THE DAY WE MET

A woman with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease desperately tries to hold onto her family and her life in this novel from Coleman (The Runaway Wife, 2013, etc.). 

Claire Armstrong and her family are dealing with her recent Alzheimer’s diagnosis as she gradually forgets bits and pieces of her life—words for common objects, how to read, and her relationship with her husband, Greg. She writes down her rare, fragmented memories in her memory book, hoping she can leave behind a record for her family. She worries about not being there for her older daughter, 20-year-old Caitlin, and being forgotten by her younger girl, 2-year-old Esther. Meanwhile, her family members deal with their grief over Claire’s gradual decline along with their own issues. Greg is heartbroken that Claire can't remember him, while Caitlin faces several problems—an unexpected pregnancy, a recently revealed father and a 50 percent chance of carrying the gene that caused her mother’s illness. The romance between Greg and Claire takes a back seat to the more vivid plotline—the relationship between Claire and Caitlin. This is, at heart, a book about mothers, daughters and the strong bonds that exist between women even during heartbreak. 

Coleman will make you cry with this emotional, beautifully written novel.