This Is Not a Pity Memoir

Yes the author is white, rich, and privileged but that doesn't make her memoir any less harrowing or powerful. British screenwriter Abi Morgan's partner suffered a near-fatal brain injury that left him severely disabled. And although his short term memory and physical impairments improved slightly over time, he insisted that Abi was an imposter and that his “real” partner was missing.

Despite this devastating irony of devoting herself to caring for a man who didn't remember her, Abi somehow found a way to keep going. She had a strong support system as she processed her grief and anger, took care of her two adolescent children, and faced her own health crisis. I liked the way she self-edited as she wrote, as if she were directing a movie and some of the scenes weren't interesting enough. Of course, having your own villa in Italy for a getaway is not a luxury that most people in this situation would have, but she does recognize her good fortune in that regard.

There's no neat, happy ending to the story. But it's still uplifting to see that love is still love, even if it looks radically different from what you thought it would be.