A Month of Summer

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A Month of Summer

by Lisa Wingate

Edition: paperback, 2008

Synopsis: For Rebecca Macklin, an ordinary summer brings about an extraordinary change of heart when she discovers that her aging father has been wandering the Dallas streets alone, and his wife, Hanna Beth, has landed in a nursing home. Now Rebecca must put aside old resentments and return to her childhood home. In this moving story of separation and forgiveness, two women will unravel the betrayals of the past and discover the true meaning of family.

Going home is the last thing Rebecca wants. In her mind, her father made his choice when he divorced her mother and remarried. Hanna Beth, trapped in a nursing home, fears what her step-daughter will do once she is there. Can these two find peace from the wounds of the past?

This was a heartwarming story! Rebbeca, who had hoped to make a quick trip (given her own family concerns at home) only to be overwhelmed with difficulties. Her father’s house is a disaster and smells of rot, there’s no food, no medication, no caretaker. She must find some way to put things right, or, at least, as right as they can be when a family member has such a devastating disease as Alzheimer’s.

Hanna Beth, unable to move or speak after a stroke, worries what is happening at home. She is concerned about her son and husband, unwilling to trust her stepdaughter not to put them all in a home and walk away.

This is a must-read for anyone who had a family member with Alzheimer’s. Its also a great read for anyone looking for a contemporary, feel-good book.