Lesson of Love

By Prue Phillipson

Published by Silverwood Books

What it’s about?

Lesson of Love is a moving and candid story of a relationship between a mother and daughter in the face of life-changing illness.

Prue Phillipson’s first-person account is interspersed with diary excerpts and documents the difficult yet rewarding experience of caring for a mother with dementia. This unflinchingly  honest story details the various stages of the illness and how Prue coped whilst her mother changed, becoming ever more distant.

Prue found that her own faith was strengthened as a result of turning to God through the immensely powerful and comforting use of prayer.

This is an inspiring story that will encourage all readers to have faith in testing times

What I think:

This isn’t normal sort of book I would read, but something about it really appealed to me.

Prue’s story is one that will resonate with lots of people who are caring for and supporting elderly parents and coping with the effects of dementia on those they love.

Prue is extremely honest about her feelings. At points she is overwhelmed with frustration and guilt as her mother becomes a different person to the one she has know all of her life.

Prue’s faith in God and the comfort she finds in prayer and the support of her family and church become even more important in this time of difficulty.

When she prays she hears the word “love”. And it is love in all of it’s forms that helps Prue and her family.

There is so much and joy and humour in this book. Both Prue and her mother laugh at some of the things that happen – losing things and finding them in usual places and forgetting the names of every day objects. The days when Prue’s mother has clarity and happiness become moments to treasure.

I had so mum empathy for Prue’s mother. In the early stages of her dementia she becomes so frustrated by her inability to complete everyday task and the loss of her independence. The deterioration of her art work is particularly poignant.

This is a short, but powerful books that will remind readers of the importance of faith – however you find it – and especially love.

About the writer:

PRUE PHILLIPSON was born in 1928 in Newcastle upon Tyne into a Christian family with one sister, Janet. Their mother introduced them to classic nineteenth century novels so they immersed themselves in history and good literature throughout their childhoods. Prue’s diary, Lesson of Love, which documents her mother’s dementia is her first published book. Prue is now concentrating on writing novels and an e-publisher has published six of her novels online while two book publishers have accepted eight of them between them. The years of caring for her mother were extremely fulfilling and ones that she will never forget.

Thank you Prue Phillipson, SilverWood Books and Anne Cater for inviting me on this thought provoking blog tour.