The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth
Anna is only 38 years old when she starts living at Rosaline House, an assisted living facility. She has early onset Alzheimer’s. While there, she meets Luke, another person her age who also has early onset Alzheimer’s.
Alternated, Eve Bennett’s story is told. Eve is a single mother who becomes the cook at Rosalind House. Eve’s life has recently changed from what she is used to. She was a wealthy wife, until her husband was found guilty of embezzling. They end up losing everything and her husband dies. Even though she had nothing to do with what her husband had done, eve still finds herself blamed. She can’t even go and get groceries without somebody pulling her aside and telling her how she had ruined their lives.
Anna and Luke fall in love. The book questions how can they be in love when they are both forgetting who they are. Just because they can’t remember who they are, doesn’t mean they aren’t human and can’t make the last chapter of their lives something to remember. Most people would like to keep Anna and Luke apart, saying they are not in their right mind, that they don’t know what they are doing so there is no way either one could consent to a relationship. Eve sees past that, and puts her job on the line so that she can let Anna and Luke be together.
This book reminded me of Still Alice. It made you think. Even though somebody is losing their memories, they are still important. The end of their life can still matter. Eve’s story also makes you think about how often somebody is blamed for something they had nothing to do, but they happen to be related to somebody who has done something wrong.
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