A Year on Planet Alzheimer: And a Little Longer in Canada

As a Canadian who has experienced living in England (and an avid Anglophile), I jumped at the chance to read an account of a Brit's experience of living in my own culture. I was in for a treat...Not only is Carolyn Steele's story about her experience moving from England to Canada (with kid in tow), it is largely set in the city I live in. Seeing my community through a visitor's eyes made for a fascinating read full of hilarity. And I mean that. Steele's writing is hysterically funny - I found myself laughing out loud on many occasions. But the book is more than that: it is an endearing story of a single mother and her child trying to find their place in the world and the challenges they face in the process, the characters they meet, and their adventures around each corner. Seeing Canada from the perspective of an "outsider" was refreshing and helped me to gain a "re-appreciation" of the great country I live in and that Steele now calls home. An added glossary of terms at the back of the book is helpful to translate Steele's "Brit-speak" into Canadian English.Overall, this is an excellent book that I would recommend to anyone, especially those who are looking to explore a new genre of literature. I am really looking forward to the second installment!

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It's also one of the only books I've read that made me laugh out loud, and I read a lot of books! This book charts the ups and downs of relocating to a new continent. I was moved by the courage of the author and the upbeat manner in which she faced every hurdle along the way. It is the candid and witty manner in which she writes about coping with a new life that makes Carolyn Steele's book so entertaining. Hopefully you'll enjoy the journey with her as much as I have.I'm looking forward to reading about her next adventures.

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It's also one of the only books I've read that made me laugh out loud, and I read a lot of books! This book charts the ups and downs of relocating to a new continent. I was moved by the courage of the author and the upbeat manner in which she faced every hurdle along the way. It is the candid and witty manner in which she writes about coping with a new life that makes Carolyn Steele's book so entertaining. Hopefully you'll enjoy the journey with her as much as I have. I'm looking forward to reading about her next adventures.

Prior to reading Carolyn's book, I knew little about Canada other than it was up there north of the USA and it was huge. However when a good friend of mine emigrated there with his Canadian wife, my curiosity was piqued and I found myself wanting to know more about this country which features so little in the global news despite being the second largest in the world. Carolyn's book provides a fascinating insight into Canada and a little bit of its history from the point of view of a British born woman and her son coming to the country for the first time. It chronicles her encounter with a culture that is alternatively both comfortingly familiar and also refreshingly modern which, in itself, summarises Canada's complex relationship with both Britain and the USA. The Canadians that she encounters come across as cheerful and patiently willing to both induct and tolerate this newcomer and her exuberant and inquisitive 9 year old son. The book is based on a series of articles that Carolyn wrote for the British Mensa magazine over the period of a year. Carolyn originally moved to Ontario to care for an elderly lady suffering from Alzheimers, hence the title of the book. But despite the seriousness of the disease, her anecdotes telling of how she patiently coped and shepherded her new ward day in and day out are humorous and well written. However the book is more than that. In addition to a detailed look at life around Kitchener and Waterloo, Carolyn takes us on a brief trip to British Columbia for an observation of how, despite being part of the same country, the culture shifts as subtly as the vast geography of the land. This book is heartily recommended for anyone who wants to understand Canada, its people and its culture. I give the book five stars!