Jonathan Kozol, recognized for his work among America’s poorest children, compassionately and unflinchingly relates how his father succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Harry Kozol, a nationally renowned specialist in brain disorders, recognized in himself the onset of the disease, and described his symptoms to his son with vivid accuracy and depth of detail. As his father’s health declined, Jonathan notes, “the balance of power between us started shifting.”
Despite Harry’s daily losses, as well as struggles with the health care system, apathetic doctors, and financial burdens, Jonathan treasured his father’s remaining years, learning more about his accomplishments and feeling closer to him than he ever had before.
This honest narrative of the life, decline, and death of a brilliant man and a demanding father explores the nature of memory, affirms the value of each person, no matter the age, and reveals the complexity of one son’s relationship to his father. (Crown)
About the Author
Sonya VanderVeen Feddema is a freelance writer and a member of Covenant CRC in St. Catharines, Ontario.