reviews

As Nora Jo Fades Away: Confessions of a Caregiver is an entertaining, informative peek into the home of a person who has Alzheimer’s. Released in June and a first-place winner at the Paris Book Festival, the book reads like fiction but it is a factual account of the day-to-day work that goes into caring for someone who has dementia...

As long as this disease exists, there will be a need for caregivers like Cerasoli. “Part of my mission and my purpose right now is to connect with other caregivers and to make them feel like they’re not alone,” she said. “I want to help them deal with the guilt, the exhaustion, the outright confusion…to get them through the day.”

Despite Cerasoli and her husband being very capable, relatively young caregivers (they are in their 40’s), they decided to hire help at the start of the year. Nora Jo still lives with her granddaughter, and Lisa still is an active caregiver, but she sought out help and suggests others do the same if they feel it is necessary.

Nora Jo will be re-released in a few weeks with a new foreword by Leeza Gibbons, a television and radio host who founded Leeza’s Place, a respite center for caregivers, after her mother died of Alzheimer’s in 2008.

This book demonstrates the type of challenges you have as a caregiver and also shares the precious moments of fun and love you can still share.

If you have someone whose memory is slowly failing, this book will touch you. And it's also a good guide for someone who might be thinking about trying to do caregiving. It's an honest portrayal of the work involved.

This is a very good read, the author's words flow well, and her emotions are honest.

Lisa recently spoke at our largest ever Caregiver Conference in April of 2010 and captivated and cajoled an audience of 200+ to tears and laughter while helping affirm their caregiving experiences. She did this by talking about her experiences as a caregiver and reading from her new memoir, As Nora Jo Fades Away, Confessions of a Caregiver. [more]

I finally bought and am reading "Nora Jo"...sorry it took me so long! Love it! And I love the sound of your 'sultry' voice drifting from the pages into my head and making me laugh...and sigh.

I hope there will be a part two.

If You Don't Laugh, You'll Cry: From a very unsuspecting caregiver who went from Hollywood to Michigan (and some days out of her mind!) comes the touching and humorous memoir of Lisa Cerasoli entitled AS NORA JO FADES AWAY. The actress, ACE certified personal trainer and author shares her candid experiences of running a household as a wife and mother while caring for her "Gram" who suffers with Alzheimer's. It's no wonder this book was the winner of The 2010 Paris Book Festival.

The Topic? Alzheimer's Disease. The Irony? It's a nonstop page-turner
5.0 out of 5 stars
I was lucky enough to finally meet this author. Her exuberant personality is woven into every page of this book. I read her first novel...and thought that was amazing, but I must say, As Nora Jo Fades Away is in a league all its own. I read it the day after purchase and have already recommended it to everyone from my neighbor to my kid's soccer coach. This memoir has all the makings of great fiction, a TV show, a movie...real life. The humor and heartbreak are virtually inseparable. Cerasoli's writing style leaves you knowing and feeling everything as if you are that fly on the wall. And even in times of turmoil (of which this book has many) you still want to be that fly. Her writing is that engaging. Have loaned the book to a friend and plan on round two directly upon its return. This is a must read for anyone who...well, anyone who reads.

"A sly, humorous tribute and a lesson in love under seemingly impossible circumstances."

This touching, wryly written memoir is our future's next 'Modern Family.' Everyone should own a copy.