A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK • “[A] touching memoir . . . What makes the book so sympathetic is Cohen’s lack of self-pity and the straightforward tone. . . . [A] superb chronicle.”— People The Family on Beartown Road is Elizabeth Cohen’s true and moving portrait of love and courage. Elizabeth, a member of the “sandwich generation”—those caught in the middle, simultaneously caring for their children and for their aging parents—is the mother of baby Ava and the daughter of Daddy, and responsible for both. In this story full of everyday triumphs, first steps, and an elder’s confusion, Ava finds each new picture, each new word, each new song, something to learn greedily, joyfully. Daddy is a man in his twilight years, for whom time moves slowly and lessons are not learned but quietly, frustratingly forgotten. Elizabeth, a suddenly single mother with a career and a mortgage and a hamperful of laundry, finds her world spiraling out of control. Faced with mounting disasters, she chooses to confront life head-on, and to see the unique beauty in each and every moment. Imbued with an unquenchable spirit, The Family on Beartown Road takes us on a journey through the remarkable landscape that is family. Originally published as The House on Beartown Road A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK “Frank, funny...courageous.” — The New York Times Book Review “The adventure and peril of everyday living captured in language that’s light, beautiful, and razor-sharp.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “The book is poignant and sad, funny and real, and highlights what is universally nutty about living with other people.” —Melissa Fay Greene, author of The Temple Bombing and Praying for Sheetrock “[A] touching memoir...What makes the book so sympathetic is Cohen’s lack of self-pity and the straightforward tone....[A] superb chronicle.” — People A New York Time s Notable Book The Family on Beartown Road is Elizabeth Cohen s true and moving portrait of love and courage. Elizabeth, a member of the sandwich generation those caught in the middle, simultaneously caring for their children and for their aging parents is the mother of baby Ava and the daughter of Daddy, and responsible for both. In this story full of everyday triumphs, first steps, and an elder s confusion, Ava finds each new picture, each new word, each new song, something to learn greedily, joyfully. Daddy is a man in his twilight years, for whom time moves slowly and lessons are not learned but quietly, frustratingly forgotten. Elizabeth, a suddenly single mother with a career and a mortgage and a hamperful of laundry, finds her world spiraling out of control. Faced with mounting disasters, she chooses to confront life head-on, and to see the unique beauty in each and every moment. Imbued with an unquenchable spirit, The Family on Beartown Road takes us on a journey through the remarkable landscape that is family. A "New York Times Notable Book The Family on Beartown Road is Elizabeth Cohen's true and moving portrait of love and courage. Elizabeth, a member of the "sandwich generation"--those caught in the middle, simultaneously caring for their children and for their aging parents--is the mother of baby Ava and the daughter of Daddy, and responsible for both. In this story full of everyday triumphs, first steps, and an elder's confusion, Ava finds each new picture, each new word, each new song, something to learn greedily, joyfully. Daddy is a man in his twilight years, for whom time moves slowly and lessons are not learned but quietly, frustratingly forgotten. Elizabeth, a suddenly single mother with a career and a mortgage and a hamperful of laundry, finds her world spiraling out of control. Faced with mounting disasters, she chooses to confront life head-on, and to see the unique beauty in each and every moment. Imbued with an unquenchable spirit, The Family on Beartown Road takes us on a journey through the remarkable landscape that is family. Elizabeth Cohen  is a reporter and columnist with the  Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin . She has written for  The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Family Circle, Parenting, The New York Times Magazine, Newsweek,  and other publications. With Lori Alvord, she is the author of  The Scalpel and the Silver Bear.  Elizabeth and her family live in Port Crane, New York. chapter 1 Dream Detection Sometimes at night I lie awake for hours beside my baby daughter, Ava, cupping her head in my hand. Maybe I am imagining, but sometimes I swear I can feel it: I can feel her dreaming. The sensation upon my fingers is less than a vibration but more than stillness. A something-in-between-nothing-and-something, vague but true. I imagine I can feel my daughter’s mind becoming. Touching her head in this way comes naturally to me, an instinctual rather than a conscious act. I do it because I am afraid of our circumstances as winter approaches. And because I understand now how delicate a mind is, the many