Dementia Support Line
Book group: Only About Love, by Debbi Voisey
We read a short novel told through snapshots from across time.
Debbi Voisey is a writer of flash fiction and short stories, and her debut novella, Only About Love, packs a punch through scenes, ideas and impressions that add up to a surprisingly rounded overall picture of one person’s life.
Caroline Branney, who manages our Dementia Knowledge Centre, says, ‘The novel is very easy to read and not so easy to put down! With just 126 pages of story, it would be ideal for a journey or for reading in small sections.
‘It certainly made me feel reflective, and I like the way the story evolves in such short but evocative snapshots of Frank and his family’s life.’
Another reader says, ‘The perspectives of various characters at various times of their lives – including of Frank, who’s diagnosed with dementia – are reflected wonderfully in each chapter’s style.
‘One will be terse with short bursts of dialogue, another a stream of consciousness and a third a list of bullet points.’
‘The brief chapters are written from different viewpoints,’ says Caroline, ‘although we learn particularly about the strength of daughter–father love.’
Ups and downs
A reader in London says, ‘The story of Frank, his wife Liz and their two children John and Dawn is revealed in intriguing fragments.
‘Among the ups and downs of their relationships over the years, we learn of Frank’s affairs and his regular disappearances, as well as the anguish experienced by his family.’
Another reader says, ‘We find out about what makes Frank tick in a list of his loves – everything from Elvis Presley and snooker to cake and custard – and how his needs change dramatically as he becomes ill.
‘Gradually we hear how Frank’s dementia progresses so that he ends up in a care home where he is initially loved too for being such a big personality.
‘His disease is likened to a wolf coming for him, and his wife prepares for the end as his body changes. At first she and their daughter don’t speak about dying, but eventually realise that they need to.
‘Witnessing Frank’s gradual decline is unbearable. Liz is finding the relentless pressure of visiting exhausting but is no longer afraid.’
‘Eventually Frank’s strength is eroded,’ says Caroline. ‘He becomes very weak and he is unable to speak. His daughter Dawn describes the last moments of his life.’
‘The last word is left to Frank,’ says another reader, ‘and he has a message – the lesson of his life – that is both moving and satisfying.
‘All in all, this is a remarkable book that reaffirms the things in life that are most important.’
Only About Love, by Debbi Voisey (Fairlight 2021), 144 pages, £7.99 (prices vary), ISBN 9781914148002. Available in many libraries and as an ebook.