The Man He Used to Be: Dementia and My Mad Dad

I absolutely loved this book. What an emotional roller coaster from beginning to end. It is intelligently written, brutally honesty, deeply moving, darkly humorous and thought provoking. Its about Robyn's journey of going from cared to carer when her father is diagnosed with Alzheimer's and she leaves her successful career and life in London to return to rural Wales at only 25. The author Robyn takes us through all of her emotions from absolute love and compassion to frustration, exhaustion and grief. I felt honored that Robyn shared all of this with me, the reader Wonderful wonderful book. I couldn't put it down. I have just purchased the audio :)

If you haven't got this brilliant book packed in your summer holiday luggage, then there's something very wrong with you. I'm biased, partly because my family hail loudly from the Rhondda valley, and partly because I work closely with people living with dementia. My Mad Dad is such a personal journey, such an intimate and honest portrayal of a real life experience. You can imagine it, and she makes that effortlessly possible with her fine writing, her humour, her pain, but it's another thing to live it. So this is a book that will resonate for many and be an important guide for many more. Ultimately, it will make you laugh and cry - and that's worth five stars any day.

A wonderful book that is both heartbreaking and funny. I felt like I was walking in Robyn's shoes and this could be the life of myself or anyone I know. Having lost my own Mum very young I could relate to so much of Robyn's story. I found myself crying and laughing on more than one occasion! A sad and honest insight into the life of someone looking after a parent with Alzheimers while dealing with the devastating death of her mother, at points I was holding my breath and felt I was living through every moment. I recommend a large G&T and a box of tissues to accompany this book! A candid, comical and cruel account of a very personal journey. Highly recommend.

Absolutely incredible book, truly.Raw and blunt at times in a completely relatable way. One of the few books to completely captivated me as a reader in a long time.Parts of it felt like reading my own story. Parts of it gave some solace in the wave of emotions you feel in those situations, often feeling guilty for your natural reactions to things.Most importantly it was completely truthful and believable.Well done to the author, a must read for anyone in my opinion.

I have to declare an interest, having known Robyn for seven years, and about the sudden deaths of her parents in quick succession. This bitter-sweet memoir describes her return home as the 'cared for become the carers', and charts her father's descent into Alzheimer's in a moving and - at times hilarious - narrative. She has good eye for making the most of terrifying situations with a quip of her characteristic dry humour, and it works beautifully in this unfolding horror story. Bravo Robyn.