Morningside Heights really snuck up on me in the best way. It’s a quiet story but so full of emotion and depth. The characters felt incredibly real, and their relationships were layered and honest. I loved how it explored love, aging, and identity with such care. It’s the kind of book that makes you pause and reflect. I’m really glad I read it.

This is an emotional story about early onset dementia with an evaluation of how this is handled. This is a story about resilience and love when not expected. This will pull at your heartstrings in the best possible way. Definitely recommend.
#MorningsideHeights #NetGalley #KnopfDoubledayPublishingGroupPantheon

It took me several times of beginning this book to actually finish it. I realize now, that it wasn’t that the book wasn’t great, but more the quality (the worst I’ve encountered) of the Advanced Readers Copy I received. It was missing many sentences, ends of sentences and random word placement. I made it difficult to follow in many cases, there were so many incomplete thoughts. Reading this book was extremely frustrating. I should have just bought a copy. That being said, I ultimately really enjoyed the book.

Spence and Pru were wonderful characters. I felt like I knew both of them and understood who they were professionally and as a married couple. Pru was a student and Spence was her handsome college professor. He is a perfectionist, and a little quirky. They fall in love, marry and have a beautiful daughter. Spence also has a son, Arlo from his previous marriage. Arlo’s biological mother is unstable, undependable and is possibly bipolar. She raises Arlo in a variety of unhealthy living situations. Spence tries to do what’s right by Arlo but it’s often made difficult by both Arlo and his mom.

As Spence begins his decline following his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, his caretaking challenges mount. He needs round the clock care. The story dives into the daily lives of Spence and Pru before and after his diagnosis. It’s a sad but a very relatable story. I’m really glad I finally finished it.

I couldn't get through this title. It ended up not being for me, but I hope it finds a hope with other readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thirty years ago, she found her happily ever after. Today, her identity as one half of a happy couple living their dream life has morphed into the reality of being her husband's caretaker as Alzheimers claims the man she knew a little more each day. The daily problems they faced together have now become a daily nightmare as she struggles with a bleak future. She begins to regret the decisions she made so many years ago and sees herself through the eyes of others, including a man that still sees HER, not her surrounding.

This story is played out all too often in today's longer life expectancies. Health issues can quickly take a partner and turn them into a responsibility. Joshua Henkin has done an excellent job of protrying one family's journey into a place where tomorrow is not guaranteed.

An extremely sad look at early on-set alzheimers, this story is set around Columbia and certainly a fun read if you are familiar with the campus. Otherwise, it's pretty depressing and no new territory.

Well written, thoughtful, and bittersweet. It felt like a normal story about relationships, and families, but the story was compelling and realistic. Enjoyed a lot!

This is one of the books that once you start, you can never put it back down. I love how fast-pace the story is and how it's definitely a page turner.

I wanted to like this story because the topic is close to my heart, someone dealing with Alzheimers, but the story is joy told linearly and jumps around too much for my taste. The emotions it portrays of the ups and downs of dealing with this disease are important to include, but I wasn’t able to enjoy the story as much because of the unsettled feeling of the timeline jumping.

I really enjoyed this quiet and contemplative story with a lot of heart and emotion. I loved how much this one made me think, and I'd love for more people to read this one. The author can really demonstrate the more nuanced pieces of who were are as humans and how we are in relationship with those that we love. I love how subtly he writes these moments into his prose. If you want something character driven to pull at your heartstrings, this is the perfect read!

Morningside Heights is a quiet, nuanced, and poignant story about one middle-class couple living in New York, and lets the reader see the story of their relationship from the time they meet, through the death of one of them. The book reads easily, and I connected with both the characters from the start.

Pru and Spence meet at Columbia University where he is her professor. She is a brilliant student with a smart future, and while he is only 6 years older than she is, he has already published a book and is the rising star of his field. The proceeds from his book allow them to buy a home and start a family, which results in Pru giving up on her own academic career.

Soon they have a fuller house when they have a daughter, Sarah, and when Spence's son from his first marriage, Arlo, moves in. The author allows us to see the difficulties of a blended family, sharing the struggles of all of them.

But the most powerful part of this story happens when Spence develops early-onset Alzheimer's. His mind slowly deteriorates, and turns him into a stranger to his wife and children. Pru begins to resent giving up her own path in life, and begins to consider some big changes. She does everything she can to protect him, and to keep his reputations strong. She acts selflessly, despite her own anger and grief. We watch as both spouses suffer, change and learn to manage his symptoms. It is an emotional, beautiful, true look at what this disease does to both the person suffering from the disease and the caretaker. I spent three years as the primary caretaker for my dad, who also suffered from Alzheimer's, and this book brought up a lot of memories. I cried more than one.

A tender, terrifying novel about a family forced to deal with early onset Alzheimer's disease. Spence, a Shakespearean scholar, is at the center of the book but his wife and children are the pulsing heart of it. I felt especially invested in Flo and Arlo - never sure what would come next. In spite of the devastating subject, I found it difficult to put down.

The cover of this book is what caught my attention. This was quite the complicated story about a family and their trails and tribulations. I thought it was very engaging, but it still took me a while to read.

A beautifully written story of a family and the progress of dementia. Heartfelt and tragic but so well done.

Unfortunately, Did not get to this book in 2021.
My review is not a reflection of the work or the writing/plot itself, but rather speaks to other books that caught my attention more.
Hate I didn't manage to squeeze this one in, but there are so many books and only so much time.

I would look to Goodreads or other reviewers on Netgalley who read the title and will offer their unbiased opinion.

This book sounded like exactly the type of book I would love. A family drama over several decades. There were parts of the story I really enjoyed, such as the relationship between the siblings, and various aspects of Arlo's story. However, there were quite a few characters' stories all weaved in here, and they failed to come together in any meaningful way at the end. The end of the story is foretold at the beginning, so there are no surprises, and nothing ever really happens. I also fail to see much growth or change in the characters, if this meant to be a character driven novel. I found this dull without much purpose.

Looking at this cover, I’m not sure what I expected. By the bright colors, I thought this would be a happy book! And while it had some happy parts, there was more sadness than anything.

First off, this is a pretty basic story about a husband and wife. We learn how they meet, their marriage, struggles with kids, family, and the biggest component about being a caregiver for your loved one. If you told me this, I would probably pass.

I’m glad I didn’t.

I felt Henkin spent equal time in the stages of Pru and Spence’s marriage. The meeting/honeymoon phase, parenting and careers, and then ultimately, death. It really showcases a relationship and how to care for one another, no matter what life throws at you.

My only complaint is not knowing enough about Spence’s son, Arlo. Rereading the synopsis, he’s mentioned, but it feels like the weight would be heavier within the book. And he’s a really great character for the little we learned about him!

Overall, I think the author did a great job describing the unpredictable progression of Alzheimer's and how minds play tricks on those who are diagnosed. The last time I saw my grandmother, she didn’t know who I was so this book definitely hit home and I’m wishing I read it sooner.

Content warnings: infidelity, death, Alzheimer’s, divorce, sibling bullying

As someone in their first year of marriage, this story of love and commitment really touched me. It was compelling, dramatic and thought-provoking, and it'll be on my mind for a while.

On looking over my #NetGalley books, I found I inadvertently forgot to post a review for #MorningsideHeights. Sorry, my error. Looking back, I found it to be an intriguing family drama. It was well written and moved at a steady pace, enabling me to feel the plight of the characters. After reading, I was torn in rating it between three and four stars. I ultimately gave it three , but would not be surprised if other reviewers went higher.

Unfortunately, this book was unreadable due to formatting issues that I just couldn’t ignore after 25 pages. That said, I didn’t love the beginning enough to seek it out further.