Counting Backwards
In Binnie Kirshenbaum’s novel Counting Backwards, a woman is thrust into the role of a caregiver.
After Addie’s husband, Leo, is diagnosed with Lewy Body disease in his early fifties, he begins to lose touch with his former self. Addie grapples with the emotional toll of caring for someone she loves but no longer recognizes: “you have no way to predict when Leo will not be Leo. His episodes of irregularities have increased exponentially.”
Addie’s struggles unfold through moments that emphasize her guilt, exhaustion, and conflicted emotions. Her development—or lack thereof—reflects the stagnation that accompanies her prolonged caregiving. Leo’s decline is portrayed with equal consideration, capturing his transformation from a confident, capable man to someone who’s unrecognizable, even to himself. Outsiders like Z and Larissa add depth to Addie’s emotional state, though their inner lives remain secondary to her perspective.
The plotting mirrors the monotony and emotional toll of caregiving, sometimes revisiting Addie’s recurrent frustrations. Addie’s present struggles are balanced out with reflective glimpses into her and Leo’s life before his diagnosis, providing necessary context. The rawness of Addie’s emotions comes through in her conversations with Leo, which alternate between tenderness and tension. Addie’s repeated phrases mirror her state of mind, though they sometimes interrupt the book’s flow. The grounded prose makes room for touching moments, as with Leo fumbling with once-familiar objects that now feel foreign to him. The emotional weight of his disease is made resonant, and the novel honors the complexities of the human experience.
The sensitive novel Counting Backwards explores the hardships of caregiving, the resultant strain on relationships, and internal conflicts between loyalty and self-preservation.
Reviewed by
Kiana Curtis
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
