Book Review: "Switzy" by Emma Cline

“Disconcerting, this mental ice floe, populated only by David, floating off into the polar darkness. He was sometimes a figure standing on the shore, watching himself float away, and sometimes he was on the ice floe, losing sight of land.”

David, a retired businessman, is on a private plane to London. He sleeps a bit on the flight, but when he gets restless, playing solitaire on his phone soothes him. At times he feels a bit disoriented, but he finds his notebook inside his jacket pocket and it acts as a comfort.

His assistant, Cody, is ever-vigilant, seeing to David’s every need and making sure he rests during the flight. He reminds David of their itinerary—dinner with his daughter in London, visiting her home the next day to see his grandson, a quick trip to France where he will reunite with an estranged high school friend, and then to Zurich.

David is in the throes of Alzheimer’s disease. It is definitely taking its toll on his memories and his mind. One moment he is perfectly cognizant of where he is and why he’s there; the next moment, his mind travels at warp speed, shifting between different times in his life. The gaps between lucidity and confusion are getting shorter and shorter.

This is a powerful story, told in stream of consciousness so it mirrors David’s mind. As he loses his grip on reality, it became more and more difficult to follow, because the narrative kept meandering. If you’ve had someone in your life deal with dementia, you may find this book to be very triggering.