When J.P. Ripple's mother began forgetting things, she assured her son nothing was wrong. Memory loss was normal for people her age, she told him.

But there was nothing normal about finding her walking to a neighbor's yard in below-freezing temperatures. He wasn't surprised when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

What did surprise him, however, was how often caregivers asked him for proof of guardianship. They even challenged him when he tried to do what was best for his mother. In this memoir, he explores: Alzheimer's first four stages and how to cope with their symptoms;...