Susan Straley began keeping a journal as a way to keep friends and family informed the three-month trip she and her husband George took around the USA in 2016. Her journal became her first book,  Trippin’ With George: Diagnosis to Discovery in 10,000 miles, and I was pleased to receive a copy of the second book, The Journey Continues: Alzheimer’s Trippin’ With George from Books Go Social. And NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.

The second book’s cover subtitle adds “Over the bumps with friends, family and community support,” which sums it up nicely. Susan was initially encouraged to reveal information about George’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, symptoms, progression of the disease, and how she was doing as a caregiver, along with the story of the travel. During that trip, she “shed the strong urge to run away from the care-giving role she has been given when George was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.” That is something that resonated with me, and I expect with many family members and friends of Alzheimer’s patients. .

My husband’s sister has recently been diagnosed with sudden onset Alzheimer’s and I plan to recommend this book to every member of his family. Susan’s friends, who encouraged her to continue to write, should know how grateful many people are for her writings. As she put it, “It will be so helpful to others who have loved ones with dementia,” they said. And wow, were they right. Five stars. It isn’t “great literature,” but it is full of valuable information, heartfelt emotion, and it really helped give me a boost when I needed it.