The Dementia Life Bookshelf
A Note From Our Founder
When Mum was diagnosed, I didn't know where to start. I didn't know what to read, who to listen to, or which books were worth my time. We have tried to curate a list for you here, some I picked up and couldn't put down. Others were recommended by families in our community, by professionals I trust, or by people who've walked this road themselves.
I want to be honest: I haven't read every book on this page cover to cover. But every title here has been chosen for a reason — whether that's because I've read it and it stayed with me, because it's consistently recommended by the people I trust most, or because it fills a gap that I think matters. We've tried to keep the selection grounded in real-life family experiences, first-person perspectives, and practical support. We have also made a point to steer clear of titles that make controversial or unsubstantiated claims about dementia. Some of the books recommended here are bestsellers. Some are quieter. Some are practical. Some will make you cry. A few might make you laugh. But all of them offer a perspective that I think is worth hearing.
This isn't a definitive list, and it will grow over time. If there's a book that helped your family and you think it belongs here, I'd love to hear about it. Please fill in our contact form at the bottom of the page to recommend a book to us.
Supporting Independent Bookshops
Dementia Life has partnered with Bookshop.org to bring you the titles on this page. Bookshop.org is an online bookshop that supports independent, high-street bookshops across the UK. Every purchase made through our links generates a commission for Dementia Life, which goes directly towards funding our work — our community groups, our research, and our mission to change how families experience a dementia diagnosis. But it also supports independent bookshops, because Bookshop.org shares its profits with local, independent retailers. So when you buy a book through this page, you're supporting two things at once: Dementia Life and the independent bookshops that keep our high streets alive. We think that's a partnership worth shouting about.
Somebody I Used to Know
This is where most people will start with Wendy Mitchell, and with good reason. Diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer's at 58, Wendy wrote about what it actually felt like — not from the outside, not from the clinical side, but from the inside. What it's like to forget the faces of your daughters. What it's like to wake up and not know where you are. For families dealing with a diagnosis — especially a young-onset diagnosis — this is one of the most important books you can read. Not because it gives you answers, but because it gives you a perspective that most of us will never have.
What I Wish People Knew About Dementia
If Somebody I Used to Know is Wendy's story, this is her guide. Written for the people around the person with dementia — the family, the friends, the colleagues who don't know what to say or what to do — it covers everything from communication to daily routines to the things people get wrong without realising. It's practical, it's honest, and it doesn't talk down to you. If someone you love has been diagnosed and you don't know where to start, start here.
One Last Thing - How to live with the end in mind
Wendy Mitchell's final book is about dying. I want to be upfront about that, because it matters. Written before her death in February 2024, this is Wendy's account of how she thought about the end of her life — assisted dying, control, choice, and what it means to leave on your own terms. It's not a comfortable read. But if you're a family navigating the later stages of dementia and finding yourself asking questions that nobody seems to want to talk about, this book does what Wendy always did: she says the thing out loud.
Elizabeth is Missing
A novel, and one of the few works of fiction that gets dementia right. Maud is elderly, her memory is failing, and she's convinced her friend Elizabeth is missing. Nobody takes her seriously. The book pulls you into Maud's perspective — the frustration, the confusion, the moments of clarity that come too late for anyone else to notice. It's a thriller, technically, but what makes it powerful is how accurately it captures the experience of not being believed. If you've ever watched a loved one try to communicate something they can't quite hold onto, this book will stay with you.
In Pursuit of Memory
If you want to understand the science behind dementia without needing a medical degree to do it, this is where to go. Joseph Jebelli is a neuroscientist, but the book is personal — his grandfather had Alzheimer's, and that's the thread that runs through it. He covers the history of the disease, the science of what happens in the brain, and where the research is heading. It's accessible without being dumbed down, and it's one of the best books for families who want to understand what's actually going on — not just the symptoms, but the why.
The Dementia Caregiver
A practical guide from a geriatric psychiatrist (US Based) who has spent decades working with people with dementia and their families. What sets this apart from a lot of caregiving books is that it doesn't treat caregiving as a single experience — it recognises that what you need in the early stages is completely different from what you need later on. It covers behaviour changes, communication, self-care, and the emotional toll in a way that feels grounded rather than clinical. If you're in the thick of caregiving and need something that speaks to where you are right now, this is a solid place to turn.
Learning To Speak Alzheimer's
First published in 2003, so some of the references feel their age, but the core of this book is still relevant: how to communicate with someone whose language and understanding are changing. Koenig Coste developed what she calls a "habilitation" approach — meeting the person where they are, rather than trying to pull them back to where you think they should be. If you're finding conversations harder and you're not sure why what you're saying isn't landing the way it used to, this book will help you understand what's shifted and how to adapt.
A Pocket Guide to Understanding Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias, Second Edition
A short, clear, no-nonsense introduction to the different types of dementia, how they're diagnosed, and what the main treatments and support options look like. This isn't a book you sit down and read cover to cover — it's a reference you keep on the shelf and go back to when you need a straight answer to a specific question. If you're early in a diagnosis and the amount of information feels overwhelming, this is a good place to get your bearings without being buried in jargon.
Where Memories Go
Sally Magnusson wrote this book about her mother, Mamie, who had Alzheimer's. It's a family memoir — warm, detailed, and unflinching about what the disease takes away. But it's also about what remains. Magnusson is a journalist and broadcaster, and the writing is sharp and clear. What makes it land for me is how specific it is: the particular moments, the small changes, the things you notice that nobody else does. If you're looking for a book that captures what it's actually like to watch a parent change, this is one of the most honest accounts I've come across.
Dancing With Dementia
Christine Bryden was diagnosed with dementia at 46. This book is her account of what came after — not just the medical reality, but the identity crisis, the fight to be taken seriously, the determination to keep living a full life. She challenges the assumption that a diagnosis means the end of meaningful experience. For families dealing with young-onset dementia, her perspective is particularly valuable — she writes as someone who refused to be defined by her diagnosis, and who had a lot of living left to do.
Still Alice
A novel about a Harvard professor diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's at 50. It was made into a film starring Julianne Moore, and if you've seen the film, the book is still worth reading — it goes deeper into Alice's internal experience in a way the screen can't quite reach. What Genova does well is show the gap between how someone appears from the outside and what's happening on the inside. It's fiction, but it's rooted in real neuroscience, and it's one of the books that changed how a lot of people think about dementia. A good starting point for anyone who wants to understand the emotional reality of a diagnosis.
Keeper: A Book About Memory, Identity, Isolation, Wordsworth and Cake
This won the Orwell Prize, and you'll understand why within the first few chapters. Gillies moved her family to a remote house in the Scottish Highlands to care for her mother-in-law, Nancy, who had Alzheimer's. The book is an unflinching account of what followed — the exhaustion, the resentment, the guilt about the resentment, the slow erosion of your own identity when caregiving takes over everything. It's not an easy read. Gillies doesn't pretend that caregiving is noble or redemptive — she writes about it as it actually is, which is sometimes brutal. But that's exactly why it matters. If you're deep in caregiving and you feel like you're losing yourself in the process, this book won't fix that, but it will tell you that you're not the only one.
My Family: The Memoir
David Baddiel's account of his father's dementia is unlike anything else on this list. It's funny — properly, uncomfortably funny — and it's raw in a way that most dementia books aren't willing to be. Baddiel doesn't smooth the edges. He writes about the embarrassing moments, the inappropriate behaviour, the things his dad says and does that are shocking and heart-breaking in equal measure. And he does it without ever losing sight of the person his father was before. If you've ever felt guilty for laughing at something your loved one has done, or felt like the version of caregiving you're experiencing doesn't match the dignified narrative you see everywhere else, this book will make you feel less alone. It's honest in a way that I think matters.
The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People with Alzheimer Disease, Other Dementias, and Memory Loss
If you only buy one practical caregiving book, make it this one. First published in 1981 and now in its seventh edition, it's the book that most dementia professionals will point you towards — and for good reason. It covers everything: daily care, behaviour changes, medical decisions, legal and financial planning, managing your own stress, and navigating the care system. The title comes from the idea that caring for someone with dementia can feel like a 36-hour day, and if you're living that reality, you'll recognise it immediately. It's comprehensive without being overwhelming, and it's written with a respect for families that never feels patronising. The kind of book you'll keep going back to as things change.
Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams
This one might seem like an odd inclusion on a dementia bookshelf. It's not a dementia book. It's a book about sleep — what it does, why we need it, and what happens when we don't get enough of it. But the reason it's here is because of what Matthew Walker explains about the link between sleep and brain health, including the role sleep plays in clearing the proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease. I wrote about this on the Dementia Life blog after reading it, because it made me think about Mum — her years of night shifts, the broken sleep that comes with caregiving, the things none of us think about until it's too late. It won't tell you how to manage a diagnosis. But it might change how you think about looking after yourself while you're looking after someone else. And for carers, that matters more than most people realise.
All prices shown on this page are sourced from Bookshop.org and were correct at the time of writing. Dementia Life does not control pricing or stock availability — both are managed by Bookshop.org and may change without notice. We'll do our best to keep this page updated, but if you spot a price that's changed or a title that's out of stock, please bear with us.
Recommend a Book To Us
If you've found a book particularly useful or helpful in your own dementia journey with a loved one we'd love to hear about it. Fill in the form below and we'll look into adding it to our list.
Support Our Community
