terms that they can understand and empathize with, and I think it's wonderful that she is able to increase awareness of diseases such as this one. She is and will continue to be one of my favorite authors.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I have been very lazy with writing reviews lately. I think about writing one then think I could spend the time reading another book instead. Since three of the eleven books in my five star list were written by Lisa Genova, I've decided it's time to write a review of one of them. Every Note Played is a beautifully written, gut-wrenchingly sad story of a man dealing with ALS. Richard and Karina had been separated for three years when Richard, a world renowned classical pianist is diagnosed with ALS. Karina, an outstanding pianist in her own right, gives up her dream of playing professionally to care for her family. Once Richard can no longer care for himself, Karina lets him move back with her and becomes his main caretaker. The book takes us through how each of them copes with Richard’s advancing illness. Much of the narrative deals with their emotions and in the end finding resolution in their conflicted feelings for each other. The book was so sad that I had to stop frequently to wipe the tears from my eyes, but it was so good I couldn’t put it down.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    As usual we learn a lot about a particular disease through the novels of Lisa Genova. This novel is about a famous pianists Richard who gets ALS. Genova plays close attention to the reality of having ALS. This is a moving novel but falls far short of “Still Alice”.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Poignant rendering of a family touched by ALS: Richard, a concert pianist contracts it and his family, mostly his ex-wife, Karina, are caregivers along with home aides. The novel describes the progression of the debilitating disease from all points of view. One thing positive: ALS does make each ex-partner realize resentment against the other, which leads to mutual forgiveness and acceptance of the other. A sad read, but a triumph of the human spirit.Highly recommended.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Another solid book by Genova. Another challenging disease (ALS) is the focus of the story, narrated somewhat alternately by Richard who suffers from the disease and Karina, his ex-wife. So while the book is "about" ALS, it's also very much about their troubled relationship and how they can't let go of their past. A great example of two ships passing in the night, because if they both got over themselves and spoke their heart, they could have had a better marriage. Instead they keep everything bottled up and live behind a wall of lies and assumptions. Ugh, just communicate! I think it's Genova's talent that lets her deal with the two very significant issues at once: the tragedy of ALS and the importance of communication (alternately explained as the pain of not forgiving). As much as I couldn't fully back either character (also a strength of the novel in not championing him or her over the other: they're both equally sympathetic and frustrating, simultaneously victim and perpetrator), its tragedy and sadness still hits the heart. Worth a read -- or listen!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Lisa Genova does it again - putting a very human face on a debilitating degenerative disease. Still Alice is still my favorite, but this comes in a close second. The epigraph is from Rumi: "Why do you stay in prison when the door is wide open?" and it works on a couple different levels. Richard is an accomplished concert pianist and within the first chapter or two of the book is diagnosed with ALS. His progression is quick, so his livelihood and life change rapidly - his hands are the first limbs to lose response to his brain. Richard is estranged from his birth family - his mother is dead and his brothers and father were always dedicated to sports, so never understood his love of music and were even hostile toward his talent. Richard also had an acrimonious divorce from his wife Karina and has lost touch with his daughter Grace. The chapters alternate between Richard and Karina as they give differing perspectives and accounts of their time together in an unhappy marriage and then their time together facing the disease. She is literally the only one who can take him in after his hired caregivers are no longer sufficient 3xs a day. Karina is an accomplished pianist in her own right - jazz - but gave it up to follow Richard's career and raise their daughter. The story is about reconciliation, and also the physical indignities of the disease and toll it takes not only on the body, but the spirit. Bottom line: life isn't meant to be lived completely alone, especially in extenuating circumstances like this.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Richard is a famous concert pianist and, in his mid-40s, has been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gherig’s Disease). He starts off by losing the use of his right hand, and has lost “only” (only in comparison to what’s to come) this (so far) when his ex-wife, Karina, learns of his diagnosis. Karina might have also become a famous pianist, if not for her marriage and the arrival of their (now college-aged) daughter, Grace. What a horrible disease. I can’t even imagine living on my own (as I do) and having to face, little by little, every step that happens with this degenerative disease. And at the same time, completely losing one’s independence. It’s a scary thought – what would I do without someone to care for me, to help me, if it happened to me? At the start, Richard does live alone and has only the help of a few home-care workers, whom he can only afford for about 4 hours per day. I loved one of these workers in the story, though – Bill. These are amazing people, those who care for the terminally ill, and with diseases where bit-by-bit, someone else needs to help with every single thing. And to go through it all, over and over again, with different people. Have to admit, though, that I didn’t (at least for the first bit of the book) like either Richard or Karina. Of course, we learn more about them, their relationship, their histories, and how they ended up where they are as the story goes on.Hard to imagine it being me… hard to imagine it being a loved one… even hard to think about those amazing people who look after those with ALS day after day, even if not a loved one, but to help multiple people and go through it with each of them over and over.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Lisa Genova is a gift to medicine. As a neuroscientist she has a clear understanding of disease. Her novels are written for the non-scientists. She presents patients living with severe disorders with brutal honesty and compassion.Richard Evans is a renowned classical pianist newly diagnosed with ALS. He's also alone since his marriage has ended in a bitter divorce. He is estranged from his father, brothers, and daughter. His ex-wife cares for him as his disease progresses. Their relationship is strained but some peace and resolution result.The author forces the reader to empathize with all characters. You are also forced to consider the effects of the disease, possible outcomes, and quality of life decisions.The topic means this is not an easy book to read. But I'm grateful that I did read it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It's obvious that Genova has done her research as she poignantly describes Richard's thoughts, feelings, symptoms and struggles as he progresses towards his inevitable death from ALS. His ex-wife Karina is lovingly and genuinely characterized as she resentfully but dutifully accepts the role of full-time caretaker even though the couple has divorced. I spent most of the time reading this book inwardly screaming at these two to voice their thoughts to each other; to heal the rifts that developed over the course of their lives together, to finally say all the things they never had the courage to tell each other; to apologize. I finished the book with tears streaming down my cheeks, far more knowledgeable about the ramifications of this terrible disease and motivated to heal my own relationships before, heaven forbid, something happens and it's too late.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Every Note Played by Lisa Genova is one of the best books I have read in a long time. The book is about Richard, a very accomplished and successful pianist, and his battle with ALS. Imagine having a disease that takes away the one thing you love and then slowly destroys the rest of your body as you helplessly watch it decay. Playing the piano has been the one thing Richard has loved and excelled at his whole life. When this disease hits, suddenly he can’t do that anymore. “He picks up his lifeless hand to play the piano and can’t and realizes that “this is the cruelest moment of his life.” “He’ll never play the piano again. This is the loss he’s imagined in microscopic detail from the first hints of this disease, the one that guts him through his center and keeps him from sleeping and makes him want to swallow a bottle of pills and end his life now. Because without the piano, how can he live?”Richard’s ex-wife Karina surprisingly ends up being Richard’s caretaker when he begins to lose control and movement of his body. The couple had an ugly divorce and have not spoken in a long time. Karina has lived all these years blaming Richard for the life of a successful pianist that she did not have for herself. She was cheated out of her life’s dream in order for Richard to achieve his. She used to be fearless but she has become afraid. “The fear of her certain and overwhelming inadequacy locks her life’s greatest wish in a box.” Can Richard’s ALS provide them a way to make amends and finally forgive each other? As the disease continues to deteriorate his body, Richard tries to come to terms with the life he has lived. He realizes that “he didn’t live the life he intended and there’s no way to do it over.” “He promised himself as a young man that he’d be a better father to his children than his father was to him.” He struggles to try to repair the damage he has to done to his relationship with his daughter, Grace. He always put his career before his family and now the regret weighs heavy on his heart. He still struggles with the relationship he never had with his own father and the disappointment his father always felt in him. His father never accepted him and he has lived his whole life with “silent wounds stored in his deepest, darkest core.” He still longs for his father’s love and approval. As the book ends, Karina realizes that “She’s been wearing a mask. She’s been hiding, an imposter, unable to give herself permission to play jazz, to be who she is, shackled inside a prison of blame and excuses.” So perhaps something good may come from Richard’s illness after all?“Every note played is a life and death.”
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Beautifully told story of a celebrated pianist who is dying of ALS, and its effect on everyone around him. I really learned a lot about the physical symptoms of this disease. Lisa Genova paints a descriptive picture of the toll the disease takes on the patient and the family.
    I enjoyed this novel, and appreciate the care that Genova took with this delicate subject.

    #EveryNotePlayed #LisaGenova
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Wow! What a compelling yet heart-breaking read - ike moths drawn to a flame.Cue up Schumann's Fantasie in C Major, Op. 17. Not a piece easily navigated on the ivories - requiring superlative technique, heart and confidence. Genova was brilliant in the choosing of her protagonist, Richard, an arrogant, self-absorbed, cocky and an incredibly talented concert pianist. He's played all the famous halls and with all the great orchestras around the world. That is until his right hand becomes too weak to navigate the repertoire. Perhaps it's merely a touch of tendonitis. Sadly, it's far worse. It's ALS, what we often hear called, "Lou Gehrig's Disease". Had he been purely an academic, he could have continued for some time sharing with the world what existed in his mind. But no, he had lived and breathed through his hands as they caressed the keys of his grand piano coaxing her exquisite voice from her sonorous strings and sharing in musical ecstasy. Now his hands and arms are paralyzed and he is divorced from his ebony mistress. She sits idle by the window of his Comm. Ave condo never to be stroked by his deft hands again. Time marches on and Richard becomes increasingly diminished by this insidious disease. At a particularly low and debilitating moment he mistakenly calls his ex-wife (and equally gifted pianist), Karina. She's close by and heads on over to help him. She is affronted by how far his illness had progressed in such a short time. There's no question, he cannot continue living as he has with just a few home health care aides. Karina suggests that he move back home with her. Perhaps it was through some element of guilt or even compassion for the father of her college-aged child. Richard and Karina have much history from shared joy to deep regret. Will they be able to forgive and reconcile with one another before it's too late. Theirs is a tremendous story of love, resentment, loss, agony, redemption and forgiveness.Through a very well written fictional story, author Lisa Genova educates the reader on the various stages of and technical hardware needed for getting through life with an ALS diagnosis. It is a horrific disease about which few know much. That is unless they work with ALS patients, have ALS or care for someone with ALS. There is no cure as of yet. To exist with it is to have a mind imprisoned in an atrophying body. Kudos to Genova for bringing this disease to light and encouraging people to pick up the gauntlet and support those struggling with the disease and find a cure to make it a distant memory for future generations.I am grateful to author Lisa Genova, publisher Simon and Schuster and Goodreads First Reads for having provided a free advance reader's edition of this book. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review - the words of which are mine alone. Synopsis (from uncorrected proof's back cover):From Lisa Genova, neuroscientist and the New York Times bestselling author of Still Alice, comes a powerful exploration of regret, forgiveness, freedom, and what it means to be alive.An accomplished concert pianist, Richard, received standing ovations from audiences all over the world in awe of his rare combination of emotional resonance and flawless technique. Every finger of his hands was a finely calibrated instrument, dancing across the keys and striking each note with exacting precision. That was eight months ago.Richard now has ALS, and his entire right arm is paralyzed. His fingers are impotent, still, devoid of possibility. The loss of his hand feels like a death, a loss of true love, a divorce—his divorce.He knows his left arm will go next.Three years ago, Karina removed their framed wedding picture from the living room wall and hung a mirror there instead. But she still hasn’t moved on. Karina is paralyzed by excuses and fear, stuck in an unfulfilling life as a piano teacher, afraid to pursue the path she abandoned as a young woman, blaming Richard and their failed marriage for all of it.When Richard becomes increasingly paralyzed and is no longer able to live on his own, Karina becomes his reluctant caretaker. As Richard’s muscles, voice, and breath fade, both he and Karina try to reconcile their past before it’s too late.Poignant and powerful, Every Note Played is a masterful exploration of redemption and what it means to find peace inside of forgiveness.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Richard Evans is a world-famous concert pianist who has recently been diagnosed with ALS. As his health quickly deteriorates and as he requires more and more complex and expensive care, he thinks back on his life and on the mistakes he has made and the regrets he has for things he has done or not done. He misses no longer being able to play the piano; he misses close relationships he has had with women including his ex-wife, Karina; he regrets how he treated Karina and wishes he could ask for her forgiveness while he still can; but most of all, he regrets that he had not been a better father to Grace, their now college-aged daughter.Karina is also a talented pianist and still, in many ways resents Richard for the affairs, for not appreciating her desire to become a jazz pianist, for moving them from New York with its strong jazz community where she was beginning to get a name for herself, to Boston where jazz has never developed much of a following. When she hears from old acquaintances about Richard's condition, she decides to visit him. Although shocked by the changes in him, she is determined not to get involved with his care but, as his condition deteriorates, she decides that he should move back with her so she can care for him. His care requires more and more of her time and, not surprisingly, she begins to feel resentment both towards him and even herself for taking this on. But, as he becomes more dependent on her and outside care and with the aid of one of his caregivers, she begins to reassess their relationship. She realizes that blame for their divorce was not all one-sided and starts to understand that she chose to make many of the sacrifices she had made throughout the marriage.Every Note Played by author Lisa Genova is a beautifully written and heartbreaking story about the terrible cruelty of diseases like ALS as they rob their victims not only of their health but of their dignity while leaving the mind fully intact and aware of what is happening so that, by the end, death is a welcome relief. It also shows the difficulties, hardships, and sense of guilt at the inevitable feelings of resentment it places on family members who are forced into the role of caregivers and the necessity for empathetic and professional aid to help them. By making Richard and Karina both complex characters, both imperfect, with flaws, regrets, and resentments as well as moments of clarity, kindness, and, in the end, forgiveness, Genova makes the book even more poignant, heartrending, but also relatable. Every Note Played is not an easy book to read - it could even be described as painful as the reader accompanies Richard and Karina through the tragedy of ALS - but it is also a very well-written and compelling story as well as a very informative book not only about ALS but the physical and psychological trauma experienced by both the sufferers and their caregivers. This is the kind of story that stays with you long after you have finished reading it and I cannot recommend it highly enough.Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The focus of this book is Richard, who is arrogant, self-absorbed and a very accomplished concert pianist. He receives devastating news of his ALS diagnosis, and begins to examine the mistakes he has made as a husband to Karina and father to their only child, Grace, as his body slowly deteriorates.His former wife, Karina, is also a very talented pianist, who deferred to Richard's career rather than pursuing her own. Their marriage ends in an acrimonious exchanges of transgressions they each had against each other. Karina demonstrates enormous compassion and generosity of spirit as she becomes his primary care taker in her home.ALS is a relentlessly cruel disease, and Genova charts Richard's decline in heartbreaking detail. This is a book that will be long remembered by anyone who reads it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    One of the main characters is a classical concert pianist who has ALS - Lou Gehrig's disease. He is cared for by the other main character, his ex-wife (and mother of their college-age daughter) who was a pianist in her own right, although she preferred jazz. Excellent book. Lisa Genova has become a master at demonstrating the awful effects of some incurable conditions on the lives of the victim and their families.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a powerful fictional story if what it is like to have ALS or Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Lisa Genova starts with a divorced couple who already have the secrets that they are holding and both are yearning for forgiveness for what caused their divorce yet they do not know how to be open with each other, release their anger and let go of their negative feelings, Richard is a famous concert pianist and Katrina is his Polish immigrant ex-wife. Katerina now teaches piano but she has sacrificed her dream of being a jazz pianist. They have a daughter, Grace who is in college and always felt the piano meant more to Richard than his daughter. This is a very emotional story already but then Richard notices that one of his thumbs is twitching. There are spasms going through his body. He learns later that his muscles are dying. He learn ALS has started. For a while he thinks to himself that this paralysis and wasting away of his muscles will stop but it never does.The author talked to patients, researchers, friends who had it and reates to the listener the fullest as possible the torture and pain of living with this horrific disease.Everyone needs to read this book to understand this terrible disease.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    What a sad story. All stories about ALS are sad. What a cruel and merciless disease. Richard is a divorced concert pianist who get ALS in his late forties. He´s quite alone with no one to take care of him in his last days. His ex-wife steps up and becomes his caregiver. The author describes quite well the anguish and dispair of the ALS patient and the exaustion of the caregiver. I read this book because I have a friend that is dying of ALS and I felt this book would give me the perspective of the disease from the patients point of vue. I only gave this 4stars because I felt so sad and disheartened while reading the book. The author was successful in conveying the pain and hoplessmess of the ALS patient.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Wow, this is brutal.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Excellent book. Well done on death and choices. The good and bad of remaining cognitively intact with a body that fails.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Very moving.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    ALS took his music, but that was only the beginning. Richard was an accomplished concert pianist. Perhaps not the nicest person, but certainly a successful one. Divorced from his equally musically talented wife, he had a great life. Great, that is, until ALS intervened. Within months, the disease devastated him, robbing him of his hands, his arms, his independence, and his dignity. Soon, an accidental phone call to his ex-wife made her aware of his situation. Having no one else, she became his primary caregiver. Author Lisa Genova gives her readers a graphic picture of what it means to live with ALS. But this story is much more than that. It delves into the problems relationships can have when people are not honest or faithful, about resentments that fester when one partner’s ambitions are repressed, and what happens when sacrifices are not appreciated. In watching Richard’s decline, it is evident that regrets are more about failed relationships rather than failed careers, and it is never too late to ask for forgiveness.