This book really touched me as a caregiver for both of my parents I could relate so much to this journey. It was such a beautiful and touching story. I wish a book like this existed many years ago. May god bless Bruce and his family

What a powerful and informative book.
A very much personal journey navigating a very difficult path but one that feels as if someone is holding your hand.
The message of being kind to yourself and your loved ones is key. It stresses that every diagnosis and way forward is very personal to you and your circumstances.
Getting help and support from numerous and varied resources is key.
How to navigate your circumstances with the person, family, children and the wider community is so helpful.
Thank you for sharing and being so brave and honest.

The Unexpected Journey is a moving book. It opens with the story of how Emma and Bruce Willis met and fell in love, about their two children together and the blended family they became with Bruce's three older children. It then becomes a mix of personal stories about Emma's life as she realised something wasn't right with Bruce, his behaviours were changing, and the realities of getting a diagnosis and how to seek help. Emma's warmth and compassion shines out of this book, it's clear that not only does she care deeply about her husband but also about raising awareness and helping others as they might find themselves on the same journey. I really appreciated the honesty about the way people have treated them since all this happened- some people have been kind and helpful and some people have disappeared from their lives. Emma faces a lot of judgement, particularly online, but she keeps her truth. She knows she has to still live her life and make sure her children have a good life as well as wanting to still be a wife to her husband.

I haven't looked after someone with dementia but I have cared for my mum when her cancer spread to her brain and she slowly became lost in her own mind, it was so hard. I also now navigate life after my husband was very ill last year and he has lasting issues from that which we have to find our way through. It's lonely at times. Emma perfectly explains the way that you're so glad that your loved one is still her but also have a sadness for the parts of them that are now gone, and it's okay to feel like this.

I also loved the idea, not of acceptance but of saying to yourself 'I accept that this has happened and this is reality now'. That is something that will stay with me and I know it will help me on the days I'm struggling. I also love the way she calls herself a care partner rather than a care giver, that is something I will also be adopting.

This book is easy to follow, it's compassionate and it makes you feel like someone is alongside you holding your hand. I would recommend this to anyone who is caring for a loved one, particularly if they have dementia, but really for anyone. This is a book I will keep and I will refer back to it. I'm so glad I read it.

This book really touched on my soul. I have been a caregiver for over 10 plus years of my life in addition to my work. It is a thankless job but oh so rewarding. I hope this book brings comfort and awareness.

I was given the chance to read this book and thought it might be helpful for me to support part of my extended family who are at the start of the dementia journey. This book is about caring, supporting, where to get help and so much more. Emma has put together so much advice and helpful suggestions from a number of professionals as well as sharing what works for her. After reading this I feel I can maybe just support those who need it when they're ready. I'll be gifting copies of this book for any friends and family who find themselves on this journey.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Emma Heming Willis has written an amazing book. I echo what she says herself, that it is a book I wish I was given at the start of my care giving journey. I would go even further than that, and say that it is a book I hope that so many people will read, so that if they (or their family or friends) find themselves as care givers in the future, the will have a much better insight as to the journey on which they will find themselves.
The book much more than a record of Emma's journey as the main carer for her husband, Bruce Willis. It includes so many of the important things to focus on whilst being a caregiver for a loved one. It demonstrates the importance of caring for yourself to be able to care for others (something which is so easy to forgot, and can, wrongly, seem selfish when being carer).
Whilst the book concentrates on caregiving for those with dementia, it applies equally to those categiving for loved ones with other conditions., and I would encourage all caregivers to read it.
I highly recommend this book. It is structured in such a clear way that the book can be read in one go, or, each chapter can be read independently (perfect for caregivers who can pick up and read the chapter pertinent to their situation at the time).
I hope that given the fame of this author, this book will be read very widely and people will learn much more about the importance of caregiving, which will benefit those in need of care and the caregivers alike.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Coping with the devastating diagnosis of your spouse isn't only about how you take care of them.

It's how you take care of your children.

And above all, yourself.

Heartbreaking, moving and wonderful

It's hard for me to review how well a book is written when it is so emotional. So I'm not even going to try!

What I can say is that this is an incredibly open, honest and practical book. While it's very much written as a guide for caregivers (particularly those caring for people with frontotemporal dementia and other forms of dementia), I think it's a useful and informative book for anyone whose lives have been touched by these awful diseases. Sadly, I think there are more and more of us out there.

The book is a combination of expert advice, personal stories from the author's life and tips for what caregivers (and those who know caregivers) can do. It also tries to reduce the misconceptions around caregiving and, rightly, encourages caregivers to see what an important job they do.

The author admits at the beginning that she would repeat herself throughout because she wants her book to be something that people can dip in and out of and wanted to emphasise important points. I read it from beginning to end so I did find parts repetitive but I'm sure others will appreciate the useful reminders.

But this is a very minor criticism. Overall, I found this to be an incredibly emotional read but uplifting and hopeful too. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. But mostly, thank you to Emma Heming Willis for sharing her and her family's story. It can't have been easy but I'm certain there are huge numbers of people who will be grateful.

An informative read around one of the world's most beloved actors. As we watch through the media of Bruce's journey, to see another insight, a personal insight into his world, and the world of those around him, is a blessed viewpoint. As a carer myself, I sympathise with those around Bruce incredibly, and the important key message for all of us that every diagnosis and it's respective journey is individual, is so powerful. Thank you to the author for being so brave, to share such a personal journey. Thank you for the change to read this.

The Unexpected Journey is the author’s honest guide to facing a loved one’s dementia diagnosis. She shares her own experience with courage, while also highlighting how important it is for caregivers to look after themselves. The book offers support, practical tips, and helpful advice, and it doesn’t shy away from the emotional side of things either. It also touches on the role of family support, and what it’s like to balance parenting alongside such a difficult diagnosis.

Bruce Willis' wife, Emma, has written a powerful and poignant book on caring for someone with dementia. Will help many others similarly struggling. Highly recommended!

This is such a beautifully written book.

I really enjoyed the switches between Emma's deeply personal story and then advice from medical professionals, it really instilled the message of finding and keeping your community around you.

Although I don't have a connection to dementia, my mum had cancer and I cared for her in her last few months, I wish there was something like this book then.

Emma writes so beautifully and has been through so much in such a public spotlight, her story is impossible not to be drawn to.

This is the best book I have read on the subject of caregivers. It is packed full of great advice written from the heart but is also very thoughtful, sensitive and practical. It is also a good book for friends and friends of caregivers to read as those around a caregiver can be a better support if they understand the demands on caregivers better.

Emma must be a remarkable person to have navigated her husband, Bruce’s, care while raising two daughters and writing this book. As well as her own learned advice she includes information and advice from many professionals she has consulted. The book focuses on the type of dementia that Bruce has but the advice in this book would be of immense help to any caregiver.

With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, Nonfiction for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is an honest and heartfelt account of navigating life when dementia enters a family. Emma Heming Willis shares her story with openness that makes you feel less alone, while also offering clear advice that can be put into practice. I valued the way she balances her role as wife, mother and advocate, never pretending it’s easy yet showing that strength can be found in the hardest of times. The inclusion of professional perspectives adds depth, but it’s Emma’s voice that resonates most. It’s a compassionate guide that will comfort and inform many.

Many thanks to Harper Collins Uk, Emma Heming Willis and Netgalley for providing this copy to review

The Unexpected Journey by Emma Heming Willis is a heartfelt, honest guide for anyone navigating the emotional rollercoaster of caregiving especially for loved ones with dementia. Emma blends her personal story with expert advice, offering comfort, clarity, and a sense of solidarity to those feeling overwhelmed and alone.

Emma Heming Willis is caring for her husband Bruce Willis, who was diagnosed with dementia in 2023. She wrote this book to help others caring for a loved one with dementia. I read it partly because I have also been diagnosed with a milder form of dementia, partly to find out about the caregiving journey and how it might affect my family. It’s a moving book with chapters including ‘Making Sense of the Changing Brain’ and ‘Make Time for Yourself’. An important message is to find a support group rather than trying to deal with everything yourself. One to read for anyone grappling with dementia, whether you’re a carer, practitioner or know someone with the disease.