My mother and other secrets / Wendyl Nissen.

When Wendyl Nissen's mother was suffering with Alzheimer's, she told some extraordinary stories about her background that Wendyl had never heard before. Wendyl was determined to get to the bottom of these family secrets, and what she found were some wild and intriguing stories of loss, grief and love. She uncovered new relatives, deeply sad adoptions, harsh parenting, complex marriages and a few rogues. They were mostly stories of how women struggled in an era when childhoods were tough and women had to fight for every bit of independence they gained. This compelling and moving book is about mothers and daughters, ageing and the way deep family traumas echo down through the generations. Because these secrets and tales emerged through the effects of Alzheimer's, the book is also spliced with wisdom on caring for someone with dementia.