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Written by a reluctant biographer in the hope that the story may be helpful to others, the book describes the relationship journey of the author and his wife, Janey, who fell in love when they were teenagers, married at twenty, and lived in a variety of homes—one of which Janey truly considered "home." Jack completed his degree with Janey's emotional and financial support. They raised a family, and then Janey was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, and their event-filled lives assumed another dimension. The reality of the story is that of a loving couple who have loved each other since age sixteen. They will not forsake their commitment after forty-plus years.
Although the author admits his hesitance and inexperience in this genre, the manuscript is alive with a narrative that exhibits self-awareness. As in every long-term relationship, there are situations that either Jack or Janey would have preferred to avoid, such as Jack's scrutiny by teenage Janey's mother (who assumes that his motives for getting close to her daughter are less than honorable), the number of hours that each has to work at the beginning of their marriage in order to pay bills, obligations that force Jack and Janey to move from several homes, and one move that was particularly difficult for Janey. Interspersed throughout are experiences in their family and professional lives, and then the diagnosis that changed everything. Frustration and anger interchange with a philosophical perspective about the disease, acceptance, and love. It is a work that people who are experiencing similar situations will find helpful. In short, this account comes across as a friend reaching out in empathy and comprehension for what some other family may be facing.