Welcome to the final Vox Populi for a busy Term Two! This week, we invite Mabel Lee (Year 12) to delicately guide us through the unforgettable 'Still Alice'.

What if you were to lose every memory you had…

I can proudly say that I don’t really cry after reading most emotional books but 'Still Alice' truly slays.

We often say to look forward to the future, live the present and let go of our pasts. But when we actually forget our pasts, are we still who we are meant to be? After 25 years of work at Harvard, Dr Alice Howland realises something is going horribly wrong. She starts forgetting words, missing appointments and getting lost in familiar places.

She is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s.

Lisa Genova used her profession as a Harvard University-educated neuroscientist as an advantage to create this heartbreakingly real story about Alice. Although the story was written in a third-person narrative, it accurately describes what it feels like to be an Alzheimer's patient. “I’m losing my yesterdays.” “What the hell is wrong with me?” “She’d rather die than lose her mind.” Genova’s unsentimental style of writing makes Alice’s descent into oblivion all the more desperate and tragic. However, as sad as Alice’s journey may seem, Genova uses the people around her - especially her family - to reveal more heartwarming ideas like love, endurance and acceptance throughout the story.

As a family member of a dementia patient, I deeply resonated with many parts of the book. There are many occasions in the story that reminded me of how blessed I am to be living and remembering. Although the story revolves a lot around forgetfulness, 'Still Alice' is a story you will never forget.