His mother's memory is failing. On an impulse he does not entirely understand, the narrator of "This Room Is Yours" moves her near his home and finds himself deeply and despairingly involved in her day-to-day life. Mother and son are resistant, both fighting against a kind of shared captivity while trying to save their own independence. Through a series of startling revelations and an exploration of family history, their struggles intersect.
Praise for THIS ROOM IS YOURS
"He has drawn an unforgettable picture of the feistiness and resilience of someone who is in the throes of losing who she is. With deft pacing and skillful variations in tone, that it leaves you walking through your own memories of child-parent interactions is testimony to its quiet power." - The Phoenix
"Stein paints a clear, insightful portrait of the frustrations and indignities experienced by Alzheimer's sufferers and caregivers alike, and he also muses on the craft of writing itself. His prose is always sharp and assured, even in its moments of query." - Publishers Weekly
"Moving without a hint of sentimentality; an extremely sad and emotionally realistic tale of normal, troubled life." - Kirkus Reviews
"At one level this is a beautifully crafted narrative of the human devastation wreaked by Alzheimer's disease.At a deeper lever we accompany the narrator on his journey of discovery, as his duty-driven relationship with his mother results in surprising new insights about the person she was, and eventually changes the nature of their bond-perhaps it would be safe to call it 'love." - Jack Coulehan