A Good Distance

Sarah Willis

It can't be easy to write a story that features the narrative voice of a woman in the cruel grip of Alzheimer's but Sarah Willis does just that in her latest effort, A Good Distance. When Rose's adult children realize that she can no longer safely be allowed to remain outside of an institutional setting, her oldest daughter Jennifer steps in and insists that Rose stay with her and her family. Jennifer and her mother have had a history of difficult encounters and absences and Jennifer is hoping to mend that in her mother's last days. The story is told from multiple perspectives, and the narrative moves back and forth in time, but Willis skillfully puts it all together in a story that's emotionally evocative and a pure pleasure to read.