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Montpelier Tomorrow: A Novel
A mid-life mom wanting a year of "me" time, Colleen Gallagher would do anything to protect her children from harm. When her daughter's husband falls ill with ALS, Colleen rolls up her sleeves and moves in, juggling the multiple roles of grandma, cook, and caregiver, only to discover that even her superhuman efforts can’t fix what’s wrong.
MONTPELIER TOMORROW is a novel that defies stereotypes and poses tough questions as one family struggles against a vicious disease and broken health care system. Will Colleen and her family pull together and weather the storm? Or will they shatter under the pressure of overwhelming odds?
If you like page-turning novels with flawed but admirable characters, discover the redemptive power of a mother's love and read MONTPELIER TOMORROW today.
MONTPELIER TOMORROW is a novel that defies stereotypes and poses tough questions as one family struggles against a vicious disease and broken health care system. Will Colleen and her family pull together and weather the storm? Or will they shatter under the pressure of overwhelming odds?
If you like page-turning novels with flawed but admirable characters, discover the redemptive power of a mother's love and read MONTPELIER TOMORROW today.
- GenresFictionContemporary
500 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
13 people are currently reading
1101 people want to read
About the author
Marylee MacDonald
17 books373 followersAre you looking for info on how to write fiction and get it published? If so, go here. https://maryleemacdonaldauthor.com
If you're curious about who I am and what kinds of books I write, then head to a different website.
https://maryleemacdonald.com
I'm an award-winning author, writing coach, and caregiver advocate, although doing anything in the latter realm is taking a backseat to the writing itself.
Body Language, the most recent collection of my short fiction, allowed me to share my thoughts, both in the introduction and in the stories themselves, about the importance of human touch. The stories were fun to write and reminded me of how much pleasure I've derived from Solzhenitsyn's A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich., a book that has now lost its cover from having been read so many times. I admire how vividly he invites us into the world of the gulag and the protagonist's Herculean battles with starvation, illness, and freezing weather.
Another of my short story collections, Bonds of Love and Blood was a finalist in Foreword Reviews INDIEFAB Awards. My novel, Montpelier Tomorrow, won a Gold Medal for Drama from Readers' Favorite, and was a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Prize and for many other awards. My memoir, Surrender won a Bronze Medal from Wishing Shelf Book Awards and a Gold Medal for Memoir from the Independent Book Publishers of New England. The honor of winning the Jeanne M. Leiby Chapbook Award for The Rug Bazaar touched me deeply by Jeanne was an extraordinary writing teacher and mentor to those lucky enough to cross her path.
I'm very grateful that my work has gained this recognition, but I'm even more grateful when readers connect with me on Bluesky, Substack, or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MaryleeMacD.
Like many writers, I began to build a writing resume by publishing in literary magazines, such as American Literary Review, Bellevue Literary Review, The Chattahoochee Review, Folio, Blue Moon Literary & Art Review, Broad River Review, Folio, Four Quarters, New Delta Review, North Atlantic Review, Raven Chronicles, Reunion: The Dallas Review, River Oak Review, Ruminate, StoryQuarterly, The Briar Cliff Review, Yalobusha Review. My hope was that an agent would see one of my stories and fall in love with my work.
That didn't happen, and, of course, the world of publishing has changed so rapidly in the last ten years that no one knows what to expect, especially not for writers getting their start late in life.
Over my lifetime as a writer, many other things have changed. Readers' tastes, for one. Who knew that romance writing would take off or that fan fiction or Horror would carve out such large niches in the literary landscape? I'm intrigued by the energy and enthusiasm of writers who've seized the controls, and I'm endlessly curious about what makes readers "fall in love" with books.
I'd far rather write fiction than blog about writing fiction, but I'm finding some pluses there, too. I've made some amazing connections with readers who've found their way to my books, and I'm always excited when readers take the time to leave a review.
If you're curious about who I am and what kinds of books I write, then head to a different website.
https://maryleemacdonald.com
I'm an award-winning author, writing coach, and caregiver advocate, although doing anything in the latter realm is taking a backseat to the writing itself.
Body Language, the most recent collection of my short fiction, allowed me to share my thoughts, both in the introduction and in the stories themselves, about the importance of human touch. The stories were fun to write and reminded me of how much pleasure I've derived from Solzhenitsyn's A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich., a book that has now lost its cover from having been read so many times. I admire how vividly he invites us into the world of the gulag and the protagonist's Herculean battles with starvation, illness, and freezing weather.
Another of my short story collections, Bonds of Love and Blood was a finalist in Foreword Reviews INDIEFAB Awards. My novel, Montpelier Tomorrow, won a Gold Medal for Drama from Readers' Favorite, and was a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Prize and for many other awards. My memoir, Surrender won a Bronze Medal from Wishing Shelf Book Awards and a Gold Medal for Memoir from the Independent Book Publishers of New England. The honor of winning the Jeanne M. Leiby Chapbook Award for The Rug Bazaar touched me deeply by Jeanne was an extraordinary writing teacher and mentor to those lucky enough to cross her path.
I'm very grateful that my work has gained this recognition, but I'm even more grateful when readers connect with me on Bluesky, Substack, or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MaryleeMacD.
Like many writers, I began to build a writing resume by publishing in literary magazines, such as American Literary Review, Bellevue Literary Review, The Chattahoochee Review, Folio, Blue Moon Literary & Art Review, Broad River Review, Folio, Four Quarters, New Delta Review, North Atlantic Review, Raven Chronicles, Reunion: The Dallas Review, River Oak Review, Ruminate, StoryQuarterly, The Briar Cliff Review, Yalobusha Review. My hope was that an agent would see one of my stories and fall in love with my work.
That didn't happen, and, of course, the world of publishing has changed so rapidly in the last ten years that no one knows what to expect, especially not for writers getting their start late in life.
Over my lifetime as a writer, many other things have changed. Readers' tastes, for one. Who knew that romance writing would take off or that fan fiction or Horror would carve out such large niches in the literary landscape? I'm intrigued by the energy and enthusiasm of writers who've seized the controls, and I'm endlessly curious about what makes readers "fall in love" with books.
I'd far rather write fiction than blog about writing fiction, but I'm finding some pluses there, too. I've made some amazing connections with readers who've found their way to my books, and I'm always excited when readers take the time to leave a review.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
September 4, 2014
In this sensitive novel, MacDonald plumbs the emotional depths of human relationships under extreme tensions and stresses. She portrays a young family when the father is diagnosed with ALS just as his second son is born. The novel is told from the point of view of the wife’s mother. Grandma arrives to help with the birth of her second grandson only to discover a death sentence has been handed out to the father. Grandma is not without her baggage and challenges in her relationship with her daughter. Nothing here will be easy. ALS transforms some people’s personalities into extreme self-centeredness just as their bodies are freezing up and making them dependent on others. The young wife is a lawyer and she has to keep working this demanding job to pay the bills as well as take care of two kids and a helpless husband. You begin to see why this is a compelling tale of family dynamics under major trials.
There are layers to this subtle story. People do not act as you thought they might. Philosophic insights into that odd creature, humanity, flow naturally from crisp, involving dialogue and painful character choices. Imagery provides a sophisticated underlay of the action.
Whether you are facing the tragedy of ALS somewhere in your life or not, this novel will provide a rich, nuanced read.
There are layers to this subtle story. People do not act as you thought they might. Philosophic insights into that odd creature, humanity, flow naturally from crisp, involving dialogue and painful character choices. Imagery provides a sophisticated underlay of the action.
Whether you are facing the tragedy of ALS somewhere in your life or not, this novel will provide a rich, nuanced read.
September 4, 2015
As seen on my blog:
I seem to have hit a trend with my reading as of late-does 2 count as a trend? A trend that has found me reading important books, with less than stellar narratives. Montpelier Tomorrow is an important book, in regards to the light it sheds on a disease that is all too rapidly claiming lives. Montpelier Tomorrow was informative in it's explanation of the disease, and of the stresses placed not only on the bearer, but on the loved ones surrounding the affected. But the fat, muscle, and skin intertwined with the very important core of this novel, was a storyline what was choppy, and stilted, and indescribably frustrating to read.
Marylee MacDonald went for that gut punch, for that seriously hard-to-ignore cast of characters that (almost) made you feel lucky to have that aunt that comments on your slight weight gain every Christmas. The people existing in this novel were horrendous. They were rude, and selfish, and heartless, and overall lacked basic human courtesy. Colleen Gallagher's daughter Sandy has arrived home, her daughter's husband Tony, literally, falls out of the passenger side and curls up in a ball. Colleen tries rushing to his aid, while exclaiming, quite calmly, "Tony, are you all right?"....
That's it!? Were we to assume that Colleen was already aware of Tony's tragic news? I was so confused.
We soon find out that Tony has been diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), and is about to become even more insufferable than he already is naturally. And Colleen, to become pushover of the century.
That was the tone of this entire novel, it was one non-reaction after another. It was insult, after dropped topic, after assumption, after another. I felt like I was reading this book while submerged underwater, it made my head SO foggy. I'll be the first to admit that the subject matter of this novel is enough to propel it onto the "books you should be aware of" list, but the writing style made me cringe-the nails on chalkboard kind of cringe. Granted, readers eventually become privy to the reason why (a couple) of the characters are so hostile, but it wasn't enough for me by then. The entire 3/4 of the book set me up for exhaustion, I just wasn't having it by the end. I felt very little other than anger towards every single voice in Montpelier Tomorrow , even little Josh. Yes, MacDonald wrote a book that everyone should pick up, but I can't guarantee that you'll love it for it's literary finesse.
Recommended for Fans of: The movie: The Theory of Everything , Contemporary, fiction with characters that have a physical disability.
I seem to have hit a trend with my reading as of late-does 2 count as a trend? A trend that has found me reading important books, with less than stellar narratives. Montpelier Tomorrow is an important book, in regards to the light it sheds on a disease that is all too rapidly claiming lives. Montpelier Tomorrow was informative in it's explanation of the disease, and of the stresses placed not only on the bearer, but on the loved ones surrounding the affected. But the fat, muscle, and skin intertwined with the very important core of this novel, was a storyline what was choppy, and stilted, and indescribably frustrating to read.
Marylee MacDonald went for that gut punch, for that seriously hard-to-ignore cast of characters that (almost) made you feel lucky to have that aunt that comments on your slight weight gain every Christmas. The people existing in this novel were horrendous. They were rude, and selfish, and heartless, and overall lacked basic human courtesy. Colleen Gallagher's daughter Sandy has arrived home, her daughter's husband Tony, literally, falls out of the passenger side and curls up in a ball. Colleen tries rushing to his aid, while exclaiming, quite calmly, "Tony, are you all right?"....
That's it!? Were we to assume that Colleen was already aware of Tony's tragic news? I was so confused.
We soon find out that Tony has been diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), and is about to become even more insufferable than he already is naturally. And Colleen, to become pushover of the century.
That was the tone of this entire novel, it was one non-reaction after another. It was insult, after dropped topic, after assumption, after another. I felt like I was reading this book while submerged underwater, it made my head SO foggy. I'll be the first to admit that the subject matter of this novel is enough to propel it onto the "books you should be aware of" list, but the writing style made me cringe-the nails on chalkboard kind of cringe. Granted, readers eventually become privy to the reason why (a couple) of the characters are so hostile, but it wasn't enough for me by then. The entire 3/4 of the book set me up for exhaustion, I just wasn't having it by the end. I felt very little other than anger towards every single voice in Montpelier Tomorrow , even little Josh. Yes, MacDonald wrote a book that everyone should pick up, but I can't guarantee that you'll love it for it's literary finesse.
Recommended for Fans of: The movie: The Theory of Everything , Contemporary, fiction with characters that have a physical disability.
October 25, 2014
Painful to read but impossible to put down
I read once that it is loss that defines us. Much like the negative space that a sculptor crafts that give definition to a block of stone, loss gives us texture, form and substance. It is that sense of loss, past, present and future that runs through every page of Montpelier Tomorrow.
And it is loss that separates Colleen Gallagher from her grown daughter Sandy; that keeps Colleen from the kind of relationship she craves with her only daughter.
And it is the impending loss of her husband to ALS that pushes Sandy to her mother, the only person she knows will come through for her, while Sandy tries to navigate mothering her two young children, a career, and a dying husband.
Colleen, almost by default, becomes primary caregiver, understanding on a very deep level the loss Sandy is facing, which she herself had faced as a young mother with the sudden death of her husband. So Colleen slips into the tattered tapestry of their lives, putting her life half a continent away on hold.
She’s there to change diapers of an infant and wipe the butt of a mostly incapacitated but demanding man. Attempts to provide emotional support to her daughter are rebuffed, so Colleen is left to spell out her love with mundane daily tasks and house repairs.
This book isn’t a comfortable book to read. The cruelty of ALS scrapes at the fiber of the extended family. But the depth and complexity of emotions that a caretaker experiences leap out from the pages. There are no saints in this book. But underneath all the darkness runs a strong and terrible current of love.
This book is a compelling look into the mother’s heart. Love isn’t pretty in Mountpelier Tomorrow. But it is there, wrapping all the losses into a compelling story. A must read for mothers. For caregivers of any sort.
I read once that it is loss that defines us. Much like the negative space that a sculptor crafts that give definition to a block of stone, loss gives us texture, form and substance. It is that sense of loss, past, present and future that runs through every page of Montpelier Tomorrow.
And it is loss that separates Colleen Gallagher from her grown daughter Sandy; that keeps Colleen from the kind of relationship she craves with her only daughter.
And it is the impending loss of her husband to ALS that pushes Sandy to her mother, the only person she knows will come through for her, while Sandy tries to navigate mothering her two young children, a career, and a dying husband.
Colleen, almost by default, becomes primary caregiver, understanding on a very deep level the loss Sandy is facing, which she herself had faced as a young mother with the sudden death of her husband. So Colleen slips into the tattered tapestry of their lives, putting her life half a continent away on hold.
She’s there to change diapers of an infant and wipe the butt of a mostly incapacitated but demanding man. Attempts to provide emotional support to her daughter are rebuffed, so Colleen is left to spell out her love with mundane daily tasks and house repairs.
This book isn’t a comfortable book to read. The cruelty of ALS scrapes at the fiber of the extended family. But the depth and complexity of emotions that a caretaker experiences leap out from the pages. There are no saints in this book. But underneath all the darkness runs a strong and terrible current of love.
This book is a compelling look into the mother’s heart. Love isn’t pretty in Mountpelier Tomorrow. But it is there, wrapping all the losses into a compelling story. A must read for mothers. For caregivers of any sort.
September 11, 2014
While videos of celebrities pouring ice water on their heads has raised awareness of ALS in a mostly abstract way, Marylee MacDonald’s poignant novel does what good fiction does best. It takes the abstract and makes it specific. Through vivid prose filled with tense moments as well as gentle humor, she takes the reader on an honest, unflinching journey with Colleen Gallagher, as she bears the burden of caregiver for her ailing son-in-law. But even after Tony is diagnosed with a rapidly advancing form of ALS, life’s other stresses don’t disappear, they are magnified. Backs go out, babies are born, and home repairs need to be made, including a much needed repair of her relationship with daughter Sandy. How Colleen keeps the family from drowning as Tony gradually sinks will keep you turning the pages. And by the time you reach the surprising conclusion, you’ll have an awareness of ALS more chilling than a bucket of ice and an appreciation of the complexities of a mother’s love, which will linger in your heart.
December 19, 2025
I waivered between 2 and 3 stars, and the writing was also between 2 and 3, since at times it was profound and other times very amatuerish. But since it held my attention and I kept on reading and finished it ... it was an eye opener for sure. This novel was extremely depressing and I hated all the main characters (well maybe the 2 grown sons were tolerable). Did I hate the poor guy with ALS? Yes, he was dealt a horrible diagnosis but his behavior was also horrible and I don't think everyone around him did any favors by tolerating it. The mom should have cut out early and left these disfunctional people to fend for themselves.
August 25, 2015
`Is there another life? Shall I find all this a dream? There must be, we cannot be created for this sort of suffering.' Keats
Arizona author Marylee MacDonald received her M.A. in English/Creative Writing from San Francisco State and a Certificate in Novel Writing from Stanford University. Born in Los Angeles she grew up in Redwood City, California and wanted to be a "lady" wrestler or skate for the Bay Area Bombers, a Roller Derby team. While her children were young, she worked as a carpenter in California and Illinois. Later, she wrote how-to articles for Old-House Journal, Carpenter, and Journal of Light Construction. MONTPELIER TOMORROW is her debut novel.
Marylee writes with such conviction that we would believe reading this novel that it must be a memoir. But that is indeed the sign of a powerfully inspired writer - to bring the reader into a space about the struggles life doles out and how some people cope while others cave. In her opening chapter she demonstrates the insight and compassion that pervade this story. `Time robs us of chances for reconciliation. Time makes us liars. I wanted to save my daughter, and even now, I don't know what made me think I could keep her from going through what I had gone through, widowed and pregnant, all at the same time. The scars from her father's death had never fully healed, but if not for Tony's illness, Sandy would have sailed into her future and I would have gone on trying to save the world, one kindergartner at a time.' The flavor is set and the story can be summarized as follows: A mid-life mom, Colleen Gallagher would do anything to protect her children from harm. When her daughter's husband falls ill with ALS, Colleen rolls up her sleeves and moves in, juggling the multiple roles of grandma, cook, and caregiver, only to discover that even her superhuman efforts can't fix what's wrong.'
For those unfamiliar with the diagnosis, ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their demise. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, people may lose the ability to speak, eat, move and breathe. The motor nerves that are affected when you have ALS are the motor neurons that provide voluntary movements and muscle control.
The manner in which Marylee weaves this diagnosis into the fabric of her story makes it one of the finer books on caregiving and family interaction. One reason the book works so well - and it does work extraordinarily well - is the grounding of the characters as real people facing calamity and coping. Mother, daughter, son in law, grandchildren - disease. She blends the story so well that there is not a moment of artifice: this is simply a life situation that is faced with the impossible made possible through genuine love. A very beautiful and richly rewarding book
Arizona author Marylee MacDonald received her M.A. in English/Creative Writing from San Francisco State and a Certificate in Novel Writing from Stanford University. Born in Los Angeles she grew up in Redwood City, California and wanted to be a "lady" wrestler or skate for the Bay Area Bombers, a Roller Derby team. While her children were young, she worked as a carpenter in California and Illinois. Later, she wrote how-to articles for Old-House Journal, Carpenter, and Journal of Light Construction. MONTPELIER TOMORROW is her debut novel.
Marylee writes with such conviction that we would believe reading this novel that it must be a memoir. But that is indeed the sign of a powerfully inspired writer - to bring the reader into a space about the struggles life doles out and how some people cope while others cave. In her opening chapter she demonstrates the insight and compassion that pervade this story. `Time robs us of chances for reconciliation. Time makes us liars. I wanted to save my daughter, and even now, I don't know what made me think I could keep her from going through what I had gone through, widowed and pregnant, all at the same time. The scars from her father's death had never fully healed, but if not for Tony's illness, Sandy would have sailed into her future and I would have gone on trying to save the world, one kindergartner at a time.' The flavor is set and the story can be summarized as follows: A mid-life mom, Colleen Gallagher would do anything to protect her children from harm. When her daughter's husband falls ill with ALS, Colleen rolls up her sleeves and moves in, juggling the multiple roles of grandma, cook, and caregiver, only to discover that even her superhuman efforts can't fix what's wrong.'
For those unfamiliar with the diagnosis, ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their demise. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, people may lose the ability to speak, eat, move and breathe. The motor nerves that are affected when you have ALS are the motor neurons that provide voluntary movements and muscle control.
The manner in which Marylee weaves this diagnosis into the fabric of her story makes it one of the finer books on caregiving and family interaction. One reason the book works so well - and it does work extraordinarily well - is the grounding of the characters as real people facing calamity and coping. Mother, daughter, son in law, grandchildren - disease. She blends the story so well that there is not a moment of artifice: this is simply a life situation that is faced with the impossible made possible through genuine love. A very beautiful and richly rewarding book
August 26, 2015
A family dealing with the devastating diagnosis of ALS is the subject of Marylee MacDonald's intense novel Montpelier Tomorrow. Colleen Gallagher is a suburban Chicago kindergarten teacher and mother of three adult children. She raised her young children on her own when her husband died in a car accident years ago, and spent the last few years caring for her Alzheimer's-afflicted mother who recently died.
When her daughter's husband is diagnosed with a fast-moving form of ALS, Lou Gerhig's disease, Colleen rushes to her daughter's family in Washington DC to help care for Sandy, (who just gave birth to baby boy Ben) three-year-old Josh and son-in-law Tony.
Sandy and Colleen's relationship is not the perfect mother-daughter one. I found Sandy's need for order and control and the rude way she expresses that need to her mother unsettling. Sandy constantly berates her mother and even throws Tony's parents out of her home for a minor offense.
Tony deteriorates quickly and Colleen comes to stay with the family and help during her summer vacation. Sandy has to work as a lawyer to support her family now that Tony is housebound, so Colleen not only cares for the children, but she reluctantly becomes Tony's caregiver as well.
The characters in Montpelier Tomorrow are different from other books of this type in that they are not the let's-everyone-pitch-in-and-make-it-better people. Sandy is resentful of her husband's illness, Tony is self-centered and self-pitying, and Colleen just wants to return to her own life back in Chicago. Tony's parents' idea of helping is to let Colleen do the actual, difficult physical care of their son while they pop in from time to time.
MacDonald provides a realistic look at the tough day-to-day living as a caregiver to an adult with ALS. She pulls no punches at the frustrations, the anger and the punishing physical toll it takes on Colleen, who steps up when no one else will.
Colleen and Sandy's relationship is a tough one to read about, but eventually we discover what is behind Sandy's resentment. It reinforces that parents don't always know what their children are thinking as they grow up, and the same is true of children about their parents. We tend to ascribe motivations to each other because we don't really understand each other.
There is a sad twist at the end of the story that comes on suddenly and changes everything. I admit to not seeing this one coming and it felt like a punch to the gut. Montpelier Tomorrow is a tough read, and MacDonald does a terrific job putting you in the shoes of this family in crisis. You make not like all of them but you will feel their pain. Colleen is a wonderfully complex, unforgettable character, and I for one would love to see more of her story.
When her daughter's husband is diagnosed with a fast-moving form of ALS, Lou Gerhig's disease, Colleen rushes to her daughter's family in Washington DC to help care for Sandy, (who just gave birth to baby boy Ben) three-year-old Josh and son-in-law Tony.
Sandy and Colleen's relationship is not the perfect mother-daughter one. I found Sandy's need for order and control and the rude way she expresses that need to her mother unsettling. Sandy constantly berates her mother and even throws Tony's parents out of her home for a minor offense.
Tony deteriorates quickly and Colleen comes to stay with the family and help during her summer vacation. Sandy has to work as a lawyer to support her family now that Tony is housebound, so Colleen not only cares for the children, but she reluctantly becomes Tony's caregiver as well.
The characters in Montpelier Tomorrow are different from other books of this type in that they are not the let's-everyone-pitch-in-and-make-it-better people. Sandy is resentful of her husband's illness, Tony is self-centered and self-pitying, and Colleen just wants to return to her own life back in Chicago. Tony's parents' idea of helping is to let Colleen do the actual, difficult physical care of their son while they pop in from time to time.
MacDonald provides a realistic look at the tough day-to-day living as a caregiver to an adult with ALS. She pulls no punches at the frustrations, the anger and the punishing physical toll it takes on Colleen, who steps up when no one else will.
Colleen and Sandy's relationship is a tough one to read about, but eventually we discover what is behind Sandy's resentment. It reinforces that parents don't always know what their children are thinking as they grow up, and the same is true of children about their parents. We tend to ascribe motivations to each other because we don't really understand each other.
There is a sad twist at the end of the story that comes on suddenly and changes everything. I admit to not seeing this one coming and it felt like a punch to the gut. Montpelier Tomorrow is a tough read, and MacDonald does a terrific job putting you in the shoes of this family in crisis. You make not like all of them but you will feel their pain. Colleen is a wonderfully complex, unforgettable character, and I for one would love to see more of her story.
December 19, 2014
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written story dealing with ALS, December 7, 2014
By SueBiss (USA)
This review is from: Montpelier Tomorrow (Kindle Edition)
This was one of the most heart-wrenching stories I have ever read. I found while reading this story every emotions you can have relating to the three main characters. I related the most to the mother proving her love to her adult daughter over and over again, but never really getting the relationship she craved with her daughter. The daughter, as the story went on, I really started to dislike even detest. While my heart went out to her dealing with a husband with ALS and its long term problems, she became very self absorbed and self-centered, like she was the only one suffering here, plus she was condescending and resentful to her mother who tried to help in every way possible while putting her life on hold to try and keep this family together. The husband with ALS, he was a self-centered, unrealistic and spoiled man before the illness, but became even more so as the disease progressed. I felt at times I was going to “lose it” with this couple selfish narrow view of what only they were dealing with without any consideration of anybody else here, especially the mother as the caregiver, who could of used any of the support you can get from many of the health organizations to help deal with the son in law's daily needs. The one sad thing here I took away from this story is how our health system is so sorely lacking in helping the caregivers and their families dealing with any long term illness by; hospital delays, lack of health insurance coverage and especially the high cost of the medical needs of these patients daily care. My heart goes out to all the families that have to deal with ALS or any long term illness during this country health care crisis.
March 23, 2015
Montpelier Tomorrow is one of those books where if you asked five people what it's about, you might get five different answers. Yes, it's about a family dealing with the father being diagnosed and living with ALS. But it's also about the things we do for our children to support them, even in adulthood and the relationship between husbands and wives.
Colleen lost her husband as a young mother and arrives to visit her daughter Sandy just as they learn that Sandy's husband Tony has been diagnosed with ALS. Colleen's viewpoint in the story is especially interesting because she's able to view the situation from so many viewpoints. She wants what's best for her daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren. But she also clearly sees the struggles Sandy will face with long-term convalescence if Tony chooses to live on a respirator balanced against her life as a single mother should Tony choose to let the disease progress.
There are other small storylines with family friends and coworkers, siblings and with Tony's parents, but Colleen's voice is the one that carries the story through to its inevitable and yet surprising conclusion.
I found it unusual and yet realistic that nearly all of the characters are unlikeable at some point in the novel (and some nearly all the way through)- there is no perfect way to deal with the serious illness of a loved one and many ways are portrayed here. All of these people have to deal not only with Tony's illness but each other throughout the course of his battle with ALS. It becomes their battle, too.
Well written at an admirable pace, this book is not an easy read but a good one.
Review based upon a review copy from the publisher.
Colleen lost her husband as a young mother and arrives to visit her daughter Sandy just as they learn that Sandy's husband Tony has been diagnosed with ALS. Colleen's viewpoint in the story is especially interesting because she's able to view the situation from so many viewpoints. She wants what's best for her daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren. But she also clearly sees the struggles Sandy will face with long-term convalescence if Tony chooses to live on a respirator balanced against her life as a single mother should Tony choose to let the disease progress.
There are other small storylines with family friends and coworkers, siblings and with Tony's parents, but Colleen's voice is the one that carries the story through to its inevitable and yet surprising conclusion.
I found it unusual and yet realistic that nearly all of the characters are unlikeable at some point in the novel (and some nearly all the way through)- there is no perfect way to deal with the serious illness of a loved one and many ways are portrayed here. All of these people have to deal not only with Tony's illness but each other throughout the course of his battle with ALS. It becomes their battle, too.
Well written at an admirable pace, this book is not an easy read but a good one.
Review based upon a review copy from the publisher.
September 5, 2014
What is life truly like for a family facing ALS and how does that family continue to find love?
“Time robs us of chances for reconciliation. Time makes us liars. I wanted to save my daughter, and, even now, I don’t know what made me think I could keep her from going through what I had gone through…” And so begins our journey with Colleen, a mid-life Mom, who faces some of the most difficult challenges of trying to help her daughter’s family, faced with her husband’s ALS, with two small children. What can we do to help those we care about – children, parents, grandchildren, when the train is racing on the track to debilitating illness and certain death? Colleen and Sandy and their family face it love, fortitude, and an unwillingness to let go of the people we love. Each must face their inner demons as they struggle to provide caring for the husband, who was smart, funny, outgoing, loving, before ALS strikes at only 34. Sandy is pregnant with her second child when Tony is diagnosed, and Colleen goes to help.
This moving story touches all who have dealt with calamity with parents, children or close relatives. This family is real as they seek to find fun and balance, and to provide a loving environment for the children. But is also a story of love and hope as each finds ways to love in the most difficult of situations. I strongly recommend this book for all us, especially the sandwich generation who have cared or caring for children and aging parents, and those who have dealt with difficult diagnoses of loved ones, and sought to find a way to continue to love and support, no matter what.
October 19, 2016
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the story and the main character, Colleen. The subject matter, a person dying of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) is not normally something I would have been excited about reading. However, the author created a plucky character in Colleen, a middle-aged widow with three grown children. When she arrives at her daughter's house in Baltimore for an extended visit, she learns her son-in-law has just been diagnosed with ALS.
The plot follows Colleen in her journey as she increasingly assumes the role of primary caregiver for Tony (the son-in-law).
The author handles the emotional phases--anger, guilt, denial--from an interesting perspective. Colleen is practical but caring. Her method of helping to deal with a terrible situation is often met with resistance and outright hostility, even from her daughter, Sandy.
Sandy, Tony and Tony's parents all come off as selfish and unlikeable which was unexpected. I was glad the story wasn't sappy or overly sentimental. It was only towards the very end that I even got teary eyed.
Colleen's voice is what kept the story interesting. I also learned much about the disease and some of the issues surrounding the choices different people make on whether to try to extend their lives or let the disease takes its course quickly.
Recommend this book for anyone who likes a real life story about imperfect people dealing with the injustice that life often delivers.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the story and the main character, Colleen. The subject matter, a person dying of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) is not normally something I would have been excited about reading. However, the author created a plucky character in Colleen, a middle-aged widow with three grown children. When she arrives at her daughter's house in Baltimore for an extended visit, she learns her son-in-law has just been diagnosed with ALS.
The plot follows Colleen in her journey as she increasingly assumes the role of primary caregiver for Tony (the son-in-law).
The author handles the emotional phases--anger, guilt, denial--from an interesting perspective. Colleen is practical but caring. Her method of helping to deal with a terrible situation is often met with resistance and outright hostility, even from her daughter, Sandy.
Sandy, Tony and Tony's parents all come off as selfish and unlikeable which was unexpected. I was glad the story wasn't sappy or overly sentimental. It was only towards the very end that I even got teary eyed.
Colleen's voice is what kept the story interesting. I also learned much about the disease and some of the issues surrounding the choices different people make on whether to try to extend their lives or let the disease takes its course quickly.
Recommend this book for anyone who likes a real life story about imperfect people dealing with the injustice that life often delivers.
August 16, 2015
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Wow I just could not put this book down. This story is about a woman Colleen who lost her husband when she was pregnant with her third child. She then put herself through school to become a kindergarten teacher raises her daughter and 2 sons, take care of her elderly parents until they died. Finally when she thinks she gets a break and is able to start enjoying life, her life changes again.
Her daughter, Sandy is pregnant with her 2nd child and she decides to go to DC to help her daughter out since she has the summer off because she is a teacher. Turns out that her daughter’s husband, Tony has just been diagnosed with ALS and is given 1 year to live; what does Colleen do? Colleen and her sons plus Tony’s parents try to pitch in to help her daughter but her daughter is the type that does not like assistance and feels like she is losing control of her family and has very little say. She is also working full time and at times cannot cope with her life and tells her mom that she needs a night off even through her mom has been there all day helping with Tony, the kids and doing repairs on the house for her daughter.
Marylee Mac Donald answers and makes you feel you are right there with the family during the good and bad times and make you wonder how are they going to make it financially and emotionally and is this how an ALS family and patient is surviving. Great book you read if you really want to know how it is having a terminally ill family member!
Her daughter, Sandy is pregnant with her 2nd child and she decides to go to DC to help her daughter out since she has the summer off because she is a teacher. Turns out that her daughter’s husband, Tony has just been diagnosed with ALS and is given 1 year to live; what does Colleen do? Colleen and her sons plus Tony’s parents try to pitch in to help her daughter but her daughter is the type that does not like assistance and feels like she is losing control of her family and has very little say. She is also working full time and at times cannot cope with her life and tells her mom that she needs a night off even through her mom has been there all day helping with Tony, the kids and doing repairs on the house for her daughter.
Marylee Mac Donald answers and makes you feel you are right there with the family during the good and bad times and make you wonder how are they going to make it financially and emotionally and is this how an ALS family and patient is surviving. Great book you read if you really want to know how it is having a terminally ill family member!
December 23, 2014
Montpelier Tomorrow by Marylee MacDonald is a painful and painstaking exploration of what Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is all about. The recent ice-bucket challenge has generated a great deal of money for research, but this novel goes beyond the “just do it” mentality to demonstrate up close and personal why such research—and a cure—is crucial.
Although it could be said that the novel’s protagonist is the disease itself, such designation actually resides with narrator Colleen who serves as caregiver for her ALS-afflicted son-in-law. Colleen has a life of her own, but during this crisis, she spends a great deal of time trying to ease the way for her daughter who must support the family while attending to two young children and an ailing husband who can no longer provide for himself or anyone else. That her daughter will be widowed at a young age with children pushes Colleen to mentally revisit her own past as a young widow with children. Having been through such loss, she is all too aware that the road ahead will not be easy for anyone involved.
Through Colleen’s eyes, the novel shares an unvarnished view of what ALS does to the body and mind, exposing how this ravenous disease chews families up and spits them out emotionally and financially. As pressures mount, fatigue grows and immune systems deteriorate. While the twist at novel’s end is gut-wrenching, it is not entirely unexpected, underscoring just how far the ALS death-grip reaches.
Although it could be said that the novel’s protagonist is the disease itself, such designation actually resides with narrator Colleen who serves as caregiver for her ALS-afflicted son-in-law. Colleen has a life of her own, but during this crisis, she spends a great deal of time trying to ease the way for her daughter who must support the family while attending to two young children and an ailing husband who can no longer provide for himself or anyone else. That her daughter will be widowed at a young age with children pushes Colleen to mentally revisit her own past as a young widow with children. Having been through such loss, she is all too aware that the road ahead will not be easy for anyone involved.
Through Colleen’s eyes, the novel shares an unvarnished view of what ALS does to the body and mind, exposing how this ravenous disease chews families up and spits them out emotionally and financially. As pressures mount, fatigue grows and immune systems deteriorate. While the twist at novel’s end is gut-wrenching, it is not entirely unexpected, underscoring just how far the ALS death-grip reaches.
June 13, 2015
Secure your seat belt, Montpelier Tomorrow is a fast-paced ride. From page one, it dashes along – just like real life, except this suspense novel does not involve action stunts, but chronicles real life human drama. Author Marylee MacDonald explores the emotional trenches as characters sink in a quicksand of sadness, watching a loved one (not always loveable) during the dying process. This fiction work evokes realism vigorously; the author undoubtedly experienced something achingly similar. The ending seems a foregone conclusion, but instead the plot twists as we grimace both from the pain of the flawed characters and from the powerlessness of their situation, finding ourselves dumbstruck by the turn of events. We want the ailing son-in-law and his distraught wife to be heroes, but they are stubbornly human. Colleen, the main character, does not disappoint as the powerful protagonist. Though she cannot save them, please them, or magically appear or disappear at other’s whims, she perseveres with grace and grit. The reader will rally behind her and agonize over her “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” role, part caregiver, sage, and saint. The glimpse we see into Colleen’s other life – the one she abandoned to care for her loved ones – leaves the reader longing for a sequel. Hopefully we imagine that Colleen will find the solace that was out of reach in this mesmerizing story of a mother’s love and the endurance possible despite dire circumstances.
April 6, 2016
I have just finished reading the riveting Montpelier Tomorrow by award-winning author Marylee Macdonald. This novel is a heartbreaking account of a fifty-four year old teacher, Colleen Gallagher, whose son-in-law has fallen ill with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease, Stephen Hawking’s affliction as well). Juggling the multiple roles of mother, mother-in-law and grandmother, Colleen tries to please everyone through her self-sacrificing and heroic support.
Montpelier Tomorrow is an engrossing narrative of a caregiver's life: an endurance test perhaps like no other. Each character and scene is expertly realized in the portrayal of the indignities of a devastating illness, the anger and frustration felt by all involved, and finally and ultimately, the unforgettable loss. Each character’s flaws enhance, not detract from, the movement of the plot. One cannot know the unwanted demands life can throw at you until you have to face those hardships yourself. No one can tell you what that life will be like, but Montpelier Tomorrow comes close to doing that.
In unsentimental, straightforward prose, MacDonald introduces us to all the characters with compassion and understanding. Courage, authenticity, resilience and the triumph of the human spirit shine through even though the ending is not particularly “happily ever after”. How could it be?
--Diana Y. Paul, author of Things Unsaid
Read
September 10, 2015I read this book weeks ago and it’s been haunting me ever since. I’ve been both caregiver and patient so the family dynamics in this story hit home to some degree. The sobering fact anyone one of us could be this family blindsided by an ugly lethal intruder at any moment, would we react and behave differently from this family, would our coping mechanism be better or worse? Undetermined until you find yourself in the situation. No doubt this powerful story leaves you with much to consider, guessing.
ALS grips a young family and doesn’t let go, unfair, tragic. Unresolved feelings and issues resurface straining ties further while coping with the urgency of the present along with the unknown of the future. Imagine if Colleen wasn’t available, no doubt this family would have been completely lost or if finances were limited – the stress even greater. Despite the breakdown, love tethers this family, although the cord dangerously frayed at times. In the end there will be no guilt, no regrets, only wishing for an entirely different outcome all around.
Affecting story, entirely plausible leaving you lost in thought, powerful is only scratching at the surface.
Visit Raven Haired Girl for more reviews & giveaways
ALS grips a young family and doesn’t let go, unfair, tragic. Unresolved feelings and issues resurface straining ties further while coping with the urgency of the present along with the unknown of the future. Imagine if Colleen wasn’t available, no doubt this family would have been completely lost or if finances were limited – the stress even greater. Despite the breakdown, love tethers this family, although the cord dangerously frayed at times. In the end there will be no guilt, no regrets, only wishing for an entirely different outcome all around.
Affecting story, entirely plausible leaving you lost in thought, powerful is only scratching at the surface.
Visit Raven Haired Girl for more reviews & giveaways
February 3, 2016
Coping with a hopeless disease means facing your limits. In this very engaging and beautifully written novel, author Marylee MacDonald honestly shows us what a disruptive experience is taking care of someone seriously ill, even if it's a member of your family and you love being helpful, like Colleen Gallagher, the main character. Anyone who has experienced seeing someone beloved wake up in the morning conscious of the titanic struggle ahead for dealing with the daily routines, like washing yourself, eating, breathing, knows how this experience can deeply change you and the way you feel and live the rest of your life. The sorrow and frustration for not being able to stop the suffering, but also the urge to go on living your own life, despite the awareness of its fragility, undermine any relationship. In this novel the disruptive force is ALS, but it could have been Alzheimer, like in Lisa Genova's painful yet beautiful novel, Still Alice. If you are looking for a book written from the heart, with real, three-dimensional characters that will remain with you forever, this is the book you are looking for!
August 25, 2015
Montpelier Tomorrow by Marylee MacDonald is an emotional story about the effects of ASL on a person but also the family. The entire novel flows beautifully while incorporating humor, wisdom and insight while a mother (Colleen) helps her daughter navigate through the diagnosis of ASL given to her daughter’s husband. Having dealt with a husband loss Colleen knows what it is like to raise a family on their own and wants to save and protect her daughter from as much of the struggle as she can. I think the most moving part of this novel was when Colleen was doing research on a respirator and talked to a family member that was helping their mother with the same diagnosis and was on a respirator. The section was very emotionally charged but also informative. This family had so much to deal with and I found myself agreeing different characters and yelling at others. There are no right and wrong answers in a situation like this and I think the novel captures the struggle that a family would go through. Marylee MacDonald did a beautiful job and I enjoyed reading this book immensely.
February 9, 2015
A subtle, carefully crafted novel that captures the struggles of a family disrupted by Lou Gehrig's disease. Colleen, the mother, attempts to "save" her daughter by becoming caregiver to the son-in-law, Tony, as his disease progresses. Colleen is an admirable character for such self-sacrifice, yet MacDonald captures her moments of being less than likable when Tony's self-centered behavior infuriates her, when her daughter, Sandy, is less than appreciative, and Colleen's loss of a potential love many years ago. This book captures the heartache and the joys of being a caregiver in a long-term care situation.
August 26, 2015
This is a very touching and emotional story. It is about a woman named Colleen Gallagher. She has a daughter whose husband gets sick with ALS. So she hops on a train and comes to the rescue to try and help her daughter and and grand-kids out while their dad is sick. She tries her best to help out with everything around the house between being a grandma, a cook, and a caregiver but even she cant fix what is really wrong. The struggles that this family has to go through with the disease is very sad and makes you grateful four your health. This is a very heartwarming story and I would highly recommend reading it!
April 17, 2015
In this brave, beautifully written novel, Montpelier Tomorrow, Marylee MacDonald shows a family pushed to the limit due to illness. Colleen Gallagher’s son-in-law has been diagnosed with ALS, and her daughter is pregnant. Gallagher, herself widowed when she was a young mother, struggles to help her daughter escape the same fate, as she steps up to fill the roles of mother, grandmother, cook, carpenter, caregiver. MacDonald’s characters are loving, yet flawed, wise, yet capable of bad behavior. There are no false notes in this novel. I admire its honesty and its heart.
February 2, 2015
Read this late last year, and it was certainly one of the best books I read in 2014. Emotionally tough, wonderfully written. I didn't know much about ALS before reading the book (like others, a bulk of my exposure to ALS was the ice bucket challenge), so for this reason alone, I think this is an important book.
March 17, 2016
Wow, how much heartache can one family handle? Apparently, a lot, as long as you have each other to get you through. Heartwrenching and absolutely wonderful!
August 31, 2014
Marylee MacDonald's novel, Montpelier Tomorrow, gets off to a fast start and propels the reader to the end. The settings and characters seem real, pulling the reader into the room with them as they grapple with heart-wrenching and complex issues. The novel isn't always easy reading – it brought tears to my eyes more than once – but it is rewarding because of its gritty honesty and wisdom in dealing with those issues and because of the gems of brilliant writing MacDonald sprinkles liberally in the reader's path.
The protagonist, Colleen Gallagher, has a life and career as a kindergarten teacher in the Chicago area. She plans to spend part of her summer vacation at her daughter Sandy's home in Washington D.C. helping with the arrival of Sandy's second child. But Colleen quickly sees that the house, and the life within it, are deteriorating, and she discovers the crucial fact that had not been previously shared with her: her son-in-law, Tony, has a devastating degenerative condition, ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), that will have tsunami ripple effects on his family and friends.
Colleen would seem well-prepared to help in this difficult situation, having successfully carved out a life after her own husband was killed in an automobile accident, leaving her with two young children and pregnant with a third. She raised her children alone, went back to school to obtain her teaching credential, and worked full-time during the school years as a kindergarten teacher and summers remodeling houses to put aside enough money to send all three of her children to college. For the past few years she has been a caregiver for her aging parents. Now her mother has died, freeing her from the last of those responsibilities. Thus, Colleen has relevant experience and is available, but she soon learns that coping with the death of her young husband was quite different, in some ways easier, than caring for Sandy's dying husband.
Sandy is struggling with her duties as an attorney, wife and mother, trying to maintain some semblance of a normal life, but it is a juggling act becoming more difficult with each passing day. Colleen tries to rescue Sandy, efficiently checking items off her to-do lists, helping to run the household, cooking, cleaning, caring for the kids, painting the basement or unplugging a drain, all while filling the role as principal caregiver for Tony. Colleen extends her "vacation" until fall when she must return to her home and teaching job. Then she makes numerous trips throughout the year, flying to D.C. on weekends with suitcases full of frozen casseroles. She returns for the following summer, and stays into fall, taking an extended leave from her job.
Colleen's days as a caretaker are grueling as she takes on more and more monotonous or physically demanding tasks, feeding Tony, helping him in the bathroom, bathing and dressing him. MacDonald made me feel the crushing weight on Colleen's shoulders and cheer for her as she soldiers on. She performs well, but it seems she can never do enough to please Sandy or Tony.
Though the story revolves around the competing needs of Tony, the dying man, and his family, friends and caretakers, at its heart is the question whether the broken relationship between Colleen and Sandy can be reconciled.
Sandy's household crackles with emotions and complicated interactions with family and friends regarding Tony's healthcare needs and emergencies, all piled on top of normal life. There is tension, keenly shown, between Sandy and Tony, between them and Colleen, and between them and Colleen and Tony's wealthy parents, who show up periodically and give financial support but otherwise do not pitch in even as Tony's needs escalate. The most surprising emotion is anger, powerfully shown with gestures, facial expressions and hard-hitting, realistic dialogue.
Reading this novel is like sitting down with a long-time friend, Colleen, and listening while she shares her frustrations, exhaustion, pain and wisdom. She is a strong, capable, and caring rescuer whom I cared about. She can be blunt, sarcastic, and funny. She has her limitations, sometimes speaking too quickly and saying the wrong thing or not speaking up when she should. But she is a reliable narrator who acknowledges her failings, learns from her mistakes and honestly shares her wisdom. I wanted to hear everything she had to say.
MacDonald knows how to turn colorfully original phrases. Colleen hasn't merely felt sexual temptation, she has "…danced along the risky knife-blade of sex, never quite falling off and into bed." Her back doesn't simply hurt ¬ – it turns "…into a magnet that attracted the metal filings of pain." Charles isn't as obvious as an open book, he is "…as transparent as Josh's ant farm, a cutaway of his psyche visible to the naked eye." There are too many of these gems to repeat here.
I won't reveal other plot points. Readers will appreciate discovering them on their own.
I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to take a serious look at the effects a debilitating degenerative disease can have, not only on the afflicted person, but on caregivers and other family members and friends as well.
The protagonist, Colleen Gallagher, has a life and career as a kindergarten teacher in the Chicago area. She plans to spend part of her summer vacation at her daughter Sandy's home in Washington D.C. helping with the arrival of Sandy's second child. But Colleen quickly sees that the house, and the life within it, are deteriorating, and she discovers the crucial fact that had not been previously shared with her: her son-in-law, Tony, has a devastating degenerative condition, ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), that will have tsunami ripple effects on his family and friends.
Colleen would seem well-prepared to help in this difficult situation, having successfully carved out a life after her own husband was killed in an automobile accident, leaving her with two young children and pregnant with a third. She raised her children alone, went back to school to obtain her teaching credential, and worked full-time during the school years as a kindergarten teacher and summers remodeling houses to put aside enough money to send all three of her children to college. For the past few years she has been a caregiver for her aging parents. Now her mother has died, freeing her from the last of those responsibilities. Thus, Colleen has relevant experience and is available, but she soon learns that coping with the death of her young husband was quite different, in some ways easier, than caring for Sandy's dying husband.
Sandy is struggling with her duties as an attorney, wife and mother, trying to maintain some semblance of a normal life, but it is a juggling act becoming more difficult with each passing day. Colleen tries to rescue Sandy, efficiently checking items off her to-do lists, helping to run the household, cooking, cleaning, caring for the kids, painting the basement or unplugging a drain, all while filling the role as principal caregiver for Tony. Colleen extends her "vacation" until fall when she must return to her home and teaching job. Then she makes numerous trips throughout the year, flying to D.C. on weekends with suitcases full of frozen casseroles. She returns for the following summer, and stays into fall, taking an extended leave from her job.
Colleen's days as a caretaker are grueling as she takes on more and more monotonous or physically demanding tasks, feeding Tony, helping him in the bathroom, bathing and dressing him. MacDonald made me feel the crushing weight on Colleen's shoulders and cheer for her as she soldiers on. She performs well, but it seems she can never do enough to please Sandy or Tony.
Though the story revolves around the competing needs of Tony, the dying man, and his family, friends and caretakers, at its heart is the question whether the broken relationship between Colleen and Sandy can be reconciled.
Sandy's household crackles with emotions and complicated interactions with family and friends regarding Tony's healthcare needs and emergencies, all piled on top of normal life. There is tension, keenly shown, between Sandy and Tony, between them and Colleen, and between them and Colleen and Tony's wealthy parents, who show up periodically and give financial support but otherwise do not pitch in even as Tony's needs escalate. The most surprising emotion is anger, powerfully shown with gestures, facial expressions and hard-hitting, realistic dialogue.
Reading this novel is like sitting down with a long-time friend, Colleen, and listening while she shares her frustrations, exhaustion, pain and wisdom. She is a strong, capable, and caring rescuer whom I cared about. She can be blunt, sarcastic, and funny. She has her limitations, sometimes speaking too quickly and saying the wrong thing or not speaking up when she should. But she is a reliable narrator who acknowledges her failings, learns from her mistakes and honestly shares her wisdom. I wanted to hear everything she had to say.
MacDonald knows how to turn colorfully original phrases. Colleen hasn't merely felt sexual temptation, she has "…danced along the risky knife-blade of sex, never quite falling off and into bed." Her back doesn't simply hurt ¬ – it turns "…into a magnet that attracted the metal filings of pain." Charles isn't as obvious as an open book, he is "…as transparent as Josh's ant farm, a cutaway of his psyche visible to the naked eye." There are too many of these gems to repeat here.
I won't reveal other plot points. Readers will appreciate discovering them on their own.
I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to take a serious look at the effects a debilitating degenerative disease can have, not only on the afflicted person, but on caregivers and other family members and friends as well.
November 15, 2018
Artistry with words. That is how I view literary writers and this author is a master. This beautifully written story of a mother, her adult children, their lives intertwined through life events beyond their control, is a work of art.
The mother, a widow and a teacher, is caught between a rock and hard place when her son-in-law becomes ill. Balancing her job, her needs and the increasingly overwhelming role of caregiver, she struggles to find a balance. Faced with difficult choices, she makes the best decision she can.
This book is well worth taking the time to savour, learn from, and appreciate.
The mother, a widow and a teacher, is caught between a rock and hard place when her son-in-law becomes ill. Balancing her job, her needs and the increasingly overwhelming role of caregiver, she struggles to find a balance. Faced with difficult choices, she makes the best decision she can.
This book is well worth taking the time to savour, learn from, and appreciate.
February 28, 2017
Montpelier Tomorrow by Marylee MacDonald is a gripping and emotional book. This is the story of Colleen Gallagher who is off to visit her daughter Sandy, pending the imminent birth of Colleen's second grandchild. What started off as a focused visit with helping the new mom cope, turns into much more, when Colleen's son-in-law is diagnosed with ALS, turning the world on it's head. An emotionally wrought story that shows the demands and harsh realities that come with fighting and then submitting to, an overwhelming disease. MacDonald has done an excellent job of exposing the complexities that evolve when someone is sick, not just for the ill person, but for the caregivers. The relationship between Colleen and her daughter Sandy is also tenuous and complicated, with not so subtle tension. This only adds to the fracturing of a fragile family. There are a few bright spots however, the learning of compassion, and the gifts of fortitude and forgiveness. Dealing with a terminal illness is never easy; MacDonald captures this challenge quite well in this mesmerizing novel that will stay with the reader long after it is finished.
November 24, 2015
Originally published on: http://www.peekingbetweenthepages.com...
Montpelier Tomorrow by Marylee MacDonald gives us a brutally honest journey into the lives of a family dealing with the devastating effects of ALS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease. The reality of the disease stays with the reader long after turning the last page.
Colleen has been a widow for many years and raised her three, now grown, children all on her own. Now she enjoys her work as a kindergarten teacher. Then comes the gut wrenching news that her daughter’s husband Tony has ALS. Colleen of course rushes to her daughter Sandy who has just had a baby with another young one at home. Colleen, wanting to do whatever she can to help, moves in with the family. However it ends up being much more time than she had wanted to spend away from her own life and ultimately Colleen ends up being Tony’s primary caregiver which she hadn’t wanted either. Colleen though is one of those take charge moms. She battles through it all and gets things done. It’s who she is.
The author realistically describes the work that goes into caring for someone with ALS, especially the fast moving type that Tony is afflicted with and it isn’t pretty or easy. To top things off Colleen and her daughter have always had a rocky relationship and Sandy doesn’t hesitate to be rude to her mother or unappreciative. Nonetheless Colleen stays and continues to do the majority of work with both Tony and the kids. Her love for her daughter shone through in every single thing she did even if Sandy couldn’t see it.
Unfortunately I didn’t connect with any of the characters but did to the story. I felt sorry for Colleen but sometimes her attitude towards things frustrated me a great deal and Sandy I just didn’t like at all. I know she was going through an extremely hard time but her treatment towards her mother turned me off completely. Even with a rocky relationship she should have been very grateful that her mother was willing to give up her life to help her care for her husband. I think I was looking for someone to sympathize with but their dispositions just didn’t evoke that in me. However the more I thought about I realized that this is, in all likelihood, how a real family would act. They would be understandably angry and resentful and maybe that’s a good way to portray them instead of the novels that portray everyone as being positive and always optimistic. In reality when a person’s world is completely falling apart they can’t always soldier on and pretend it’s all ok. I appreciated that in this story as it felt very real to me.
Montpelier Tomorrow is an excellent read for those in caregiver roles or for those dealing with ALS themselves. It would also make a very good bookclub choice as well. The topics for discussion are endless and the emotions that this novel evokes are enough for a discussion in itself. There is also a twist at the end that comes completely out of the blue and for me it just didn’t fit. I wish there had been a different end to it all but that doesn’t take away from the power of the novel itself.
Montpelier Tomorrow isn’t an easy read but it is definitely a worthwhile one.
Montpelier Tomorrow by Marylee MacDonald gives us a brutally honest journey into the lives of a family dealing with the devastating effects of ALS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease. The reality of the disease stays with the reader long after turning the last page.
Colleen has been a widow for many years and raised her three, now grown, children all on her own. Now she enjoys her work as a kindergarten teacher. Then comes the gut wrenching news that her daughter’s husband Tony has ALS. Colleen of course rushes to her daughter Sandy who has just had a baby with another young one at home. Colleen, wanting to do whatever she can to help, moves in with the family. However it ends up being much more time than she had wanted to spend away from her own life and ultimately Colleen ends up being Tony’s primary caregiver which she hadn’t wanted either. Colleen though is one of those take charge moms. She battles through it all and gets things done. It’s who she is.
The author realistically describes the work that goes into caring for someone with ALS, especially the fast moving type that Tony is afflicted with and it isn’t pretty or easy. To top things off Colleen and her daughter have always had a rocky relationship and Sandy doesn’t hesitate to be rude to her mother or unappreciative. Nonetheless Colleen stays and continues to do the majority of work with both Tony and the kids. Her love for her daughter shone through in every single thing she did even if Sandy couldn’t see it.
Unfortunately I didn’t connect with any of the characters but did to the story. I felt sorry for Colleen but sometimes her attitude towards things frustrated me a great deal and Sandy I just didn’t like at all. I know she was going through an extremely hard time but her treatment towards her mother turned me off completely. Even with a rocky relationship she should have been very grateful that her mother was willing to give up her life to help her care for her husband. I think I was looking for someone to sympathize with but their dispositions just didn’t evoke that in me. However the more I thought about I realized that this is, in all likelihood, how a real family would act. They would be understandably angry and resentful and maybe that’s a good way to portray them instead of the novels that portray everyone as being positive and always optimistic. In reality when a person’s world is completely falling apart they can’t always soldier on and pretend it’s all ok. I appreciated that in this story as it felt very real to me.
Montpelier Tomorrow is an excellent read for those in caregiver roles or for those dealing with ALS themselves. It would also make a very good bookclub choice as well. The topics for discussion are endless and the emotions that this novel evokes are enough for a discussion in itself. There is also a twist at the end that comes completely out of the blue and for me it just didn’t fit. I wish there had been a different end to it all but that doesn’t take away from the power of the novel itself.
Montpelier Tomorrow isn’t an easy read but it is definitely a worthwhile one.
November 11, 2014
At its most obvious, Montpelier Tomorrow is about a family’s struggle with one of their own being diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s disease) and the demanding caregiving and improvised coping that ensues. Even with all the publicity this incurable progressive disorder has recently received, this book's ability to reach out might have been limited in its appeal to those who had specific experience of ALS or some other chronic neurological condition such as MS. However, it has so much more to offer than a discourse on the ravages of ALS. Written from the heart with intelligence and honesty, a touch of the everyday on almost every page, wit tempering the harshness of the subject, vulnerability and frustration given as much attention as the call to strength and sacrifice; this very readable book speaks to the reality and challenges of sustaining relationships with family and friends despite—to borrow a concept from Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath—life’s jerks.
Through lithe storytelling Ms. MacDonald’s narrative tackles the feelings and behavior that rise out of the sense of powerlessness illness can evoke, as well as conflicts that may never have a chance for complete resolution. It addresses the material, emotional and even conscionable resources that affect each one’s ability to cope with adversity—how some grit their teeth and do things that have to be done and others avoid the nitty-gritty of the situation. No judging going on, though. By her own admission (in an interview with the Literary Fiction Book Review), Ms. MacDonald says she writes to be a “storyteller not a preacher” and throughout the book she remains true to that objective. She handles all aspects of the story without pretension or sentimentality and offers a compellingly sincere personal perspective.
The book’s narrator, Colleen, mother-in-law of the ALS sufferer, is independent, forthright, loyal and forgiving. For anyone who has ever had to relinquish their own routine or goals as a caregiver, she is relieving to identify with because she doesn't play the martyr or mask her grief, desire and irritation, or hide her human frailties from others and herself. However, she is honorable and strives to love unconditionally and pragmatically, to give herself over to caring for and understanding her daughter, sons, son-in-law, grandchildren, students and even strangers such as a young unwed mother, while realizing she has to honor her own needs and forge ahead with fulfilling them in whatever way is still viable.
The ending offers the unexpected in terms of what is about to be lost: the end of life looming for us all at every moment, but, also, the possibilities for how it will go on.
Through lithe storytelling Ms. MacDonald’s narrative tackles the feelings and behavior that rise out of the sense of powerlessness illness can evoke, as well as conflicts that may never have a chance for complete resolution. It addresses the material, emotional and even conscionable resources that affect each one’s ability to cope with adversity—how some grit their teeth and do things that have to be done and others avoid the nitty-gritty of the situation. No judging going on, though. By her own admission (in an interview with the Literary Fiction Book Review), Ms. MacDonald says she writes to be a “storyteller not a preacher” and throughout the book she remains true to that objective. She handles all aspects of the story without pretension or sentimentality and offers a compellingly sincere personal perspective.
The book’s narrator, Colleen, mother-in-law of the ALS sufferer, is independent, forthright, loyal and forgiving. For anyone who has ever had to relinquish their own routine or goals as a caregiver, she is relieving to identify with because she doesn't play the martyr or mask her grief, desire and irritation, or hide her human frailties from others and herself. However, she is honorable and strives to love unconditionally and pragmatically, to give herself over to caring for and understanding her daughter, sons, son-in-law, grandchildren, students and even strangers such as a young unwed mother, while realizing she has to honor her own needs and forge ahead with fulfilling them in whatever way is still viable.
The ending offers the unexpected in terms of what is about to be lost: the end of life looming for us all at every moment, but, also, the possibilities for how it will go on.
July 7, 2015
Montpelier Tomorrow by Mary Lee MacDonald is a novel that should be read by anyone who has ever been, or will soon be, a caretaker. This is an honest portrayal told from the point of view of a mother whose son-in-law is diagnosed with a rapid form of ALS, a disease sometimes referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease where neurons fail causing different muscle groups to stop functioning. Eventually ALS patients can't do anything for themselves, including feeding and using the bathroom.
Colleen (the mother/narrator) leaves her home and her job to help her daughter. What makes this book special is the way her emotions and the emotions of the other caretakers are portrayed. It's one thing to hear that being a caretaker can make you angry. It is quite another to get into the mind of someone who has reached that state.
At one point in the book a substitute nurse speaks about PLC (Pathological Laughing Crying) which many ALS patients have. She says, “With PLC, there's frontal lobe involvement. They lose the capacity for empathy. Like sociopaths.” This was certainly clear in the way Tony (the patient) was portrayed, but at times it seems as if all the caretakers lack empathy as well. The relationship between Colleen and Sandy (the daughter/wife) is as important as Colleen's relationship with Tony. In some ways more important. Yet they both have difficulty understanding what the other one is going through.
This is a family where everyone seems to say exactly what is on their mind, but those thoughts never seem to be “thank you for what you do” or “I understand how hard this is on you,” which is why I think the single word “honest” is the best description of this story. Caretaking is generally one sided giving. Maybe, if the caretaker is lucky, the patient will be grateful or at least happy. Or maybe Karma is a reality and the caretaker will be rewarded at some later time. But quite often caretakers have a thankless job that is way too difficult to complete without mistakes along the way. They take on this task for one reason alone – love. This book shows real love, love that is often distracted by resentment and anger, but is always there.
Steve Lindahl – author of Motherless Soul and White Horse Regressions
Colleen (the mother/narrator) leaves her home and her job to help her daughter. What makes this book special is the way her emotions and the emotions of the other caretakers are portrayed. It's one thing to hear that being a caretaker can make you angry. It is quite another to get into the mind of someone who has reached that state.
At one point in the book a substitute nurse speaks about PLC (Pathological Laughing Crying) which many ALS patients have. She says, “With PLC, there's frontal lobe involvement. They lose the capacity for empathy. Like sociopaths.” This was certainly clear in the way Tony (the patient) was portrayed, but at times it seems as if all the caretakers lack empathy as well. The relationship between Colleen and Sandy (the daughter/wife) is as important as Colleen's relationship with Tony. In some ways more important. Yet they both have difficulty understanding what the other one is going through.
This is a family where everyone seems to say exactly what is on their mind, but those thoughts never seem to be “thank you for what you do” or “I understand how hard this is on you,” which is why I think the single word “honest” is the best description of this story. Caretaking is generally one sided giving. Maybe, if the caretaker is lucky, the patient will be grateful or at least happy. Or maybe Karma is a reality and the caretaker will be rewarded at some later time. But quite often caretakers have a thankless job that is way too difficult to complete without mistakes along the way. They take on this task for one reason alone – love. This book shows real love, love that is often distracted by resentment and anger, but is always there.
Steve Lindahl – author of Motherless Soul and White Horse Regressions
July 8, 2015
ALS- A nervous system disease that weakens muscles and impacts physical function. In this disease, nerve cells break down, which reduces functionality in the muscles they supply. The cause is unknown. The main symptom is muscle weakness. Medication and therapy can slow ALS and reduce discomfort. There is no cure.
That was the first thing that popped up when I searched ALS online. This is just words that, I believe, don't have an effect until it is you or your loved one being affected by the disease. I can not even begin to imagine how this disease destroys families.
Montpelier Tomorrow lets you into the lives of a family struggling to deal with this disease deteriorating a loved one. Colleen pretty much gives up her own life and moves in with her daughters family to take care of her son in law, Tony. He becomes very dependent on others and Colleen turns into his personal nurse, doing everything for him. Sandy and Colleen have never had a good relationship, bringing together everyday strains that even more.
Montpelier Tomorrow is not just about ALS. As the story goes on it completely turns into something unexpected. There was never a dull moment in this book for me. Every single time I tried to put it down, I just couldn't. It's not an easy read but it is a great story about love, family, lots of emotions, and relationships. It will make you realize how special each person in your life really is.
If you haven't read Montpelier Tomorrow yet, check it out. Marylee MacDonald is a gifted writer that I will be following from now on.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
That was the first thing that popped up when I searched ALS online. This is just words that, I believe, don't have an effect until it is you or your loved one being affected by the disease. I can not even begin to imagine how this disease destroys families.
Montpelier Tomorrow lets you into the lives of a family struggling to deal with this disease deteriorating a loved one. Colleen pretty much gives up her own life and moves in with her daughters family to take care of her son in law, Tony. He becomes very dependent on others and Colleen turns into his personal nurse, doing everything for him. Sandy and Colleen have never had a good relationship, bringing together everyday strains that even more.
Montpelier Tomorrow is not just about ALS. As the story goes on it completely turns into something unexpected. There was never a dull moment in this book for me. Every single time I tried to put it down, I just couldn't. It's not an easy read but it is a great story about love, family, lots of emotions, and relationships. It will make you realize how special each person in your life really is.
If you haven't read Montpelier Tomorrow yet, check it out. Marylee MacDonald is a gifted writer that I will be following from now on.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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