The Things We Keep

November 2, 2015
Hepworth’s second novel (after The Secrets of Midwives) explores issues of self-determination and identity through an unconventional tearjerker of a love story. Diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at 39, Anna has made the difficult decision to move into a residential care facility. Though she’s mostly surrounded by senior citizens, there’s one other self-described “young person, old mind”: Luke, who suffers from frontotemporal dementia. The two immediately bond over their unlikely shared circumstance, and eventually their friendship moves into romance. But as Anna’s condition worsens, the question of whether she is capable of relationships, or of falling in love, comes into question, and her family insists that she and Luke be kept apart. The home’s new cook, Eve, is charmed by Luke and Anna’s tale of star-crossed love, and she vows to help them at any cost—but her understanding of the potential dangers is incomplete, and facilitating their romance could put more than just her job in jeopardy. The story’s nonlinear structure, designed to mimic Anna’s disorientation, cleverly obscures a few reveals that color the reader’s perception of the dilemma at hand, and while none of these reveals are particularly surprising, they’re no less heartbreaking. A supporting cast of quirky old folks and Eve’s precocious daughter add levity to a poignant and nuanced story.

October 15, 2015
A woman suffering from early Alzheimer's finds romance in an assisted living facility while an abandoned wife restarts her life in the intertwined narratives that make up this second novel. At 38, Anna is an energetic, tart-tongued, motorcycle-riding paramedic. Actually that's who she was, just before she starts telling us her story. Diagnosed with Alzheimer's, Anna leaves her husband and winds up in a residential facility in New Jersey called Rosalind House, which caters to frail old people and a couple of memory-challenged younger ones. Anna's voice feels very true; particularly in the early chapters, she's still cogent enough to describe her deterioration, and her descriptions are precise and harrowing. The second voice we hear belongs to Eve, 35, who finds employment as a cook/housekeeper at Rosalind House after her highflying financier husband flames out a la Bernie Madoff. Eve and her young daughter, Clementine, must adjust to drastically reduced living circumstances and endure the slings and arrows of those who know what Eve's husband did. (Clementine narrates a few chapters in a voice that seems less authentic than the other two.) At work, Eve takes a shine to Anna and eventually risks her job to allow Anna to pursue a relationship with Luke, an attractive, young fellow patient. Eve also finds a love interest, a development you'll spot miles away. Though likable and sympathetic, she's far more two-dimensional than Anna. Perhaps Hepworth, who got some positive attention for her debut novel, The Secret Lives of Midwives (2015), feared this book would be too grim with Anna as the main focus. A lot happens here--too much really, especially in the last, somewhat improbable chapters--but it's a definite page-turner. It's also uneven, with genuinely poignant moments brushing up against cheesy ones.

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August 1, 2015

These days, Grim Reaper Charley Davidson isn't nudging lost souls toward the light; she's working in a diner in upstate New York, having lost her memory. (Could the blazingly handsome fry cook watching over her be her beloved Reyes Farrow, the son of Satan?) She's puzzled about being able to see dead people and senses danger around her. But when a stranger shows up claiming that he's been sent to kill her, her powers are set seethingly on the rise.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2015
Hepworth (The Secrets of Midwives, 2015) likes to tell stories via three voices. This time, we meet Anna, a 38-year-old institutionalized with early onset Alzheimer's; Eve, a single mom working as a cook at the residential care facility where Anna lives; and Clementine, Eve's seven-year-old daughter. One has to give Hepworth kudos for even attempting to speak through Anna's Alzheimer's-addled perspective, even more for succeeding in the task of having the woman string enough cogent thoughts together to make a unique kind of sense. This is less difficult than trying to keep up with a story that bounces around in time. With Eve speaking several months ahead of Anna's story line, it can get confusing. Clementine offers insights into Eve's state of mind that don't contribute much to the overall theme, but she is a charming character who adds an innocent's wisdom. Finally, a few words of caution. Although the story has a fairly upbeat ending, it could be a distressing read for anyone struggling with an Alzheimer's diagnosis either as a patient or as a caregiver.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

Starred review from December 1, 2015

Thirty-eight-year-old Anna Forster is married with a challenging career as a paramedic when she is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Her decline is rapid, and before long she's divorced, unemployed, and living at Rosalind House, an assisted-living facility. The residents are at least twice Anna's age except for Luke, another young victim of early-onset dementia. In this environment of aging, deterioration, and death, Anna finds something precious--love born from the ashes of her shattered life. When newly single mother Eve Bennett comes to work at Rosalind House, she thinks she, too, has lost everything until she meets Anna and learns what loss really means. VERDICT While on the surface a sad, realistic portrayal of a heartbreaking disease, Hepworth's (The Secrets of Midwives) latest is much more. The story, told through the alternating voices of Anna, Eve, and Eve's young daughter, is nothing less than a poignant testament to the immeasurable and restorative power of love. Sure to appeal to fans of Jojo Moyes, Jodi Picoult, and Lisa Genova; book clubs will be lining up.--Jeanne Bogino, New Lebanon Lib., NY

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2015
Imagine the trauma of being diagnosed with dementia in your 30s and placed into aged care. Sally Hepworth explores this tragic premise in her third novel, which avoids excessive sadness with its uplifting themes of love and renewal. Two characters, Anna and Luke, are enduring this lonely scenario, when they find each other and fall in love—with wide repercussions. Hepworth attempts to get inside Anna’s mind, illuminating the sense of confusion that comes with memory loss and the trouble when misinterpretations are made by others. Anna’s story is entwined with that of Eve, who was recently widowed after her husband’s shock admission of financial fraud. Now penniless, she must begin her life over and raise their child in a climate of hostility. The book’s many strengths include the scenes in which Eve’s daughter Clementine is teased at school about her dad’s death. The Things We Keep is intricate, moving and engaging, but it left me pondering some elements that didn’t quite ring true, such as Eve’s complicated reaction to her husband’s death. I’m also curious as to the US setting. Hepworth shows real promise as a writer of issues-based commercial fiction (à la Jodi Picoult), but a little fine-tuning would have made this book even better. Joanne Shiells is a former editor of Books+Publishing