Magnificent Midlife

Carolyn Birrell is the author of Walking with Fay, a moving book about her mother’s uncharted path into dementia. Carolyn’s writing began as a way to help her make sense of what was happening and quickly turned into the book she herself had needed, to provide relatable caregiving help. It’s a beautiful, empowering book and I really loved it. We talk about: - What led Carolyn to write such a personal and difficult book - Why it took so long to realize how bad things had got with her mother - The process of learning her mother had dementia and the early signs - Working out what level of interference in her mother’s affairs was appropriate - Coming to terms with realizing more help with caregiving was required - The kind of support that was needed and how Carolyn found that both for her mother and herself - Coping with a lack of recognition from her mother - The impact of the global pandemic on her mother’s care - What readers can expect from the book - Carolyn’s advice for people who fear they are starting