Touching, poignant, captivating. I found the book difficult to put down and identified so much with the author. A triumph - must read.

I'll be honest (when am I not?); I have no idea where to start with my review of 'My Mad Dad'. I'm not struggling with my words because I disliked the book, not at all. In fact I feel the complete opposite - I adored it. Move over Catwoman, Batwoman and whoever else Marvel have womanised, there's a new superhero in town, and she goes by the name of SuperRobynHollingworth!! I'm not even exaggerating. 'My Mad Dad' moved me to tears more than once. I would have done anything to give Robyn a big, big hug. Not to make her feel bad or anything, but the tears weren't dripping out of my eyes because of the type of sadness you feel when you stub your toe or you watch a video on Facebook with a dog in it, they were water falling out of my eyes because I was utterly heartbroken and it wasn't even me going through it.

When it comes to reviewing non-fiction/memoir type novels, I always say that I will review the book purely based on the content as non-fiction books can be written in a different manner to fictional novels. However, I am breaking my rule with this book as I thought the way Robyn told her story was incredible. Not only did she manage to convey her thoughts in a structured manner, ensuring that her readers aren't confused by any medical jargon throughout the book, but she also wrote it as though she was sitting with one person and talking to them face to face. There were no airs and graces, no pregnant pauses or fake emotion, Robyn seemed to keep it real.

'My Mad Dad' tells the story of Robyn's dads diagnosis with Alzheimer's and how that one word changed not only his life, but his family's as well. Whilst that topic is the main focus of this book, Robyn has also written about many other emotional events around the time of the diagnosis. I won't give anything away, but I wasn't prepared at all for my eyes were digesting. How one person can not only deal with caring for her father, but also come to terms with the permanent disappearance of something or someone else, is astounding. There were times throughout the book where Robyn admitted that this wasn't what she signed up for at the age of twenty five, whilst also making it clear that she found it incredibly difficult at times, yet she still did what she did out of love for her family. What caught me a lot was how Robyn didn't believe just how incredibly special she is, stating that a lot of other people's lives are worse than hers, or that people go through worse things than her. Of course, everyone thinks that when they're dealing with tough events because it becomes a barrier for what emotions we have left, yet if you look at the bigger picture on that thought, it's clear that we end up devaluing our own actions when in fact we have been to hell and back. That is what I thought about what Robyn said. Maybe it's because I am an outsider looking in at her past, seeing things that only someone who isn't directly involved in the situation can see, I don't know. What I do know is, is that Robyn went through utter hell, emotionally and physically, as she watched her beloved father disappear before her very eyes. Gone were his sarcastic one liners and high intelligence, instead being replaced by a man who was no longer sure of anything, even his own daughter.

I know that I have mentioned how Robyn went through hell, many times, but please don't think that I am disregarding her other family members who endured severe pain at the time too. I cannot even begin to imagine how her father felt as he watched himself fall into an uncertain state. Or how Robyn's mother felt when she ended up enduring her own fair share of heartache and devastation. Or even Robyn's brother, the only person at that time who knew what Robyn was thinking, without even saying anything, fighting his own grief yet still protecting his sister. I mean, just wow. 

'My Mad Dad' is a raw, poignant, emotional, inspirational, and relatable read which completely blew my mind in every direction. Even whilst writing scenes which would bring a stone to tears, Robyn was still able to find a piece of humour to hold onto. I sometimes felt bad that I was creased with laughter despite sobbing my heart out five minutes previous. Robyn has an incredible way of getting her message across as though it's the most natural thing in the world. Because it is. This is her message, this is her life and having seen the devastation first hand, this is natural to Robyn.


I cried like a baby in the foetus position, laughed like a hyena, and increased my knowledge a lot quicker reading this book than if I had consulted my best bud, Google. Personally, 'My Mad Dad' is a book which I think every single person on this planet should read, even if they haven't been directly affected by Alzheimer's.

I need to stop rabbiting on now as I feel like the waterfall is ready to get going again. I will leave you with this though; sometimes in life we find ourselves in a dark tunnel without any light to guide our way and, contrary to popular belief, it doesn't matter how long we stay in that tunnel or whether we get told that we 'should be out of it by now', as long as we manage to find the way at some point, we are winning at life without even realising it. And, Robyn Hollingworth is winning a life for having the courage to get her thoughts out on paper, even if they weren't all rainbows and sunbeams. She is an inspiration in every form possible, and this book is truly outstanding.

Heartbreaking, funny and truly wonderful. Such a personal story about a family dealing with dementia and how it affects each person differently. I can't reccomend this enough to friends

Great book charting a young girl's struggles to keep her family together and look after them, honest and brave writing

REVIEW
The topic of this book is one very close to my own heart and is one I have shed many tears over. Dementia is an awful disease that literally takes away your loved one and leaves you with an empty shell that looks like your loved one and sounds like your loved one but yet at the same time changes them beyond recognition.

The cover is basically like a page in a diary/notebook and it fits the book quite well. It also shows a figure in a purple coat/jacket which will make much more sense to you and will probably have you giggling when you come to a scene described in the book! I also love the ball of wool unraveling to go with the byline/sub-title of "The Diary Of An Unravelling Mind!"

The genre's listed for this book are Biographies, and Memoir which I totally agree with. After reading this book I would also add the genre "self help" I'll explain later in my review.

So this book is about the Coles' a family of four, mum, Marjorie a proud Scottish woman, her husband David who has dementia, and they live in rural Wales. David and Marjorie's now grown up son Gareth, and grown up daughter Robyn have long since left home with both of them having good careers and full social lives too. The book obviously reveals more about Robyn as she is the writer of it, but also features her brother Gareth. Though I would be interested to learn what her brother thinks of the book and how much, if any, input or restrictions he made/requested within the book.

At the very beginning of the book Robyn was successfully working as a fashion buyer/merchandise in London with some famous names and luxury brands. She was living in a flat in London and some would probably say living "the" life. Going out with friends at the weekend on a Friday evening and not sober up until at work on the Monday.

When Robyn and Gareth's father David's Alzheimer's becomes more apparent and is at a point their mother cannot cope alone, she has to tell her children. Robyn is also at a turning point in her life, having just had a relationship break up. Robyn leaves her flat, packs up her few belongings and heads "home" to rural South Wales. That is a big enough change in her lifestyle going from the hustling bustling London with lots of friends and social engagements to the much quieter, less busy, no job so less money and the shock you go through when you finally have to accept a loved one has a form of dementia. The available support which Robyn and her family access depends upon what is available in their area. With them living in a smaller community they do have some support from their community.

The book is written and presented in the style of a diary. It is from the personal diary that Robyn kept throughout the time she cared for her father David. . . I do love the conversational style of this book. there are no "airs and graces". Robyn tells it like it really is. This isn't someone preaching about how you should and shouldn't do things, Robyn is living the life with a loved one with dementia. Robyn comes across as someone who would be easy to talk to and have a laugh with. Sure some of the humour could possibly be called "gallows humour" but if you are caring for someone with dementia you will most likely understand it.

My immediate thoughts upon finishing the book were that it has been an emotionally difficult read for me, but have had tears of sadness, tears of laughter. This book has given me the feeling that I am not alone. It kind of gives you permission to be angry at dementia and suggests how to avoid correcting your loved one. The book also shows that it's alright to smile and nod and let your loved one stay in their fantasy world if that's where they are happiest.

This book has helped me feel not so alone with this medical condition. I don't want to rattle along about my connections with Alzheimer's but I found this book made me smile. In fact it may seem a funny thing to say but it gave me permission to laugh at somethings those with dementia do and say as well as kind of grieve for what you have already lost, by your loved one being changed due to dementia.

I loved this book, and devoured it in around 2 days. It's Such a beautiful read but also a very sad and emotional read.

Robyn left her home, life and friends to move back with her parents to help look after her father. This book is basically all of her diary entries during this time. A lot of funny stories of things her Dad went through, which are such lovely memories for Robyn and G (Robyns brother), and some sad very moments to break up the giggles.

You will smile, laugh and cry both tears of happiness and utter sadness. I would recommend this book to everyone.

Notwithstanding the lightness of touch throughout I found this a difficult read. It is about how 25 year old Robyn leaves her job and home in London to return to Wales to help her mother with her father's progressive Alzheimer's disease.

Robyn not only has to come to terms with her father's inexplicable behaviour and therefore the loss of the man she adores and the knowledge that he won't get better, but also the return to her childhood home which at times she feels is a regressive step. Then there is more bad news for her and her brother to cope with while juggling the care of their father...

I dislike the title of the book - Robyn's father may appear to be doing mad things as a result of his degenerative disease but he is not mad. I do hope the writing proved cathartic and also that it helps other children who are caring for their elderly and sick parents. Thanks to NetGalley and Trapeze for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This starts with an Introduction to the author and her family. It comes over as affectionate, humorous and very human. Here is a 25 year old who loves her father and moves from London to "small town" Wales to help her mother look after him. This book is about coming to terms with both the move and his Alzheimer's and the changes that life imposes on her. It feels as though, while the writing makes reading easy, the content will not be.

Robyn finds the transition challenging for a number of reasons. Those with experience of dementia and aging parents will nod their heads at many of the issues she tackles and remember. Everyone's journey of this nature will be different however there are likely to be commonalities. I found myself liking Robyn enormously. The matter of fact, colloquial narrative conceals the pain mostly if not always successfully. I was happy to be allowed to be part of her (& her family's) life for this important though rather brief time.

While it is about My Mad Dad, it is also about Robyn. She finds herself having to deal with things that any of us would prefer to avoid. The fact that there is humour here does not change to gut wrenching situations she finds herself in and all because she cares. It is a book I'd happily recommend to anyone with any interest in the subject matter. 4.5/5

In the end maybe I can put it like this - I'd be very happy and proud if Robyn had been my daughter.