From the critically acclaimed author of This Burns My Heart comes a “luminous mother-daughter saga” (Entertainment Weekly) about a young woman who is forced to flee 1980s Brazil for California, and in doing so unearths the hidden life of her enigmatic mother. Mara Alencar’s mother Ana is her moon, her sun, her stars. Ana, a struggling voice-over actress, is an admirably brave and recklessly impulsive woman who does everything in her power to care for her little girl in perilous 1980s Rio de Janeiro. With no other family or friends her own age, Ana eclipses Mara’s entire world. They take turns caring for each other—in ways big and small. But who is Ana, really? As she grows older, Mara slowly begins to piece together the many facets of Ana’s complicated life—a mother, a rebel, and always, an actress. When Ana becomes involved with a civilian rebel group attempting to undermine the city’s cruel Police Chief, their fragile arrangement begins to unravel. Mara is forced to flee the only home she’s ever known, for California, where she lives as an undocumented immigrant, caregiving for a dying woman. It’s here that she begins to grapple with her turbulent past and starts to uncover vital truths—about her mother, herself, and what it means to truly take care of someone. A “lovely and heartbreaking” (People) story that is “simultaneously dreamlike and visceral” (The Atlantic), The Caregiver is “a beautiful testament to Samuel Park’s extraordinary talents as a storyteller…that reads, in some moments, like a thriller—and, in others, like a meditation on what it means to be alive…A ferocious page-turner with deep wells of compassion for the struggles of the living—and the sins of the dead” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).

There are 65.7 million caregivers in America, making up 29 percent of the U.S. adult population. Where does the caregiver turn when dealing with their own need for encouragement and renewal?

An Amish man and woman, bearing responsibilities and trauma, find hope and love in New York Times bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray’s The Caregiver. Lucy is still coping with the grief of losing her husband when she learns that her cousin has breast cancer. As a caregiver, Lucy will not only be able to help manage her cousin’s illness, but find her own inner strength to carry on living. Then, while on board the train to Jacob’s Crossing, she meets fellow Amish traveler Calvin Weaver. A farmer, Calvin and his little sister are heading to the same destination as Lucy. As they get to know one another on their journey, the train stalls in Cleveland. The only Amish among the passengers, Lucy and Calvin must rely on each other and protect his sister. But both carry pain they are unable to contain in the stressful English world and mistrust comes between them. In Jacob’s Crossing, Lucy and Calvin absorb themselves in their familial obligations, but are unable to forget their brief time together. And it will take the grace of God to help them heal their hearts and reach for the happiness they can share. “Gray writes with honesty, tenderness, and depth. Her characters are admirable, richly-layered, and impossible to forget.” —New York Times bestselling author Jillian Hart Families of Honor The Caregiver The Protector The Survivor

"One of the greatest challenges of being a family caregiver is maintaining one's own physical and emotional health. This book, developed as part of the family caregiver education program, 'Powerful Tools for Caregivers,' is designed to provide caregivers with tools to increase self care and give them confidence in handling difficult situations, emotions, and decisions." -- from back cover.

Aaron and Stella Alterra had been married for more than sixty years when Aaron began to notice puzzling lapses in his wife's memory. Innocuous at first, they became more severe and more alarming. After a series of appointments and tests, the Alterras were informed that Stella was one of the more than 4.5 million Americans with Alzheimer's disease. Combining medical research on the disease and often-painful anecdotes of memory loss, deteriorating motor functions, personality shifts, support-group and daycare experiences, and drug trials, Alterra chronicles his transformation from husband to caregiver after his wife's diagnosis. More than a chronology of one family's experience of Alzheimer's disease, The Caregiver is an intelligent, beautifully reflective testimony to how family members turned caregivers become the ultimate advocates for their loved ones in the face of a disease with no cure.

The Caregiver is Caroline Johnson's first full-length publication. It includes 50 poems that were inspired by the 15 years she devoted to taking care of her aging parents. The gathering includes free verse, lyrical poems, prose poetry and some formal verse. Many of the poems won contests and have been previously published in online print journals and anthologies. The poems touch on the topic of grieving but go beyond and focus on the many difficulties a caregiver experiences—both emotional and physical—yet also recognize the spiritual gifts that come with helping a loved one. Caregiving is a significant issue for our times and will only become more important as our population ages.