Someone has said, "It's easy to write. You just sit down at the keyboard and open a vein." Mrs. Simpkins opens a vein and her heart in "The Long Good Night." At the core of this heart the reader will re-discover a need and a secret. The need is love and the secret in love's definition. Absent of pride and praise, Simpkins simply tells the truth regarding her father's Alzheimer's and the telling demonstrates 1 Cor. 13 in action. The episode,indeed,is a long journey, a journey of pain and frustration. It is also a memoir of love, loyalty and laughter. So, take this journey with Ms Simpkins. Cross some narrow bridges. Pass through a tunnel or two. Encounter more than one detour. When "The Long Good Night" is over, bask in the Son shining through. There could be no better refreshment or reward.

A must read..... I couldn't put it down.... I laughed, I cried then laughed some more! Ms. Simpkins at her best!

Ms. Simpkins has a real talant for storytelling and keeps the reader engaged throughout this journey. If you have a friend going through the struggles of dealing with Alzheimers, this book will give you a window into their new world, the good the bad and the ugly. If you have not experienced, it but know friends that have, you know how helpless you feel watching them in this new world, and you will be able to let them know that you are thinking about them and praying for them and above all -- you "get it."

This book is a heartwarming story which spotlights the struggles of a family hit with the difficulty of alzheimers. Ms. Simpkins is able to engage the reader in laughter at the awkward moments the disease inevitably brings to life expereinces but she also enables us to feel the pain of her father's slipping away into another, unfaamiliar world. This is a must read for anyone whose home has been touched by this disease.