Alice Howland
Dr. Alice Howland is the protagonist of the story. As a gifted professor of psycholinguistics, she has a fantastic career. Conferences, students, researches, presentations, and little free time at all are parts of her daily routine. After 25 years of work at Harvard, she realizes that something goes horribly wrong. She starts forgetting words, missing planes and can get lost in a familiar place. It is not easy to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at any age, but it is even more horrible to be diagnosed at early age. Alice is only 50 years old; she is strong, athletic and healthy, but soon she realizes that both her brain and body can easily betray her.
John Howland
John Howland is Alice’s husband. He is a cancer cell biologist, who also works at Harvard. His wife’s disease is a genuine burden for him, and is so harrowing that he can’t make himself watch how his wife’s cognitive abilities break down. When he gets a chance to obtain a position of chairman of the Cancer Biology and Genetics Program at Sloan-Kettering, he accepts, being unable to see progression of Alice’s mental decline.
Anna
Anna is an older daughter of Alice and John. Unlike her younger sister, Anna prefers stability in her life. She works at a law firm, practicing in the area of intellectual property. Her husband, Charlie, also works there, but in the area of litigation. Alice admits that Anna mirrors her. They have the same temper, hair and coloring. As it turns out later, Anna even inherits Alice’s genes of Alzheimer’s disease. Having recovered from initial horror, Anna doesn’t let this fear prevent her from fulfilling her dreams. She and her husband become parents of two adorable twins.
Charlie
Charlie is Anna’s husband.
Tom
Tom is the second child of Alice and John. At the beginning of the novel, he is in his third year at Harvard Medical School. His mother illness saddens him even more than others, because he understands exactly what is going on with her.
Lydia
Lydia is the youngest child of Alice and John. Being extremely intelligent, she could easily repeat her parents’ success in an academic career, but she is not interested in it. She moves to Los Angeles in order to become an actress.
Dr. Tamara Moyer
Dr. Tamara Moyer is Alice’s physician.
Dr Davis
Dr Davis is Alice’s doctor.
Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s disease could be considered to be the antagonist of the story. The disease changes Alice’s life greatly, making her leave her work and adapt to a new life. The disease doesn’t only ruin Alice’s career, it also brings together her three children, for they start taking care of her and spend more time together. Alzheimer’s teaches them to value each other and their lives. Stephanie Aaron is the genetic councilor affiliated with Mass General Hospital’s Memory Disorders Unit.
Mary Johnson, Cathy Roberts and Dan Sullivan
Mary Johnson, Cathy Roberts and Dan Sullivan are Alice’s new friends, who help her to create a support group for people, who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. Suffering from the same disease, they understand and support each other.
Dan
Dan is Alice’s student.
Malcolm
Malcolm is Lydia’s boyfriend.
Eric Wellman
Eric Wellman is the head of psychology department at Harvard.
Gordon Miller
Gordon Miller is a head of psychology the department at Stanford.
