Book Review

The Reluctant Carer: A brave, honest account of the bleak reality of caring for parents

This anonymously-penned memoir, which began life as a regular feature in the Guardian, provides genuine insight into the trials and tribulations of unpaid care

Through the grief, terror and inelegance of later life, it is the family bond that’s most impressive in this remarkable work. Picture: Getty

Back in 2019, The Guardian published an anonymous piece with the heading: “Dad has had more comebacks than Elvis: Confessions of a Reluctant Carer.” It was a wry and honest look at the life of a man caring for his elderly parents, aged 87 and 89, detailing the dark mode of acceptance that many of us switch into when faced with such circumstances.

That writer, still anonymous, has now published a memoir called The Reluctant ...