Williams-Paisley - Where the light gets in: losing my mother only to find her again

Praise for

WHERE THE LIGHT GETS IN

Kimberly Williams-Paisley has written a book that is both heartbreaking and essential. I loved it for all the love it contained but also for the wealth of practical information. The Williams family went down a hard road with dementia, and we can all benefit from their experience.

ANN PATCHETT , NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF COMMONWEALTH

In Where the Light Gets In, Kimberly Williams-Paisley shares the brutal emotional toll that dementia takes on a family, bravely revealing the denial, the missteps, the losses, the grief. Thankfully, she also shares the lessonshow to get comfortable being uncomfortable, how to connect with her mother where she is, how to love unconditionally. Intimate, honest, and beautifully written, this book will be a tremendous resource for anyone affected by dementia.

LISA GENOVA , NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF STILL ALICE

The relationship between a mother and daughter is one of the most complicated and meaningful there is. Kimberly Williams-Paisley writes about her own with grace, truth, and beauty as she shares her journey back to her mother in the wake of a devastating illness.

BROOKE SHIELDS , NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THERE WAS A LITTLE GIRL

Kims story really resonated with me, as it will with countless others. Her beautiful, heartfelt book is an absolute must-read for mothers, daughters, and anyone dealing with a loved one living with dementia. It will also help to bring comfort to families facing any type of life-altering situation.

ROBIN ROBERTS , GOOD MORNING AMERICA

Where the Light Gets In is simply wonderfuland sadand brave. This book will bring comfort to families who are experiencing the complex and confusing journey of progressive dementia while still celebrating moments of true joy. Williams-Paisleys narrative and the resource section will help people know they are not alone.

ANGELA TIMASHENKA GEIGER , FORMER CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER , ALZHEIMER ' S ASSOCIATION

Where the Light Gets In left an indelible mark on my heart. The story of love and acceptance and the unbreakable bond of family, this book will be a comfort to so many families who are going through what Kims went through and will be a much-needed source of strength for all those who read it.

SHERYL CROW , MUSICIAN

Generous, human, and healing; thats what this book is. Kimberly Williams-Paisley has invited us into her life and her family so that we may know ourselves better. By sharing her story with such vulnerability and honesty, she makes it accessible to everyone, with or without a personal connection to dementia. Through it, I had the experience of seeing my own family differently, understanding my desire to love more, and connecting deeply to my own stories of illness, grief, compassion, empathy, and redemption.

CONNIE BRITTON , ACTRESS

Informative, relatable, and heartbreaking, Where the Light Gets In is a must-read for those who have a loved one struggling with dementia.

SETH MEYERS , HOST OF LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS

Kimberly Williams-Paisleys experience with her mothers dementia is very moving, and youll be touched by so much in this book. This topic needs national attention, and Where the Light Gets In helps bring focus to that need.

WILLIAM SHATNER , ACTOR

Heartbreaking but never sentimental, Williams-Paisleys book offers an intimate look at a familys struggle with a life-altering disease. It is also a daughters tribute to the mother whose disease offered her a new opportunity to love unconditionallyand practice being comfortable with[the] uncomfortable. A simply told, moving memoir.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

This book is a memoir, a true story based on my recollection of events in my life. Ive changed the names and identifying characteristics of some people to protect their privacy. Ive rearranged and/or compressed parts of the narrative, and re-created dialogue to match my own and others best memories (often complemented by diaries, emails, and family videos) of conversations from years past.

Copyright 2016, 2017 by Kimberly WilliamsPaisley

Foreword copyright 2016 by Michael J. Fox

Reading Group Guide copyright 2017 by Penguin Random House LLC

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Three Rivers Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of

Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

crownpublishing.com

Three Rivers Press and the Tugboat design are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

Originally published in hardcover in the United States by Crown Archetype, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York, in 2016.

Credits can be found on , which is an extension of the copyright page.

A portion of the authors proceeds has been donated to the Alzheimers Association.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Williams-Paisley, Kimberly, 1971 author.

Title: Where the light gets in : losing my mother only to find her again / Kimberly Williams-Paisley.

Description : First edition. | New York : Crown Archetype, [2016]

Identifiers: LCCN 2015036024 | ISBN 9781101902950 (hardback) |

ISBN 9781101902974 (tradepaper) | ISBN 9781101902967 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Williams-Paisley, Kimberly, 1971 | Aphasic personsBiography. | Mothers and daughtersBiography. | DementiaPatientsFamily relationships. | BISAC: BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Personal Memoirs. | HEALTH & FITNESS / Diseases / Alzheimers & Dementia. | BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Entertainment & Performing Arts.

Classification: LCC RC425 .W55 2016 | DDC 616.8/30092dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015036024

ISBN9781101902974

Ebook ISBN9781101902967

Cover photographs: Lara Porzak

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For my mom

Disease, by definition, alights on an individual. But the ripple effects of a diagnosis go far beyond a single life. Not just patients but families, too, become accustomed to frustration and fear as constant companions in the early days. Fantasies of escape take hold, as does the hope against hope that a mistake has been made. Even when some form of acceptance is gained, its tempting to take a diagnosis as confirmation of our darkest views of the world: proof that happiness is not to be trusted, that demise is the cosmic price we have to pay for living.

And yet, as I can attest from my own experience, when a family operates as a loving unit, it is capable of transmogrifying even the bleakest and most unwelcome of events. I dont pretend to know how it works; theres a magic to it. When the road is challenging, navigating the ups and downs together reveals abilities we never knew we had, and the strength to carry a weight we never expected. We flex new muscles and are surprised to discover they were there all along.