Idaho
Author: Emily Ruskovich
Publisher: Gale Group
Date of Publication: November 7, 2017
Pages: 336
I am honestly not completely sure how I feel about this book. I read it because it was nominated for the Best First Novel by an American Author Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America (it eventually lost that honor to She Rides Shotgun by Jordan Harper). Also, one of the main characters suffers from hereditary pre-senile dementia. My mother died of complications of Alzheimer's disease, so memory loss and literary depictions of it interest me. Then, reading little bits of this I realized that Emily Ruskovich is a very talented writer and her lyrical writing style drew me in. So, it was with great anticipation that I began reading Idaho.
For starters, the writing does not disappoint. The author maintains a very high level of interesting and eloquent descriptions, especially of the harsh life in the Montana mountains. Her characters are complex and intriguing, even mysterious at times. The main two characters, Wade (who spirals downward with dementia) and his second wife Ann, are unforgettable. The author deftly reveals tragedy after tragedy in each of their lives. It is obvious early on that something horrible happened between Wade and his first wife Jenny. The central theme is Ann trying to decipher exactly what happened and how. The cause of death of one of Wade and Jenny's daughters and the disappearance of the other are the central mysteries of Idaho.
The book succeeds magnificently in its depiction of dementia, not only in how the sufferer feels and copes but in how the disease devastates the lives of those who care about them. The angst Wade feels as he realizes he is losing his grip on reality and the terror Ann experiences as Wade becomes violent and dangerous are gripping.
My only gripe about Idaho, but it is a major one, is that there is a very open ending to the story. Maybe the author is leaving room for a sequel or maybe she wants us to use our own imagination to finish the story. I was a bit angry at the end that there were so many loose ends. But maybe that's just me. This book is very valuable in its depiction of a desperate dementia patient and the devastating impact on his family and community. For those who have not lived with this first-hand, Idaho gives very empathetic insights into what is becoming a very common crisis.
My only gripe about Idaho, but it is a major one, is that there is a very open ending to the story. Maybe the author is leaving room for a sequel or maybe she wants us to use our own imagination to finish the story. I was a bit angry at the end that there were so many loose ends. But maybe that's just me. This book is very valuable in its depiction of a desperate dementia patient and the devastating impact on his family and community. For those who have not lived with this first-hand, Idaho gives very empathetic insights into what is becoming a very common crisis.
