Where the Light Gets In

Losing My Mother Only to Find Her Again

By: Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Michael J. Fox - foreword

Narrated by: Kimberly Williams-Paisley

Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

Many know Kimberly Williams-Paisley as the bride in the popular Steve Martin remakes of the Father of the Bride movies, the calculating Peggy Kenter on Nashville, or the wife of country megastar Brad Paisley. But in 2014, Williams-Paisley revealed a tragic secret: Her mother had been diagnosed with a rare form of dementia called primary progressive aphasia at the age of 61.

In Where the Light Gets In, Williams-Paisley tells the full story of her mother's illness, from diagnosis through the present day, drawing on her memories of her relationship with the fascinating, complicated, and successful woman who raised her so well. She describes educating herself on her mother's condition, letting go of the shame and secrecy that surrounded it, and finding unexpected humor and grace in a terrible situation. Her book also chronicles the ways in which her family's bond was strengthened by the experience, to becoming an awareness advocate, to accepting the woman her mother has become. It is a heartrending and inspiring reminder of how unbreakable our relationships with our mothers are.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2016 Kimberly Williams-Paisley (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Bravo!!!!!

Loved it!! Kim was a wonderful reader. I thank her for sharing. I am going to recommend this to my best friend who is going through the thing. Thank you.

Abrupt Ending?

Loved this book, but didn't want it to end especially so abruptly! It felt like it literally just stopped in the middle of a sentence.

Really great book

Loved the book. I had a hard time stopping to get anything else done :). What a powerful story of dealing with dementia. It was also fun to hear some of Kim's life story. I love how down to earth she is. It was a huge bonus to have her read the book. It made it even easier to relate to her. A quick, awesome read. Well worth it.

smiles and tears

I loved this book and openness to share your story. My prayers are with you and your family.

Heartwrenching & encouraging

As a pastor, I have seen a number of ppl walk through this agonizing journey with a family member. Ms Williams-Paisley captures the nuances of the struggle with an honesty that will help those going through it to know they're not alone, or terrible ppl. But she also is able to see how the experience has been transformative and comes to a hard-won peace.

Great life shearing

Loved this in every way. The reading was so fluid and it always felt like we were in the same room. I’ve worked in hospice and It was heartwarming to hear and feel the story of a family member of such a robbing disease. Thank you for your story.

Let some light in

I appreciated listening to this book. I wish I’d found it before my mother’s passing…about 6 weeks ago now. It shed light and imparted understanding and also some very needed laughter. It does help even after mom’s death- reliving some moments with renewed hope that I did the right thing or made her happy in some little gestures. It makes me appreciate the “old mom” even more and I will forever look for the gold paper clips. Thank you Kim

Touching and honest

This book is fantastic. I'm a speech-language pathologist who works specifically with people who have aphasia and PPA. While I have learned a lot about PPA, I haven't had the opportunity to hear about the honest effect PPA has on a family throughout the progression of the disease. Thank you Kimberly Williams-Paisley for your honesty, courage, and willingness to talk about PPA. I will recommend this book to anyone, especially family members of those with PPA.

Reality of Dementia

A personal look inside the journey of a family with dementia. Each experience is as different as the families who journey.
Thank you for your vulnerability and devotion.

beautiful and bittersweet

I am so thankful that the author was willing to be honest and vulnerable about such a painful experience and all that her family went through during that time. It was insightful and educational, candid and compassionate. It will be a great resource for those struggling with similar situations and reading it can help the healing process to begin. I'm glad the author read it herself; it fleshed out the story in a way only she could have done. Bittersweet, but lovely. Achingly sad, but filled with hope and love. Thanks for writing this book, Mrs. Williams-Paisley. I'll definitely be reading it again.