AustLit

'When his mother is diagnosed with 'the caterpillar of dementia', George Huitker is forced to reassess both of their lives so that they can finally move forward as the illness eats away at their relationship. In an attempt to thread together his own recent and distant experiences, Huitker begins to reveal to his mother memories and matters close to his heart that he had previously kept from her. In doing so, he begins to draw together the fractured pieces of her own fading memory and slowly repair some of the damage done by dementia's appetite for the past. In the background, the lyrics of Huitker's favourite rock songs, including many from his beloved Automatic for the People by REM, serve as a soundtrack to the salient events that he unravels. In this raw, moving and tragicomic memoir, the award-winning author of Not Just Footy and How to Succeed Without Really Winning explores the need for compassion in the face of adversity and the indelible impression that adults can have in the shaping of little lives. And vice versa.' (Ginninderra Press website)