Loose Connections - Softcover

The author presents a convincing scenario and is particularly good at conveying the anger and frustration carers of patients with Alzheimer's and dementia can feel.

Despite the distressing nature of the main theme the book is written with a light touch. ... A compelling and at times moving short novel.

The credible characters and the absorbing story line will hold the reader’s imagination right through.

A positive and realistic story, and one which would be excellent for introducing young people to the topic of dementia. It is also very relevant to the many young people in the position of being carers for older ones, and gives an insight into their lives.

A deeply touching story, Loose Connections gently explores how a young boy deals with his granny’s increasing confusion...How Jake sorts through the complications of his life is tenderly and thoughtfully explored.

Jake’s dad is away and his pregnant mum is in hospital, so his granny is looking after Jake - or so they think. But Gran has changed. She tends to be dazed or confused, fills Jake’s sandwiches with strange combinations of food, leaves the cooker on, and wanders down the road in her nightie in the middle of the night. Jake doesn’t want to worry his parents, so he tries to look after Gran himself. But help comes from a mysterious quarter, in the form of a strange, ghostly girl called Verity.

Birth, death, and the rites of passage in family life that connect them are beautifully portrayed through the eyes of a young teenage boy.