9249 *

Amy Winston, age 75, decides to liberate her childhood friend Clara, who has Alzheimer's Disease, from the Daffodil ward of Spring Garden Manor. When Amy's plan for her friend somehow miraculously succeeds, the two old friends take off for the south with great and hopeful expectations of a better life once Clara is freed from her medicated stupor. Along the way Amy finds out how difficult it is to care for her friend; but when Clara finally remembers Amy's name for the first time in ages, it all seems worthwhile. Although there are plenty of laughs in this book, in truth there is nothing funny about this devastating disease; but, in the midst of the heartbreak, there is a message of hope and enduring love encompassed in these pages. The indomitable spirit of these two lively geriatric gypsies is a salve for the soul and a bouquet for the heart. 9249* is a tribute to the bonds of friendship that stand the tests of time throughout the ages, pages, and stages of life. It will pull at your heartstrings, tug at your smile, and wet your eyes with joy and sorrow.