A Novel That Explores the Generosity of Love

Best-selling author Walter Mosley was interviewed by Wall Street Journal this week on his latest novel, “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey.” The novel explores the challenges of aging through its protagonist, 91-year old Ptolemy Grey, who lives alone in a cluttered Los Angeles apartment. Ptolemy suffers from dementia and is cared for by Robyn, a young family friend who faces her own struggles with finding balance in life while helping Ptolemy regain a sense of independence and dignity.

The story centers on an issue that has gained more relevance in the last few years, as Alzheimer’s and related dementias become more prevalent it is typically a family member on who the burden of care falls. The subject is particularly personal to Walter Mosley, as he too was tasked with caring for his mother who suffered from dementia.

Mosley explains that caring for his mother was difficult because she wanted remain in her L.A. home where she had lived in since the early 1960s, but his life and career were already established across the country in New York City. Like many children of Baby Boomer parents, Mosley was faced with the test of managing his mother’s care remotely. He was the only child in his family and since his father had passed 17 years prior, there was no one else to turn to. He hired caregivers through social-service agencies to help out with daily activities but was still committed to caring for his mother and with that, handling the difficulties that came along with it.  

Mosley remembers the increasing troubles he would have communicating with his mother as her condition progressed. He explains that she still understood facial expressions, but her understanding of language was almost gone. He incorporates this struggle for articulation in his book by attempting to describe the narrative inside Ptolemy’s mind.

“To see those moments when someone is trying to tell you something and they still can’t do it… That is a very human struggle… The most important thing is to remember the dignity of the person being taken care of. You have to listen to [your loved one] so closely, really listen to what they have to say and push yourself to try to understand,” explains Mosley.

He relates caring for an aging parent to the kind of love and care that a parent has for their child, it’s the love that matters most. That empathy is exactly what he tries to instill through his novel. With the help of Robyn, Ptolemy tries to overcome the isolation, confusion, and fear that surrounds him; attempting to move himself from despair and into the brightness of friendship and compassion. Mosley describes his story as a novel that explores the generosity of love, the influence of memory, and our human desire for connection.  

Read more about “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey” here: http://www.waltermosley.com/ptolemy-grey/

The full WSJ interview is at http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2011/01/19/q-a-walter-mosley-on-taking-care-of-your-parents/