A diabetic woman awakens from a coma having forgotten the last ten years of her life. A Haitian immigrant has nightmares that begin bleeding into his waking hours. Noga Arikha began studying these patients and their confounding symptoms in order to explore how our physical experiences inform our identities. Soon after she initiated her work, the question took on unexpected urgency, as Arikhaâs own mother began to show signs of Alzheimerâs disease.
What The Reviewers Say
Claire Messud,
Harper's
... gripping.
Julian Baggini,
The Wall Street Journal
... the author’s mother becomes a recurring character in this extraordinary exploration of selfhood, which blends humane sensitivity with acute philosophical insight.