WHAT LURKS IN THE WOODS

A devoted wife and mother searched for answers when her spouse experienced cognitive issues in this sensitive debut memoir by Bell.

As an MIT graduate working as an executive within the medical device industry, Bell was well accustomed to problem-solving. Yet when her husband, Russ, a computer scientist and electrical engineer, began acting uncharacteristically, immediate answers weren’t forthcoming. The couple’s two children tiptoed around to avoid disturbing their father. Concerns heightened when Russ, a dexterous thinker, struggled to operate the family’s alarm system. Medical tests showed little out of the ordinary, yet Russ’ cognitive functioning continued to decline. After visiting numerous physicians, Bell struggled to believe the diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s. The author’s perseverance led to Russ’ being diagnosed with and treated for chronic Lyme disease. The illness was discovered too late, however, and required residential care. Drawn from journal entries that Bell wrote to “cope with the chaos,” this memoir maintains a powerful sense of urgency. When considering leaving Russ because of his atypical behavior, the author writes: “I left work early to meet the realtor, but doubt surrounded me. Can I do this? I’ve been with him for so long. Can I leave him? Can I raise the kids on my own? Has it come to this?” The stylistic approach is simple and immediate. Bell avoids the choppiness found in many memoirs developed from journals, and her emotions remain honest and thoughtful: “The guilt barraging my conscience eased, and for the first time in a while, I felt free.” Readers may be mistaken in thinking that Bell’s memoir will interest only those whose lives have been affected by Lyme disease. In truth, the book is a passionate cri de coeur that encourages anyone faced with illness to explore beyond “symptomatic diagnoses to find root causes.”

A tragic, cautionary account communicated with tender conviction.