Say You'll Remember Me
By Abby Jimenez
Adult Fiction
Xavier Rush and Samantha Diaz have an undeniable and unexplainable connection when they meet. Their witty banter back and forth only solidifies their instant attraction; however, after one date, they realize it's going to be hard to navigate. Samantha is moving to California indefinitely to help her family care for her mother living with aggressive early onset dementia. Xavier can barely keep his head above water running his own veterinarian clinic but agrees to travel to Samantha to see if they can actually make their connection work. It turns into a long-distance relationship where both agree the bit of time they have together is worth the majority of time being apart. They decide to challenge the idea of quality versus quantity and spend time building a relationship through a screen having virtual movie dates and routine phone calls, knowing they could go as long as months without seeing one another in person.
As each month forges on, Samantha's mother's dementia continues to rattle her family. Mrs. Diaz reaches a point in her health decline where she can no longer feed herself, bathe independently, or sleep without someone present. Her around-the-clock care puts a strain on Samantha and her siblings' relationship to one another, trust in their father, and ultimately themselves as they decide what is best to do with Mrs. Diaz as her condition worsens.
While I did not agree with many of the choices Samantha and her family made when it came to best care for her mother, I kept an open mind. It's easy to pass judgement on a situation you've never experienced. It was heartbreaking, yet eye-opening, to see all the hardships families face when having a loved one suffer with dementia. The author is kind and compassionate with how she handles the difficulty of this aggressive illness and also provides a new perspective on how best care looks different for every family.
While there are some heavy topics at hand, the story maintains a fun and lighthearted spirit with newfound romance and learning to love someone for all their struggles.
Reviewed by Lea Schroeder
Butman-Fish Library
