N O W   A V A I L A B L E !

It's been two years since aspiring novelist and English teacher Malcolm Aton has had any contact with his family. Ever since his divorce and the loss of his mother to cancer, his relationship with his father has been strained.

​

When he receives an urgent text from his brother, he learns the devastating news that their father's memory issues have progressed. He's now violent and at the end stages of Alzheimer's disease.

​

Although confrontation with his father is imminent, Malcolm reluctantly agrees to return home for the weekend and take on the mantle of caregiver while they contend with the difficult decision of how to care for their father. As is the case with everything involving his family, nothing goes as expected.

​

Unapologetically honest, Renewal is the story of a family learning to cope with the crippling dieases of cancer and Alzheimer's, of allowing old wounds to heal, of a patriarch coming to terms with the deterioration of his memory and identity, and of Malcolm coming into his own by taking on the ultimate responsibility of caregiver.

​

Renewal will be published by BHC Press on Tuesday, September 13, and will be available in hardcover, paperback, and eBook. 

​

"The feelings from this book broke my heart, brought back so many feelings, and [it] makes you realize how important family really is. With even a heavy heart and a book hangover this book I have to say is just fantastic."

- Diane M., NetGalley reviewer

"This is a wonderful, heartbreaking, real depiction of a man's journey with the dreaded Alzheimer's disease. Well done!"

- Laurie P., NetGalley reviewer

"The characters are fiction but they certainly feel real with a story that digs deep into the human soul creating a flood of emotions. While the book is under 300 pages, it can take some time to process. Parts were intense with sadness; others made you smile. There were some unexpected twists.... well written with a good flow of words. This is one book I can't stop talking about."

- Jackie S., NetGalley reviewer

"Wow! This book was amazing!"

- Edith R., LibraryThing reviewer

"Lots of life in this book with an emphasis on families dealing with Alzheimer's."

- Katarina M., NetGalley reviewer

"...sad and inspirational, loved the story."

- Teresa T., NetGalley reviewer

"What a beautifully written book. [It] touched my soul and I felt the pang of becoming the caretaker of a parent."

- Edna G., NetGalley reviewer

"Inspirational and educational, this saga of a son struggling to cope with his elderly father's Alzheimer's tugs at the heart."

- Gary T., NetGalley reviewer

"Loved this book. Seems especially fitting right now. Loved [the] story from every character."

- Kay O., NetGalley reviewer

"What a beautifully written book. So very many emotions I felt. This book took me away from this crazy world and filled me with all the feels."

- Kathleen J., NetGalley reviewer

"I was invested in this book from the very beginning...an amazing job at telling the story of family, Alzheimer's, and renewal."

- Andrea C., Goodreads reviewer

"Falank writes an honest, raw, gut wrenching, heartbreaking novel about the reality of Alzheimer's disease. But there is so much more to this book than the debilitating disease - this book is also about forgiveness, about relationships, heartbreak, and the renewal of life after all of that. It's a book that you don't want to miss."

- Kristin G., The Book Addict

"...there may have been a tear or two towards the end. ...a well-written account..."

- Di B., The Book Review Crew

INTERVIEWS

Citywide Blackout Podcast

Episode 272: Author Joseph Falank's new novel, Renewal, is a powerfully written and incredibly honest story of a family coming to grips with the reality that their patriarch is afflicted with Alzheimer's.

​

We discuss the relationship that Malcolm and his father has and what it is like to reconnect after two years. Falank sheds light on how Malcolm adjusts to being his father's caregiver and the impact of their roles being reversed. We also talk about the affect Alzheimer's can have on the patient's loved ones and the new challenges they will have to overcome.

​

Creative Space: Chats With Writers

Episode 2 of Creative Space features a conversation with Joseph Falank, author of adult and young adult fiction, who shares what inspires his creativity, his processes for writing, where ideas come from, what his link is to Rod Serling and "The Twilight Zone," and, near the end of this half hour conversation, offers a preview of his upcoming novel Renewal and why he considers the book a "second coming of age."

​

Creative Space is hosted by Mary Vensel White, author of The Qualities of Wood, Bellflower, and Starling.