The memory of who we are survives in those we love. In Conversations with My Mother, a Novel of Dementia on the Maine Coast, an elderly, good-hearted Francophone struggles with dementia as her small town succumbs to real-estate development. Focused on her relationship with her acerbic caregiver daughter and peripatetic businessman son, the novel examines the siblings' attempts to cope with their mother's deepening decline and the impending sale of the family property to underwrite her care. A first-person present narrative with a strong sense of place that draws parallels between the beleaguered heroine's persistent kindness and the embattled Maine coast's enduring beauty, the book is as much about gain as it is about loss, and, ultimately, is more about hope than regret. Winner, 2025 Gold Book Award, Fiction, Literary Titan Awards - Silver Medalist, Literary Fiction, 2025 North American Book Awards - Finalist, 2025 Hawthorne Prize, American Writing Awards - Finalist, General Fiction, 2025 International Book Awards - Finalist, Regional Fiction (Northeast), 2025 Indie Excellence Book Awards "Conversations with My Mother: A Novel of Dementia on the Maine Coast author Ronald-Stephane Gilbert mines his memories to stitch together an empathetic novel inspired by a beloved matriarch's struggle with dementia. "Told in chronological chapters that alternate between brief scenes and lengthy episodes and revolving around conversations between its characters, the first-person narrative opens with Rob Allaire and his 89-year-old French-Canadian mom, Yvette, outside a seafood restaurant in Maine, once his deceased father's favorite dinner spot; today, it's another painful reminder of Yvette's mortality and her husband's death. "Rob lives in Ohio with his wife and son; the distance seems even greater now that Yvette struggles with health problems that require Rob's sister, Diane, to be her live-in caretaker. Motivated by equal parts guilt and deep-rooted love, Rob prioritizes spending more time with Yvette before Yvette's sense of self is erased. "Yvette's battle with dementia is written as an unpredictable, taxing journey that slowly begins to fuse past and present, challenging her children's ideas about patience, forgiveness, and familial duty. Her transformation isn't sudden, which makes her lapses in memory even more frustrating and heartbreaking. As Yvette worsens, she becomes more childlike and fearful, mistaking vivid nightmares and dreams for real events. Throughout, Rob's perspective emphasizes Yvette's kind heart, which remains, and Rob tries to be a voice of hope and reason--a sharp contrast to his sister's responses to the daily stressors triggered by her domestic role. "Set against the backdrop of New England, this novel is grounded in lived realism. Gilbert doesn't sugarcoat the reality of cognitive decline caused by dementia. However, some readers may yearn for a literary experience that relies on immersive storytelling rather than the novel's conversation-heavy structure. By keeping a tight focus on dialogue revolving around Yvette, there's a missed opportunity to dig deeper into the sibling relationships and build Rob's characterization. Still, even those whose parents haven't suffered medical hardships will find much to contemplate in this emotionally nuanced depiction of a family forced to reckon with unthinkable circumstances." BlueInk Review, November 2024 This fictionalized account of the relationship between mother and son as the parent slowly succumbs to dementia is a deeply insightful and engaging work. It is thoughtful, touching, and entirely authentic. The author is a skilled and talented writer whose prose evokes breathtaking emotion in the reader. A truly unique novel from the first page to the last. BookLife by Publisher's Weekly, May 2023. Although an eloquently crafted work of fiction (all the more impressive when considering that it is author Ronald-Stephane Gilbert's debut as a novelist), "Conversations with My Mother: A Novel of Dementia on the Maine Coast" competently relates a 'real world' that is experienced by families with a beloved parent is struggling with dementia -- as are their adult children. An inherently fascinating and emotionally engaging read from start to finish, Conversations with My Mother: A Novel of Dementia on the Maine Coast is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community library Contemporary Family Life Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Conversations with My Mother" . . . is also readily available in a digital book format. Midwest Book Review and Small Press Bookwatch, February 2025. "Conversations with My Mother tells the tender and heartbreaking story of a son watching his mother fade into dementia. Set on the coast of Maine, the book unfolds through small, vivid vignettes that capture the everyday beauty and sorrow of a family coping with loss long