Every Waking Moment by Chris Fabry

Title: Every Waking Moment

Author: Chris Fabry

Pages: 376

Year: 2013

Publisher: Tyndale House

Note: I received a free copy of this book through a Goodreads, First Reads giveaway in exchange for my honest opinion.

     Treha Langsam is a mysterious young woman who has fallen through the cracks, much like many of the elderly people she works with at Desert Gardens. But Miriam Howard, director of the assisted-living facility, sees her extraordinary gift and untapped potential. Treha is a whisperer of sorts, calling those who have slipped into dementia back to a life of vibrant, if only temporary, clarity.

     When a documentary team stumbles onto Treha’s story, her gift is discovered and the search for answers about her past begins. As the truth slowly unravels, Treha and those around her must each tackle a difficult question: if this is as good as life gets, is that enough?

     The elderly characters are very believable and well-written. I had a little trouble understanding the character of Treha. I believe that it is just because she is an unusual character and I’ve never known anyone like her, not a problem with the writing. The development of the story seems to be a little slow at the beginning. By the time I finished I realized that it is just because the author took time to do an in-depth development.

     I did struggle with the inserted sections that were script-like for the documentary crew. This felt very uneven and it seemed to distract me from the story. This is the problem that kept me from giving this book the full 5 stars. I give it 4 stars.

     I do recommend reading this book. It takes a good look at what life has become for many elderly people, as well as others who are different from most people.