LETTERS TO A. - IS THIS A WORLD FOR OLD PEOPLE?
An uninvited tenant turns a family's life upside down. Alzheimer's moves into the home of Anielka, her sister, parents and grandmother. It is he who makes the grandmother forgetful, confuses names, does not recognise the household members and cannot cope with everyday activities. Anielka does not like Mr A., as she calls him. She writes him letters and urges him to move away from her grandmother. Then everything will be fine. Grandma will recover. Are you sure she will? A unique, moving, warm and full of humour underlined with melancholy book by Anna Sakowicz about a family's struggle with an incurable illness. It confronts the questions of how to cope with helplessness, passing, illness and old age. And old age seems to be a taboo subject - our society denies it and runs away from it. We glorify eternal youth and vitality. The author is not afraid to broach the subject of passing away and old age, because she knows how many families struggle with them. Parents find it especially difficult to explain to their children what happens to their beloved grandparents when chaos ensues instead of the familiar order. Why they are unrecognisable, why they lose their orientation, don't recognise anyone or confuse the purpose of objects.
The content of the book is universal - it tells the story of Alzheimer's disease, and the theme of old age, of passing away sooner or later, will happen to each of us. The unique perspective of a child appeals to everyone, because when confronted with the immense problem that is an incurable disease, we all become helpless like children. The world seen through the eyes of a child was created together with the author by Ewa Beniak-Haremska. Her magical, retro pictures show lost or damaged objects, the helplessness of grandma, but also happy moments with grandparents when grandma was still healthy. As the illustrator puts it: "The character fights for her grandmother's health. Not only by writing, but also by using her passion for shared activities and strengthening the bond."
"Even an adult doesn't understand losing words, losing one's own biography, not recognising loved ones, closing in on oneself so tightly that any contact seems impossible. So how could an Alzheimer's disease be understood by a child? And if a child doesn't understand, she asks. The protagonist of Anna Sakowicz's story writes letters to Mr A., whom she constantly hears about. She writes because she comes to the conclusion that it is Mr Alzheimer's that is taking her grandmother away.
An important, poignant, though not without humour, beautifully illustrated book about passing away and loss as seen by a child. The author had to find it in herself to understand what was happening to her mother. While reading, I thought of my grandmother Agnes, who stayed in Mr A's world for a long, long time. A wise, necessary book."
Remigiusz Grzela, writer, playwright