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A funny, moving memoir about uncovering old family secrets and how that leads Wendyl to a better understanding of her mother. When Wendyl Nissen’s mother was suffering with Alzheimer’s, she told some extraordinary stories about her background that Wendyl had never heard before. Determined to get to the bottom of the buried truth, Wendyl’s journalistic love for uncovering secrets took over and she unearthed some wild and intriguing stories of loss, grief and love. As Wendyl says, ‘my parents were born to a generation that kept secrets. Big secrets for a long time, and usually they took them to their graves.’ She uncovered new relatives, deeply sad adoptions, harsh parenting, complex marriages and a few rogues. These stories often highlighted how tough life was for women and children in an era when women had to fight for every bit of independence they gained.

This compelling, moving book is about mothers and daughters, ageing and the way deep family traumas echo down through the generations. It is also spliced with wisdom and practical advice for any one caring for a loved one with dementia.