José Rosado’s ”Caught You Looking! A Novel” is a romance story about memory loss and how it breaks people’s hearts.

The semiautobiographical book is an attempt to recollect some of the author’s stories from his youth to adulthood after his stroke.

Rosado, former mayor of Fountain Hill, has been public about being a stroke survivor. In published and media outlets, he mentioned that “Writing this book saved my brain.” He affirms this sentiment in the book’s epilogue.

We need to understand that a stroke affects the brain. In some cases, a stroke can cause dementia and increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

While the novel takes us through the rendezvous of the main characters Enrique Mendoza and Raquel Leery, by and large, the subtext of the book deals with the concerns of memory loss.

Enrique and Raquel bring to the conversation the challenges and frustrations mental illness, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease affect them and their families.

Sadly, on a couple of pages the main characters use pejorative terms to describe people with mental health challenges.

The main characters express their frustrations (with expletives for emphasis) on how mental illness and Alzheimer’s has deteriorated the health of their mothers’ and other family members.

While there is a mutual resentment by both main characters toward mental illness and mental health challenges, Raquel appears to come to terms with her mother’s mental illness, depression and substance abuse.

Enrique, however, finds it difficult to come to terms with Alzheimer’s because of how the disease robbed his mother’s memories. Enrique’s concern is how the disease can affect him in the future by having a genetic predisposition. His perception toward Alzheimer’s disease affects the couple’s relationship later in the book.

The different stages of a stroke, brain trauma, dementia, Alzheimer’s, mental illness, depression and substance abuse rob the brain’s ability to be well.

Another character in the book is Dr. Elisa Cruz, a researcher whose project is about using creative writing as therapy for strokes and brain trauma, she appears as an expert. Dr. Cruz encourages Enrique to live his life regardless of any genetic disposition.

The author’s self-published book explores prose, poetry and fiction writing as a form of therapy toward the healing of his brain.

Enrique’s stories, brought about by Raquel’s probing him, appear as a therapeutic exercise for the author’s brain. He recalls childhood school stories like The Fish Stick & La Bruja Doña Trina, neighborhoods that depict Southside Bethlehem, family and friends. He recalls English and Spanish music and fiestas, including the connection with intimacy.

The book serves as a case study. Considering the process of memory loss, Enrique attempts to find a path from being lost in a desert to finding the road or not having a music playlist to his brain clicking to his old favorite songs. Chapter 7 can be viewed as a music therapy session for healing the brain.

In addition, Enrique’s military deployments can bring to mind the brain trauma many veterans and their families experience.

The book can serve as a reminder of how brain trauma can affect the life of an individual, family and friends. Alzheimer’s robs the memories of an individual’s love they have shared with loved ones.

Enrique and Raquel had the courage to talk about the effects Alzheimer’s brought to their loved ones and their relationship.

Let’s walk together

In our local area, EverTrue Luther Crest and EverTrue Lutheran Home at Topton form part of the St. Louis Walk to End Alzheimer’s. To this end, we want “to elevate awareness of the impact of Alzheimer’s on individual’s lives, their family, friends, and caregivers.” Come walk at any of these two Memory Support Communities to support and elevate awareness Sept. 20 with EverTrue Luther Crest team and on Oct. 18 with EverTrue Lutheran Home at Topton team.

EverTrue promotes this event, saying, “We are EverTrue to this cause-because every step we take brings us closer to a world with more understanding, more compassion and ultimately, a cure. Let’s walk together.”

The Rev. Nelson Quiñones is Manager of Mission Integration and Chaplain at EverTrue Lutheran Home at Topton.