Overview

An exquisite memoir of the author’s life since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease—informative, funny, and moving all at once. Acclaimed novelist Kathy Page had just completed a promotional tour for her award-winning book Dear Evelyn when a fall during a hike injured her hand. That relatively minor accident seemed to set in motion a cascade of other seemingly unrelated physical issues. Many months of appointments, and of waiting for appointments (including during the COVID lockdown) ensued, until the day that pulled everything together in a single, frightening diagnosis: Parkinson's disease. In This Faulty Machine is an eye-opening, often lyrical and very funny report from that ""other kingdom"" of illness, from an observant, wise, and honest involuntary resident. The author's acute yet welcoming voice draws us into the erratic, intimate, and troubling effects of the disease and its impact on her relationships alongside the pleasures of family, friends, reading, writing, and the natural world.    This one-of-a-kind memoir offers a thoughtful exploration of the complex and evolving science of this debilitating disease, a gripping account of the various ways that it impacts both PWP (People with Parkinson's) and their families. The book is also a unique look into the creative process of a life-long novelist who finds that she can no longer create in the way she has for decades. Wise and warm, the book makes an important contribution to the understanding of Parkinson's disease but is also a rich and heartfelt memoir of creativity and a life being well-lived, even as the challenges mount. It is a story of vital interest to us all as we face our own fragility, and indeed, mortality.

Full Product Details

9781037800887

Table of Contents

Reviews

""In This Faulty Machine is a wonder, a memoir of illness that becomes an affirmation of life and vitality. As Parkinson’s seeks to narrow, Kathy Page pushes back, resolved to fully inhabit whatever experience life offers. I read this book in awe and some of it in tears. Intelligent, thoughtful and candid, In This Faulty Machine is destined to be a classic."" —Joan Thomas, award-winning author of Wild Hope and Five Wives “An unflinching, beautifully detailed account of life with Parkinson’s disease. . . . This is not a story of surrender, but of survival and rediscovery. In This Faulty Machine is a moving reminder that while Parkinson’s may change you, it does not define you—and that even in the face of loss, we are never without hope or purpose.” —Bailey Martin, Executive Director, Parkinson Wellness Projects “A masterpiece of observation. . . . Like all truly great books, it makes us feel better about the strange, fragile humans that we are. Honest, tender, joyful, moving, In this Faulty Machine is infused with a rare kind of insight that is genuinely healing.” —Shaena Lambert, award-winning author of Petra and Oh, My Darling “Thrust by illness into being the main character in her own medical drama, Kathy Page reflects on her life as a writer and her very existence as a human being. The self-described “former novelist” pieces together more than enough of her old creative self to turn a sow’s ear—the disease that overturned her life—into this silk purse of a memoir.” —Elizabeth Hay, award-winning and bestselling author of All Things Consoled and Snow Road Station ""Long one of our best fiction writers, Kathy Page has now written a startling memoir, turning her lively wit and unflinching insight on a cruel twist of fate. . . . Though deeply personal, what she undergoes is universal, for hers is the struggle of everyone for life and love against the end, suddenly sped up. Bold, frank, free from self-pity, this beautifully written book is one of the wisest and most moving I have read."" —Ronald Wright, award-winning author of A Short History of Progress and A Scientific Romance “This wondrous memoir is less about coping with disease than a testament to living well and staying open to, and curious about, the complex, unreliable machine that is the body. . . . One of those rare books that compels you to rethink your life.” —Caroline Adderson, award-winning author of A Way to Be Happy and A Russian Sister “ ‘I’m no stoic,’ [Page] says, ‘but you can’t be howling all the time.’ And so she marshals her abundant gifts as a novelist—wit, curiosity and compassion, married to an exquisite command of her prose—and invites us into this profound exploration of vulnerability and possibility. A true marvel of a book.” --John Gould, author of The End of Me and Kilter

""In This Faulty Machine is a wonder, a memoir of illness that becomes an affirmation of life and vitality. As Parkinson’s seeks to narrow, Kathy Page pushes back, resolved to fully inhabit whatever experience life offers. I read this book in awe and some of it in tears. Intelligent, thoughtful and candid, In This Faulty Machine is destined to be a classic."" —Joan Thomas, award-winning author of Wild Hope and Five Wives “An unflinching, beautifully detailed account of life with Parkinson’s disease. . . . This is not a story of surrender, but of survival and rediscovery. In This Faulty Machine is a moving reminder that while Parkinson’s may change you, it does not define you—and that even in the face of loss, we are never without hope or purpose.” —Bailey Martin, Executive Director, Parkinson Wellness Projects “A masterpiece of observation. . . . Like all truly great books, it makes us feel better about the strange, fragile humans that we are. Honest, tender, joyful, moving, In This Faulty Machine is infused with a rare kind of insight that is genuinely healing.” —Shaena Lambert, award-winning author of Petra and Oh, My Darling “Thrust by illness into being the main character in her own medical drama, Kathy Page reflects on her life as a writer and her very existence as a human being. The self-described “former novelist” pieces together more than enough of her old creative self to turn a sow’s ear—the disease that overturned her life—into this silk purse of a memoir.” —Elizabeth Hay, award-winning and bestselling author of All Things Consoled and Snow Road Station ""Long one of our best fiction writers, Kathy Page has now written a startling memoir, turning her lively wit and unflinching insight on a cruel twist of fate. . . . Though deeply personal, what she undergoes is universal, for hers is the struggle of everyone for life and love against the end, suddenly sped up. Bold, frank, free from self-pity, this beautifully written book is one of the wisest and most moving I have read."" —Ronald Wright, award-winning author of A Short History of Progress and A Scientific Romance “This wondrous memoir is less about coping with disease than a testament to living well and staying open to, and curious about, the complex, unreliable machine that is the body. . . . One of those rare books that compels you to rethink your life.” —Caroline Adderson, award-winning author of A Way to Be Happy and A Russian Sister “ ‘I’m no stoic,’ [Page] says, ‘but you can’t be howling all the time.’ And so she marshals her abundant gifts as a novelist—wit, curiosity and compassion, married to an exquisite command of her prose—and invites us into this profound exploration of vulnerability and possibility. A true marvel of a book.” —John Gould, author of The End of Me and Kilter ""An eye-opening, often lyrical and very funny report from that ""other kingdom"" of illness, from acclaimed novelist Kathy Page, an observant, wise, and honest involuntary resident, following her diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease."" —49thShelf

Author Information

KATHY PAGE is the author of eleven acclaimed works of fiction. Her books have been twice nominated for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, once for the Orange Prize, and shortlisted for the Governor General's Award and the ReLit Award. Her most recent novel, Dear Evelyn, won the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, the City of Victoria Butler Prize, and was a Best Book of the year for The Globe and Mail, Kirkus, Quill & Quire, Toronto Star, and Winnipeg Free Press. Born in the UK, Kathy has lived on Salt Spring Island, BC, since 2001.

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