BooksEntertainment

Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey Review

Reviewed by Lynn Short

This book is unusual in that it is unlike anything I have previously read. The story is told by Maud, an elderly lady who is suffering from some form of dementia or memory loss. There is a short prologue where we have a brief glimpse of her friend Elizabeth and learn that Maud has found a powder compact in Elizabeth’s garden which takes her back to memories of some 70 years ago.

Initially the story is about Maud’s concern for her friend. She finds a post-it note with writing on it saying that Elizabeth is missing but realises that it is in her own handwriting. Maud lives alone; her daughter, Helen, visits daily and carers also go in every day. They leave post-it notes for her to try and help her to remember ordinary things such as her lunch in the fridge, and instructions not to buy peaches if she goes to the shop. She writes notes for herself to help her remember things but does not know when she wrote them or even what they mean. She keeps telling Helen about Elizabeth but Helen seems to dismiss her concerns. At first this made me feel quite cross with Helen but by the end of the book I could feel a great deal of sympathy with her as she had had to deal with this over some considerable time.

Maud is not really supposed to go out on her own, but she does and tries to discover what has happened to Elizabeth. She remembers how to get to Elizabeth’s house, but Elizabeth is not there. She visits the police station to voice her concerns but then cannot remember how to get home. We discover that she has frequently been to the police but doesn’t remember.

As the story progresses it becomes entwined with the mysterious disappearance of Maud’s sister Sukey shortly after World War II, and Maud relates with great clarity all that happened at that time and all the people involved including her parents, her sister’s new husband, the lodger and the mysterious “mad woman”. The narrative flits between the two mysteries, the memory of one being perfectly clear while the other is confused and muddled.

By the end of the book both mysteries are solved, but one wonders whether Maud actually understands what has happened.

We see in this story an elderly lady who is suffering memory loss, but not everyone understands that and some just consider her to be annoying. We see people who love her and are trying to care for her and keep her safe from harm. For anyone who has cared for a relative with dementia they will recognise and understand the situations in which Maud finds herself.

I enjoyed this book not only for the dual mystery aspect but also for the way the author has shown the effects of someone’s deteriorating mind. I feel it will appeal to those readers who love a mystery and also to those who are battling to care for someone with dementia.

Rating: 5/5

RRP: £7.99 (paperback)

Available to buy from Amazon here.

5Star

Show More
Back to top button