Review of The Everyday and Far Away by Jacqueline Jones

In The Everyday and Far Away, we meet Ernie, a husband, father, and grandfather who has been diagnosed with Dementia. We follow his story as the life he knows begins to slip away, and his early life begins to take its place. We also become acquainted with Ernie's granddaughter, Nina, who has been diagnosed with ADHD and is struggling to connect with the people whom she loves the most. Similar to her grandfather, she does not quite understand her diagnoses, and those around her don't quite understand it or her either. Both our characters are living a parallel and quite lonely life, but their connection to one another is gentle and wonderful.

The chapters alternate between three viewpoints, Ernie's everyday life, where you begin to understand the toll dementia is taking on his life, the effects on his family, and how scary it must be to live in a world that you no longer understand. These POVs are poignant and really pull the heartstrings while providing an understanding of how this terrible disease impacts. We also get insights into Ernie's 'Far away' - his childhood and beyond. These sections added so much dimension to Ernie as a character. They were filled with joy and, at times, sadness, love, and grief. Jacqueline did a fantastic job at making Ernie the most real fictional character because he is real, dementia is real. This part of the story gave me goosebump The Notebook vibes, and of course, it will bring a tear to your eyes!

Then, of course, there's Nina, who is struggling to find her spark in a world that expects so much from her. Nina's chapters touch upon masking and finding a place for herself in a world that she doesn't completely understand how to navigate. From making friends and to daily tasks that can sometimes be a struggle. Jacqueline has created a perfect, emotive, and brilliant novel with livable characters and real-life issues that I'll be thinking about for a long time! Gorgeous and unforgettable!

Reviewed by Danielle

Published on 01/05/25 by Magpie

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