Kimberly Williams-PaisleyWhere the Light Gets In: Losing My Mother Only to Find Her Again

I am a fan of Brad Paisley's wife so when I heard she had a book I had to read it. It was very interesting, touching, and emotional. Well written.

I really enjoyed this book. As someone who studies and helps educate others about dementia, I thought this book was lovely. It was honest and raw and focused on the complexities of relationships that exist when dementia becomes a part of a family’s life. Kudos and thank you for sharing

What a gift KWP gives us with this book. Her vulnerability about a very painful time in her life, her frank look at the challenges they faced and mistakes made, and yet somehow drawing meaning out of the misery of the situation, offers hope and helpful insight for caregivers and family members who are struggling to walk alongside a loved one with dementia.I've read the book twice now and it's been profoundly impactful on me both times, while at different stages in my caregiving journey. The list at the end of resources and next steps to take is especially helpful.A beautifully written, heartbreaking, moving story of a daughter's enduring love for her Mom. It felt like one long, healing conversation with a good friend who's further down the path than you are and is sharing her heartbreak and hope, in an effort to help you get through. Highly recommend.

Fantastic book. It was graphic and endearing and brought me to laughter and tears. Such a lovely family and so glad that Kim shared her personal story. There are many lessons in it for various stages and events in life. Highly recommend!

It was a good read and helpful for those dealing with Alzheimer’s related diseases. These are heartbreaking challenges. Worth the time. Also tons of great resource links at the end of the book.

I first downloaded this book in March 2017, as I sat on the floor of my mom’s bedroom, crying quietly in the middle of the night, looking for answers. I read it a second time after she died of end stage cerebral vascular disease. It seemed to go so fast, but I realize now she was experiencing dementia long before I started sleeping in my parents home that night.She died 6-16-19, after a long, 16 hour struggle. She had a blood disorder and congestive heart failure and her passing was hard for those around her. She died in my bedroom, two and a half years after that night in March 2017 when I sat crying on the floor of her bedroom.What I learned from Kim’s book is that, even though there are many similarities between each individual’s struggle, they are also unique and families follow different (but sometimes similar) paths.I am told I did everything I could, and I certainly tried to but, I am filled with guilt and longing for a chance to do more, to do better. But that would require having time roll backwards and asking her to go through all of this again and I love her too much to do that.I will say that I am struck by how I feel now, just 2 weeks after she died. I now know that “the long good bye” is hard, but the grieving...for me at least...is less intense because she left me slowly and I had time to adjust. And in the end, I wanted her free of her fear, pain, sadness and confusion.I wish I was filled with the unconditional belief in an afterlife of some sort. I long for the comfort. But, I don’t have it and that is my sadness. I want her to be with those who preceded her in death. I want her whole and happy and healthy. Or, at the very least, I want the comfort of believing she is watching over me.Kim’s book has helped me understand it is OK to move forward and keep my mom in my heart. But, for now, I still miss her deeply. Great book! I will read it again some day.

I am glad others have found this book helpful and I too appreciate the compassion expressed by the author. I am living with a loved one with Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA), now Semantic Dementia, and the journey can be long, unbelievable at times, and always sad. I feel it's important to stress that Kim's mother was diagnosed with PPA, not Alzheimer's, and that the two diseases vary in a number of ways. A big difference is in the funding for research. Alzheimer's has sadly become close to a household word—almost everyone either knows someone who is affected by the disease, or is affected in some way themselves. Consequently, many charity events/drives and much advertising bring in money for Alzheimer's research. Not so with PPA, which is still considered a rare disease. A disease under the umbrella of Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), PPA is characterized by onset at an early age, and often hits people well before they are considering retirement. Many people have young families, and so either Mom or Dad becomes both a "single" parent and a caregiver at the same time, while the family income is affected negatively in a flash, as comprehension often diminishes very rapidly. In other circumstances, the unaffected spouse is left as a young caregiver whose life is put on hold for 2, or 5, or 7, or as many as 15 years while caring for their loved one who will not get better, but rather will become progressively more and more childlike and unable to manage so many tasks of daily living. Along with the lack of comprehension and language come losses of motivation and empathy and so it is often an incredible challenge to find ways to occupy the person's day. So many with PPA are very noticeably young when they go to a senior day care program populated by elders with Alheimer's and dementia. But back to lack of funding for research. There are several outstanding programs in the United States, and we are fortunate to be close to one—The Frontotemporal Disorders (FTD) Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital. There, dedicated researchers and clinicians work daily to discover the causes, treatments, and cures for PPA and other FTDs. You can google the unit and read more about the disease and what's being done at this point to help. The site will also give you information on donating. Kimberley Williams-Paisley's book is a good step in the direction of educating people to the horrors of PPA. And although no two journeys are the same, as my journey with my husband does not mirror the Paisley's, there are important lessons to be learned in the book about how to go on when faced with the unchangeable.

I appreciated the honesty and realistic sharing of embarrassing things that families will have to deal with as their loved ones dementia progresses.

This book was filled from beginning to end with authenticity, real emotion and honesty. A very personal story, one that so many of us are facing yet not talking about. I was surprised at how much of the story echoed my own (caregiver to mom with dementia) and it made me feel somehow supported knowing others deal with the same struggles. I actually laughed out loud at some of the crazy moments because I related so well. The honour and respect and love with which the story was told is palpable, I am so appreciative to read this beautifully told memoir. Much love to all caregivers out there.

We had a family member with dementia. I could relate to the information that she was saying about her mother. Book is well written. I would recommend this book to anybody, whether they have a family with dementia or not. Excellent.

This was a poignant love story of a mother daughter journey through a rare form of dementia. I was moved, it drew me in and allowed me to identify and help me in my journey with my mother. Thank you Kimberly for sharing with such honesty and love.

This is a well organized, clearly laid out description of the range of feelings confronted by family caregivers. It describes the difficulties of caregiving and trying to honour the wishes of the one afflicted by the disease. More conversations and stories like this make it easier for others to make wise decisions about care.

I enjoyed this book very much. It was informative. I am going through the same thing with my mother' ,although my mom is older . It made me feel like I wasn't all alone in the journey. I would recommend this book highly. I found some peace. This is a very hard part of life that many of us have to go through .