Roses in December: A Story of Love and Alzheimer's (Literature & Medicine) - Softcover

Tom Batiuk; Chuck Ayers

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1606352342 ISBN 13: 9781606352342

Publisher: The Kent State University Press, 2015

Synopsis

Since its debut in 1987, Crankshaft has engendered reader loyalty and affection with its wry wit, engaging storylines, and identifiable characters. Created by Tom Batiuk and drawn by Chuck Ayers, the strip offers plenty of humour but also tackles serious issues like adult literacy, school violence, and the challenges of aging.

Roses in December is a touching collection of two Crankshaft storylines of characters who find themselves dealing with the incurable condition of Alzheimer’s disease. First, Ed Crankshaft’s best friend Ralph is confronted with the trauma of his wife Helen’s worsening Alzheimer’s. He never knows if the love of his life will recognize him on those days that he visits her at Sunny Days Nursing Home. Ralph and Helen’s love story unfolds with humour and heartbreak.

In the second story arc, Crankshaft’s neighbour Lucy McKenzie also exhibits symptoms of Alzheimer’s and eventually is moved to Sunny Days Nursing Home by her sister Lillian. The fourteen year struggles of Lucy, Helen, and their loved ones are elegantly told, preserving their dignity and reminding us that sometimes a sense of humour can be our greatest possession during life’s trials.

Through the deceptively simple medium of the daily comic strip, Tom Batiuk and Chuck Ayers address the profound effects of Alzheimer’s disease in a thoughtful and occasionally humorous way. Roses in December includes a resource guide for caregivers, patients, and practitioners.

About this title

About the Author:

Tom Batiuk is a graduate of Kent State University, USA. His Funky Winkerbean and Crankshaft comic strips are carried in more than 600 newspapers worldwide and have an audience of more than 60 million readers. Written by Batiuk, Crankshaft was syndicated in 1987.

Chuck Ayers is a graduate of Kent State University, USA. Following graduation, he became the editorial cartoonist for the Akron Beacon Journal. He’s been the artist on Crankshaft since its inception.

Foreword author Peter V. Rabins, M.D., M.P.H., is an Alzheimer’s specialist with Johns Hopkins Medical Center and coauthor of the million-selling book The 36-Hour Day.

About this edition

• Publisher: The Kent State University Press
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1606352342
• ISBN 13: 9781606352342
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272