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Left : a love story  Cover Image Book Book

Left : a love story / Mary Hogan.

Hogan, Mary, 1957- (author.).

Summary:

"It started as a dream vacation in Spain, with Fay and Paul Agarra enjoying all the delights of a European holiday. A respected New York City judge, Paul has always been the man Fay can rely on no matter what. When he inexplicably disappears from a Granada street corner, Fay knows something is terribly wrong. Once they are reunited, Paul shrugs off the episode as a simple misunderstanding -- but Fay suspects her almost perfect life has taken a dark and sudden turn. Soon there are more signs that Paul is beginning to change. Bouts of forgetfulness lead to mistakes in the courtroom. Simple tasks cause unexplainable outbursts of anger. Fay's worst suspicions are realized when she learns her husband -- her rock, her love, her everything -- is succumbing to the ravages of dementia. As her husband transforms before her very eyes, Fay copes with her fears by retreating into a fantasy life filled with promise instead of pain. In Fay's invented world, she imagines herself living a glamorous life free from heartache, with a handsome neighbor she barely knows rescuing her from a fate she can't accept." -- From publisher's description.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9780062678379
  • Physical Description: 236, 5 pages ; 21 cm
  • Edition: First edition.
  • Publisher: New York, NY : William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, [2018]

Content descriptions

General Note:
"P.S. Insights, Interviews & More..." -- From cover.
Subject: Married people > Fiction.
Dementia > Fiction.
Genre: Medical fiction.
Love stories.

Available copies

  • 1 of 1 copy available at BC Interlibrary Connect. (Show)
  • 1 of 1 copy available at Castlegar Public Library. (Show)

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Holdable? Status Due Date
Castlegar Public Library FIC HOG (Text) 35146002110385 Fiction Volume hold Available -
Salt Spring Island Public Library FIC HOG (Text) 33123009607509 Fiction Volume hold Available -

  • Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2018 May #2
    The first sign that something is wrong with Fay Agarra's husband, Paul, occurs during a trip to Spain, when he inexplicably leaves her behind at a roadside cafe on their way to the airport. Once they get home, his personality seems to change, and he is increasingly befuddled at work, not good for a sitting judge. His decline accelerates following shoulder surgery and the resulting POCD—postoperative cognitive dysfunction—which leaves him permanently impaired. Faced with this grim reality, Fay escapes by falling in love—with a regal building she discovers while walking her dog. She also spins a fantasy around one of the building's residents, whom she imagines will become her next husband. In the real world, Fay muddles along with the help of her brother and her best friend, and the not-always-helpful help of Paul's two grown children and ex-wife, finding ways to keep love present even as the man she loves disappears. Hogan (The Woman in the Photo, 2016) does a good job of mixing humor and heartbreak in this sharply observed novel, drawn from her own experience. Copyright 2018 Booklist Reviews.
  • Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 2018 April #4

    Hogan (Two Sisters) chronicles the life of Fay Agarra, the wife and caregiver of a husband with dementia, in this touching novel. Fay struggles to overcome the heartache and frustration caused by a recent trip to Spain with her husband, Paul. He hasn't been himself lately—misremembering things, wandering off, and even leaving Fay at a gas station while on their way to the airport. As incidents pile up, Fay comes to the realization that something is terribly wrong. Meanwhile, Paul, a retired judge, becomes less and less like the man Fay married, and Fay begins to fantasize about living a different, carefree life with a new, more compatible husband within one of the many fancy brownstones that surround her. The book jumps back and forth between the present, Fay's memories, and her fantasies, making the narrative often confusing to follow. Although presented as a love story, Hogan's tale rarely feels romantic; instead, the book poignantly portrays Fay's struggle to come to terms with Paul's dementia while opening up (but never attempting to resolve) uncomfortable yet necessary questions about the conditions of love. (June)

    Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly.

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