A memorable novella

This novella packs a mighty punch despite its small size. I read this book for my book club (shoutout to the Point Poet Society!), and just got back from our meeting to discuss the conclusion of the book and our thoughts on its ending. This novella follows the relationship of a grandson and grandfather as the latter struggles with a loss of memory due to dementia, leaving the former with many fears and questions. It is formatted in such a simply complex way, though my book club offered me a lot of different ways to look at the progression of memory loss. Is Noah a little boy outside of Grandpa's square of memory where most of the novella takes place? Or is he a grown man the entire time, like we see at the end when he has a daughter? Overall, I love how much this story made me think about my relation to my relatives and how often I tell them how much they mean to me. It's the kind of story that fills you with a bittersweet feeling, especially (for me) when Grandpa describes how he fell in love with his now late wife, Grandma, and when Grandma visits Grandpa in a space of their shared memories. The way they expressed their love in lots of little moments, and the way these descriptions were written, were some of my favorite stylistic parts of the book. I also enjoyed how this story portrayed love as a bonding force for family even after loved ones have passed, or, in Grandpa's case, in the slow process of passing. I would definitely recommend this book to those willing to explore the many facets of memory loss as well as those who are personally struggling with the memory loss of a family member.



Some of my favorite quotes from And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer:

"How do I explain that I'm going to be leaving him even before I die?"

"There's no greater mystery in the universe than a human." 

"The only time you've failed is if you don't try once more."

"It's an awful thing to miss someone who's still here."

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