by Rachel Khong
First published 2017
Ruth Young finds her father Howard's pants hanging from trees in their suburban Los Angeles neighborhood. The history professor has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Ruth's mother Annie calls her home just after Christmas. At thirty, Ruth has just broken off her engagement and quit her job, feeling her life has derailed from its expected path. She discovers her parents' situation is worse than she imagined. Howard drifts between clarity and confusion while Annie obsesses over cooking meals that might slow his memory loss. Ruth throws herself into caregiving, preparing jellyfish feasts and researching supplements to restore her father's once sharp mind. When the university dismisses Howard, Ruth teams up with one of his former students to help her father. Their efforts go too far. Through small moments and unexpected comedy, Ruth navigates the absurdity of watching a parent disappear while trying to find her own place in an uncertain world.
Genres: literary-fiction, mental-illness, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, slice-of-life
Setting: Los Angeles, Suburban
Period: Contemporary
256 pages · ebook · Scribner UK
Content warnings: mental-illness