Travelers to Unimaginable Lands

“[One of] the best of this year’s books about dementia … invoke[s] literature, art to help explain what science and medicine, in all their lab-coated well-meaning-ness, cannot fully.”—The New York Times“Kiper’s work is deeply moving and often surprising. Through case studies both tragic and hauntingly relatable, she provides scientific grounding for what the beleaguered caregivers go through. With understanding comes the permission for, and perhaps a chance at, self-forgiveness.”—The Wall Street Journal“For the frustrated caregiver, trapped in a vicious psychodynamic that is dehumanizing to both parties, this may provide some valuable solace.”—The American Scholar“An elegant, empathetic, immensely informative, and insightful primer for caregivers as they try to navigate the fragmented, skewed world of the cognitively impaired.”—Psychology Today“A work of exceptional compassion … deeply imaginative … immeasurably valuable.”—The Guardian“A fascinating account of the psychology of caregiving … The message of this compassionate book is that confusion is, deep down, part of the human condition.”—The Daily Telegraph“A book so humane and quietly profound that everyone should read it.”—Bee Wilson, Financial Times“Kiper can write with an [Oliver] Sacks–like clarity … A wise book, and one that is unsettling in the best way.”—New Scientist“This book will forever change the way we see people with dementia disorders—and the people who care for them.”—Lori Gottlieb, author of Maybe You Should Talk To Someone“How do we cope with those who have lost something as profound as the ‘normal’ sense of self? Travelers to Unimaginable Lands is a compassionate and insightful book about dementia and its startling effects.”—Roz Chast, author of Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?“Stirring, persuasive, and memorable … an eloquent and gripping book about personalities and the dances between them, exposing what dementia reveals about both the patient and the caretaker.”—David Eagleman, neuroscientist at Stanford, author of Livewired“This book—richly endowed with experience and wisdom—is a treasure. I predict a long life for Travelers to Unimaginable Lands for anyone interested in or intimately involved with those afflicted by dementia.”—Vivian Gornick, author of Fierce Attachments“Dasha Kiper’s exhilarating and enlightening book offers sensitive, intimate portraits of Alzheimer’s caregivers and their loved ones, enhanced by an informed tour of the mind and how it works.”—Robert Kolker, author of Hidden Valley Road

Dasha Kiper is the former consulting clinical director of support groups at an Alzheimer’s organization and has an MA in clinical psychology from Columbia University. She has worked with both dementia patients and caregivers.