Dancing in Small Spaces: One Couple’s Journey with Parkinson’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia
Leslie A. Davidson
Prelude
1 More Grateful Than Concerned
2 Slipping Sideways
3 Not Lost, Just Going the Wrong Direction
4 More Than I Ever Wanted to Know
5 More Than I Ever Wanted to Feel
6 It Takes a Village
Z Ducks in a Row?
8 The One Who Has to Watch
2 And What of Grace?
Postlude
=====세진님, 요청하신 <좁은 공간에서의 춤: 파킨슨병과 루이소체 치매를 겪은 한 부부의 여정>에 대한 요약과 평론을 작성해 드립니다. 설정해 주신 지침에 따라 평어체(<해라>체)를 사용하였으며, 모든 강조 표시는 < >를 활용했습니다.
<좁은 공간에서의 춤: 파킨슨병과 루이소체 치매를 겪은 한 부부의 여정> 요약 및 평론
1. 요약: 두 개의 파도가 동시에 덮칠 때
레슬리 A. 데이비슨의 회고록 <좁은 공간에서의 춤>은 평온한 노년을 준비하던 한 부부에게 닥친 가혹한 운명과 이를 견뎌낸 사랑의 기록이다. 저자인 레슬리와 그녀의 남편 링컨은 거의 동시에 난치성 신경 퇴행성 질환을 진단받는다. 레슬리는 파킨슨병을, 링컨은 루이소체 치매(LBD)를 선고받으며 이들의 삶은 거대한 소용돌이에 휘말린다.
진단과 초기 대응
이야기는 부부가 각자의 증상을 인지하고 병명을 확인받는 과정에서 시작된다. 레슬리는 자신의 몸이 통제 불능 상태로 변해가는 파킨슨병의 물리적 고통을 겪고, 링컨은 인지 기능이 무너지고 환각에 시달리는 루이소체 치매의 공포와 마주한다. 작가는 이 과정을 담담하면서도 세밀하게 묘사하며, 질병이 개인의 정체성을 어떻게 잠식하는지 보여준다.
좁아지는 공간, 넓어지는 유대
제목인 <좁은 공간에서의 춤>은 중의적인 의미를 담고 있다. 신체적 제약과 병실이라는 물리적 공간은 점점 좁아지지만, 그 안에서 서로를 의지하며 추는 <춤>은 여전히 계속된다는 뜻이다. 레슬리는 자신의 병을 돌보며 동시에 남편의 간병인 역할을 수행해야 하는 이중고를 겪는다. 링컨의 환각 속에서 그를 안심시키고, 약해지는 근육을 이끌고 그와 함께 걷는 모든 순간은 처절하지만 아름다운 춤사위로 표현된다.
상실과 애도
병세가 악화됨에 따라 링컨은 점차 과거의 활기찼던 모습을 잃어간다. 레슬리는 사랑하는 이가 눈앞에서 서서히 사라져가는 과정을 지켜보며 깊은 슬픔과 고립감을 느끼지만, 그 고통 속에서도 유머와 작은 기쁨을 찾아내려 노력한다. 책은 링컨의 죽음과 그 이후 레슬리가 남겨진 삶을 어떻게 재구성하는지를 다루며 마무리된다.
2. 평론: 고통의 파편으로 빚어낸 인간 존엄의 찬가
질병의 사유화와 보편성
이 책은 단순한 투병기를 넘어 질병이 인간 관계에 미치는 영향에 대한 심도 있는 탐구다. 저자는 파킨슨병과 루이소체 치매라는 구체적인 병명을 다루지만, 그 안에서 읽어낼 수 있는 감정은 보편적이다. 예기치 못한 불행 앞에서 인간이 느끼는 무력감, 그리고 그 무력감을 극복하게 하는 유일한 힘으로서의 사랑을 설득력 있게 제시한다.
문체와 서술의 미학
레슬리 A. 데이비슨은 수필가다운 섬세한 문체로 비극을 미화하지 않으면서도 품격 있게 그려낸다. 특히 <춤>이라는 메타포는 매우 상징적이다. 파킨슨 환자의 떨림과 치매 환자의 비틀거림을 <춤>으로 승화시킨 것은, 질병에 굴복하지 않고 끝까지 삶의 리듬을 유지하려 했던 부부의 의지를 상징한다. 독자는 이들의 비틀거리는 걸음걸이 속에서 삶의 숭고함을 목격하게 된다.
간병의 윤리와 자기 돌봄
저자는 <환자이자 간병인>이라는 독특한 위치에 서 있다. 이는 기존의 간병 문학이 주로 건강한 보호자의 시선에서 서술되었던 것과 차별화되는 지점이다. 자신의 신체적 고통이 남편을 돌보는 데 장애가 될 때 느끼는 자책감과 분노를 가감 없이 서식함으로써, 간병이 단순히 희생의 영역이 아니라 치열한 실존적 투쟁임을 역설한다.
결론: 어둠 속에서 켜는 등불
<좁은 공간에서의 춤>은 결코 절망으로 끝나지 않는다. 링컨의 죽음은 마침표가 아니라, 그와 함께했던 시간들이 레슬리의 삶에 어떻게 뿌리 내렸는지를 증명하는 쉼표가 된다. 이 책은 노화와 죽음, 질병이라는 피할 수 없는 인간의 숙명을 어떻게 받아들여야 하는지에 대한 사려 깊은 대답이다.
이 회고록은 현재 비슷한 고통을 겪고 있는 환우와 가족들에게는 따뜻한 위로를, 죽음과 멀리 떨어져 있다고 믿는 이들에게는 삶의 유한함과 사랑의 가치를 일깨워주는 강렬한 죽비와 같다. 고통의 좁은 공간에서도 우리는 여전히 춤을 출 수 있다는 것, 그것이 인간이 지닌 최고의 존엄임을 저자는 온몸으로 증명해 냈다.
도움이 되었기를 바랍니다. 혹시 더 구체적으로 다루고 싶은 부분이나 추가 질문이 있다면 언제든 말씀해 주세요.
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4.56
123 ratings32 reviews
An unstintingly honest and surprisingly humorous memoir that charts a couple’s parallel diagnoses of Parkinson’s and Lewy body dementia. In 2011, Leslie Davidson and her husband Lincoln Ford were enjoying retired life to the fullest as ardent outdoor enthusiasts, energetic travellers, and soon-to-be grandparents. But when Lincoln’s confusion became a concern and Leslie began to experience a hesitant leg and uncontrollable tremors in one arm, a devastating double diagnosis completely changed their life. In this personal and unstintingly honest memoir, Leslie recounts the years that follow the diagnoses—her Parkinson’s and Lincoln’s Lewy body dementia—charting physical changes, mastering medications (and sometimes flubbing it), the logistical puzzles of caregiving, and the steady support of their close-knit community in the small town of Grand Forks in south central British Columbia. She describes her struggle to maintain perspective while questioning what having perspective even means, and the work of being an advocate while needing an advocate. And she explains how, amid all the challenges and tears, shared laughter remained all-important to their survival, especially in times when Lincoln saw her as an imposter. She shares powerful lessons in love, courage, and grace from the man who had always led the way and who, despite the ravages of his illness, in many ways, still did. At once poignant and unflinchingly frank Dancing in Small Spaces is the story of a long and adventurous marriage, of deep gratitude, and, ultimately, of writing one’s way toward understanding and acceptance.
GenresNonfictionMemoir
240 pages, Paperback
Published October 11, 2022
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Leslie A. Davidson3 books4 followers
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Translator Monkey
788 reviews27 followers
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May 4, 2022
Well, Doc, you knew when you opened this book that it was going to break your heart. You KNEW that, and you picked it off the shelf anyway, and you opened it.
I picked this book to read because I thought it would give me some insight into my mother's hard work caring for my father over the many years he suffered from Lewy Body Dementia, insight into what went through her mind with the first diagnosis, the ravages done to the body, the neurological devastation left in its wake, and the ultimate pain of watching the disease steal not only memory and motor skills, but your loved one's last breath. We lost Dad two years ago, and while I thought I understood the pain experienced by my mom, I know now that I was only seeing a projection of my own pain. Her experience was singular, obviously, and this book brought me far closer to living through her experience than I ever could have thought.
Leslie Davidson writes painfully and exquisitely, expressing the rawness of her loss in prose that is nothing short of breathtaking. This book travels her path along with her husband, Lincoln Ford, as they learn almost simultaneously that they are both struck by terrifying incurable diseases: he is sentenced to wandering his last years through the throes of dementia, while she faces a future with Parkinson's. Such are life's cruelties.
But while I was expecting a weepy travelogue down the backroads of grief and suffering, I was actually met with a love story full of courage and grace, both "characters" meeting their fates head-on - after all, what other choice is there? Surrounded by amazing friends and a loving family, they are able to call their own shots as best they can. Leslie's resilience throughout, providing primary care for her stricken husband, is not posted on a giant flag, waving in the breeze for all to see, but instead is the calm and constant heartbeat of the book. She writes with pain and humor in describing the many efforts she led to keep Lincoln feeling safe, loved, and as grounded as can be, accepting the disease and its unpleasant by-products with a resolve that might just force a smile and sob out of you at the same time.
So yes, this book did what I asked it to - it allowed me to find and maintain a connection into the minds of a strong and courageous woman and an equally strong and courageous man - not just Leslie and Lincoln, but more importantly (for me), my mother and father. This book was such a gift to be able to read and I highly recommend it.
I'd like to express my sincere appreciation to Edelweiss, the publisher, and the author for granting me a copy of the digital ARC. This in no way influenced my rating or review.
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Magdelanye
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April 21, 2024
Grief teaches us a new gentleness....p19
I see no hope and I have no confidence. But I am too busy for active despair. The beast is present but I keep it caged. p53
Others have fought our battles and their successes have empowered us all. p58
Leslie and Lincoln Davidson were a power couple in their own rather unassuming style when they received the shocking news that the ailments they both have been glossing over are warning signs of relentless progressive disease. He got Lewy Body and she was confirmed to have Parkinsons. So much for their travel plans.
I am not over my anger, my fear, my raging against fate, but I am able to pretend to be. p61
What she finds it in her to do, as Lincoln becomes less able to express and care for himself and more dependent on her, is to find the joy available, like dancing together in their small room whenever the mood strikes them.
When everything else is stripped away, love is what remains. p123
Leslie writes with the frank passion of someone who deeply cares, and the many photographs sprinkled throughout the book are a testament to her commitment.
he is not afraid to die. "I'm curious " he says. "Excited."
"The next great adventure" he calls it.
"Doesn't it bother you not to know?" I ask him. "To not know what's next? "
"No," he says. "That's the whole point of adventure " p60
auto-biography creative-process family-trauma
...more
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Ronnie Ross
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October 14, 2022
Dancing in Small Spaces by Leslie A. Davidson. Released October 11, 2022
I imagine there are hundreds of us across BC and beyond who have been living with Leslie and Lincoln all night long until our eyes closed in spite of our efforts to continue— and through this morning until the day demanded attention .
All of us together living through the beauty and the humour and the courage and the terror. The grace and the dignity and the impossibleness of it all. We have lived on that plain that is now familiar to us because we have looked through Leslie’s eyes. And yet, like Lincoln, maybe there are places that we have never seen, feelings that are more overwhelming than we knew, crevasses and peaks that defy description and that are terrifying in magnitude. And Leslie paints it, sculpts it, choreographs it, screams and weeps and laughs it. And takes us with her, gently guiding us through.
This is a magnificent thing, this book. It provides so much open ground for us to allow expression and recognition of all our feelings. - words fail me here. This is a gift to everyone who has had the challenge of living life.
I am moved beyond belief by this writing. Thank you.
Ronnie Ross
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Michelle Mallette
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October 1, 2022
See my full review here.
What a beautiful tribute to love, and the sharing of a life together with all its hills and valleys. Soon after beginning their retirement years with plans for travel, adventures, and future grandchildren, the author and her husband receive separate but equally life-altering dianoses. She has Parkinson's, and he has early onset dementia. This memoir is Leslie’s raw and honest chronicle of how she and Lincoln faced the dual diagnosis, supported by a large and loving family, a strong circle of friends, and a compassionate, caring community. Leslie writes with honesty and passion, hiding nothing as she describes the challenges, the discarded dreams and the loneliness. There’s plenty of sweet joy and humour, and the book is peppered with black and white photos. You'll weep and laugh, and marvel at the grace and strength Leslie finds. This book is for anyone seeking guidance in how to navigate life’s most unexpected curveballs. What choice do you have, after all? But in fact, there are many choices to be made in the journey and this is the great big heart of this memoir. It’s also a tribute to Lincoln the adventurer, the loving father, the ebullient partner, and the mischievous prankster. Leslie’s writing is, of course, exquisite; she is a word artist who writes to understand herself and the world around her, and in so doing helps the rest of us grow a little more too. Thank you to Touchwood Editions/Brindle & Glass for the advance reading copy provided in exchange for my honest review. Grand Forks pals – buy a copy and bring it with you to the author reading at the Grand Forks & District Public Library on October 29!
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Julie
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March 4, 2023
Some of the writing was too flowery for me, but I still loved this book. It’s so honest and heartfelt, and you really see the love Lincoln and Leslie had for each other. Two terrible diseases, and it’s admirable how well she coped. I loved the little anecdotes, especially the ones that made me smile! Very sweet.
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Rachel Dick Plonka
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August 19, 2025
One of the most exquisitely beautiful memoirs I have ever read. I laughed, I cried, I saw myself in Leslie's story, even though mine is so different from hers. This book was written with so much compassion and grace.
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Lynn
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July 21, 2024
What a couple! What a journey! Leslie, your writing is so touching and you are so remarkable.
2024
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Connie Simonton
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February 3, 2023
My grandma has Parkinson’s disease, she is about 75 years old it was detected 7 years ago. Right now it’s getting more difficult to live for her, because of stiff muscles she can’t even move. L-dopa and carbidopa medicines are given, but won"t give much relief. She can"t eat food and the skin is damaging forming ganglia. I thought this might be the last stage and the medications she was given did not help at all, so I started to do alot of research on natural treatments, I was introduced to Health Natural CentreU.S and their Parkinson’s Herbal Protocol. She started on the Parkinson’s Treatment last year, her symptoms gradually diminished including her Tremors, Body Weakness and Muscle Pains. Reach them at healthnaturalcentre.org , She is getting active again since starting this treatment, she is able to walk again ( down the street and back ) and able to ride her treadmill again! God Bless all PD Caregivers. Stay Strong, take small moments throughout the day to thank yourself, to love your self, and pray to whatever faith, star, spiritual force you believe in and ask for strength. I can personally vouch for these remedy but you would probably need to decide what works best for you.
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Bonnie
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January 29, 2024
A moving story of Canadian couple looking forward to their retirement years- to have the time to explore more of the world in their old wheelie and add new outdoor adventures. Their daughters live close by with their children. Leslie, a teacher and Lincoln, a school librarian lived in their fixer-upper house for decades. Their jobs brought them support and friendship in a close-knit British Columbia town. Then Leslie is diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease at the same time that Lincoln is diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia. Their planned retirement is replaced by years of medical settings, life changes, and 2 diagnosis that slowly steal their mobility, memory and companionship. One touching story in the book is during a winter snow. Lincoln is confined to a wheelchair but Leslie takes him out of the group home every day to show him the garden or a sunrise or any small taste of the world he loved. Snow made it impossible - especially with her Parkinson's disease- to move the wheelchair outdoors. Leslie found someone to custom-make ski runners for the chair's wheels. Lincoln could still go outside. What the diseases did not take away from them was their love and the little joys of life.
2024
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Sheila
1,455 reviews13 followers
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January 1, 2024
Leslie and Lincoln have lived a full life. They travelled extensively before they were married and finally settled into a small town in southern British Columbia both working as teachers where they becoming involved in the small community. Now, just as they are retiring, Leslie starts having problems walking, her left leg begins dragging and Lincoln is showing signs of confusion. They go for a drive and when Leslie finally asks Lincoln where they are, he tells her, he has no idea.
Their worst nightmare begins, Leslie is diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and Lincoln is diagnosed with Lewy body dementia. Their friends and neighbors rally around them helping wherever they can. Leslie works hard to keep Lincoln home and safe with her until her own health suffers and she has to make the difficult decision to find placement for him.
It's an amazing story and well written. I think anyone who is faced with a progressive debilitating disease or has a spouse with the same situation should read this book. Leslie shows incredible strength in how she navigated her own journey with Parkinson's Disease while showing resilience and the love she had for her husband.
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Review
"Such a beautiful book. So moving, and so deeply personal and human." --Sheryl MacKay, CBC's North by Northwest
"Leslie Davidson's memoir highlights how a loved one's dementia diagnosis can be frightening, exhausting and lonely, but also create unexpected opportunities for tenderness and humour. Even after two devastating diagnoses sent them into cognitive and physical decline, Davidson and her husband Lincoln found ways to recognize and hold on to each other and the adventurous spirit of their marriage. Dancing in Small Spaces is the truest kind of love story." --Dakshana Bascaramurty, bestselling author of This Is Not the End of Me
"This book is a triumphant song of love. Beautifully written, fierce and tender, it will inspire gratitude in everyone who reads it." --Alison Wearing, author of Moments of Glad Grace
"A sad and beautiful story that sparkles with wit, wisdom, and honesty; a primer on courage that insists on a simple but profound truth: love is the domain of the brave." --Kara Stanley, author of Fallen and Ghost Warning
"What happens to love when identity stumbles and fragments? How does love survive? How can love survive? The beauty to be found in this book lies in its refusal to shirk difficult questions. Leslie writes with honesty and credibility. She is a writer who consistently sees a different slant, a jagged edge in an otherwise direct theme." --Dr. Jon Stamford, neuroscientist, co-founder Parkinson's Movement
"Dancing in Small Spaces is an ironic title given the big life that Leslie lives. . . Dementia and Parkinson disease have wrought havoc among her family and friends, constantly pushing to confine her to increasingly small spaces. Leslie will have none of that. Her generous soul, her poignant and eloquent writing, and her essential humanity all push the boundaries back out." --Jillian Carson BScPT, Founder Parkinson Wellness, Projects Ambassador WPC 2016-2019
"You'll be struck by Leslie's calmness and acceptance, particularly around the passing of Lincoln, as well as how she now navigates Parkinson's every day with grace, honesty, and acceptance." --Power Over Parkinson's Podcast
"This is not a sad story although there are sad moments. It is a story of true love that you will be grateful you have read it." --17 Branches, non-profit organization
About the Author
Leslie A. Davidson is the author of two children's books, In the Red Canoe (Orca Books, 2016) and The Sun is a Shine (2021). Her essay "Adaptation" won the CBC Canada Writes Creative Non-fiction Prize and her work has been published in the Globe and Mail, Viewpoints and On the Move. Davidson is a retired elementary school teacher, a mother, and grandmother. She lives in Revelstoke, BC.
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Publication date : 25 October 2022
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4.56
123 ratings32 reviews
An unstintingly honest and surprisingly humorous memoir that charts a couple’s parallel diagnoses of Parkinson’s and Lewy body dementia. In 2011, Leslie Davidson and her husband Lincoln Ford were enjoying retired life to the fullest as ardent outdoor enthusiasts, energetic travellers, and soon-to-be grandparents. But when Lincoln’s confusion became a concern and Leslie began to experience a hesitant leg and uncontrollable tremors in one arm, a devastating double diagnosis completely changed their life. In this personal and unstintingly honest memoir, Leslie recounts the years that follow the diagnoses—her Parkinson’s and Lincoln’s Lewy body dementia—charting physical changes, mastering medications (and sometimes flubbing it), the logistical puzzles of caregiving, and the steady support of their close-knit community in the small town of Grand Forks in south central British Columbia. She describes her struggle to maintain perspective while questioning what having perspective even means, and the work of being an advocate while needing an advocate. And she explains how, amid all the challenges and tears, shared laughter remained all-important to their survival, especially in times when Lincoln saw her as an imposter. She shares powerful lessons in love, courage, and grace from the man who had always led the way and who, despite the ravages of his illness, in many ways, still did. At once poignant and unflinchingly frank Dancing in Small Spaces is the story of a long and adventurous marriage, of deep gratitude, and, ultimately, of writing one’s way toward understanding and acceptance.
GenresNonfictionMemoir
240 pages, Paperback
Published October 11, 2022
Book details & editions
8 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
About the author
Leslie A. Davidson3 books4 followers
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4.56
123 ratings32 reviews
5 stars
82 (66%)
4 stars
31 (25%)
3 stars
7 (5%)
2 stars
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 32 reviews
Translator Monkey
788 reviews27 followers
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May 4, 2022
Well, Doc, you knew when you opened this book that it was going to break your heart. You KNEW that, and you picked it off the shelf anyway, and you opened it.
I picked this book to read because I thought it would give me some insight into my mother's hard work caring for my father over the many years he suffered from Lewy Body Dementia, insight into what went through her mind with the first diagnosis, the ravages done to the body, the neurological devastation left in its wake, and the ultimate pain of watching the disease steal not only memory and motor skills, but your loved one's last breath. We lost Dad two years ago, and while I thought I understood the pain experienced by my mom, I know now that I was only seeing a projection of my own pain. Her experience was singular, obviously, and this book brought me far closer to living through her experience than I ever could have thought.
Leslie Davidson writes painfully and exquisitely, expressing the rawness of her loss in prose that is nothing short of breathtaking. This book travels her path along with her husband, Lincoln Ford, as they learn almost simultaneously that they are both struck by terrifying incurable diseases: he is sentenced to wandering his last years through the throes of dementia, while she faces a future with Parkinson's. Such are life's cruelties.
But while I was expecting a weepy travelogue down the backroads of grief and suffering, I was actually met with a love story full of courage and grace, both "characters" meeting their fates head-on - after all, what other choice is there? Surrounded by amazing friends and a loving family, they are able to call their own shots as best they can. Leslie's resilience throughout, providing primary care for her stricken husband, is not posted on a giant flag, waving in the breeze for all to see, but instead is the calm and constant heartbeat of the book. She writes with pain and humor in describing the many efforts she led to keep Lincoln feeling safe, loved, and as grounded as can be, accepting the disease and its unpleasant by-products with a resolve that might just force a smile and sob out of you at the same time.
So yes, this book did what I asked it to - it allowed me to find and maintain a connection into the minds of a strong and courageous woman and an equally strong and courageous man - not just Leslie and Lincoln, but more importantly (for me), my mother and father. This book was such a gift to be able to read and I highly recommend it.
I'd like to express my sincere appreciation to Edelweiss, the publisher, and the author for granting me a copy of the digital ARC. This in no way influenced my rating or review.
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Magdelanye
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April 21, 2024
Grief teaches us a new gentleness....p19
I see no hope and I have no confidence. But I am too busy for active despair. The beast is present but I keep it caged. p53
Others have fought our battles and their successes have empowered us all. p58
Leslie and Lincoln Davidson were a power couple in their own rather unassuming style when they received the shocking news that the ailments they both have been glossing over are warning signs of relentless progressive disease. He got Lewy Body and she was confirmed to have Parkinsons. So much for their travel plans.
I am not over my anger, my fear, my raging against fate, but I am able to pretend to be. p61
What she finds it in her to do, as Lincoln becomes less able to express and care for himself and more dependent on her, is to find the joy available, like dancing together in their small room whenever the mood strikes them.
When everything else is stripped away, love is what remains. p123
Leslie writes with the frank passion of someone who deeply cares, and the many photographs sprinkled throughout the book are a testament to her commitment.
he is not afraid to die. "I'm curious " he says. "Excited."
"The next great adventure" he calls it.
"Doesn't it bother you not to know?" I ask him. "To not know what's next? "
"No," he says. "That's the whole point of adventure " p60
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Ronnie Ross
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October 14, 2022
Dancing in Small Spaces by Leslie A. Davidson. Released October 11, 2022
I imagine there are hundreds of us across BC and beyond who have been living with Leslie and Lincoln all night long until our eyes closed in spite of our efforts to continue— and through this morning until the day demanded attention .
All of us together living through the beauty and the humour and the courage and the terror. The grace and the dignity and the impossibleness of it all. We have lived on that plain that is now familiar to us because we have looked through Leslie’s eyes. And yet, like Lincoln, maybe there are places that we have never seen, feelings that are more overwhelming than we knew, crevasses and peaks that defy description and that are terrifying in magnitude. And Leslie paints it, sculpts it, choreographs it, screams and weeps and laughs it. And takes us with her, gently guiding us through.
This is a magnificent thing, this book. It provides so much open ground for us to allow expression and recognition of all our feelings. - words fail me here. This is a gift to everyone who has had the challenge of living life.
I am moved beyond belief by this writing. Thank you.
Ronnie Ross
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Michelle Mallette
518 reviews9 followers
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October 1, 2022
See my full review here.
What a beautiful tribute to love, and the sharing of a life together with all its hills and valleys. Soon after beginning their retirement years with plans for travel, adventures, and future grandchildren, the author and her husband receive separate but equally life-altering dianoses. She has Parkinson's, and he has early onset dementia. This memoir is Leslie’s raw and honest chronicle of how she and Lincoln faced the dual diagnosis, supported by a large and loving family, a strong circle of friends, and a compassionate, caring community. Leslie writes with honesty and passion, hiding nothing as she describes the challenges, the discarded dreams and the loneliness. There’s plenty of sweet joy and humour, and the book is peppered with black and white photos. You'll weep and laugh, and marvel at the grace and strength Leslie finds. This book is for anyone seeking guidance in how to navigate life’s most unexpected curveballs. What choice do you have, after all? But in fact, there are many choices to be made in the journey and this is the great big heart of this memoir. It’s also a tribute to Lincoln the adventurer, the loving father, the ebullient partner, and the mischievous prankster. Leslie’s writing is, of course, exquisite; she is a word artist who writes to understand herself and the world around her, and in so doing helps the rest of us grow a little more too. Thank you to Touchwood Editions/Brindle & Glass for the advance reading copy provided in exchange for my honest review. Grand Forks pals – buy a copy and bring it with you to the author reading at the Grand Forks & District Public Library on October 29!
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Julie
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March 4, 2023
Some of the writing was too flowery for me, but I still loved this book. It’s so honest and heartfelt, and you really see the love Lincoln and Leslie had for each other. Two terrible diseases, and it’s admirable how well she coped. I loved the little anecdotes, especially the ones that made me smile! Very sweet.
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Rachel Dick Plonka
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August 19, 2025
One of the most exquisitely beautiful memoirs I have ever read. I laughed, I cried, I saw myself in Leslie's story, even though mine is so different from hers. This book was written with so much compassion and grace.
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Lynn
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July 21, 2024
What a couple! What a journey! Leslie, your writing is so touching and you are so remarkable.
2024
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Connie Simonton
10 reviews
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February 3, 2023
My grandma has Parkinson’s disease, she is about 75 years old it was detected 7 years ago. Right now it’s getting more difficult to live for her, because of stiff muscles she can’t even move. L-dopa and carbidopa medicines are given, but won"t give much relief. She can"t eat food and the skin is damaging forming ganglia. I thought this might be the last stage and the medications she was given did not help at all, so I started to do alot of research on natural treatments, I was introduced to Health Natural CentreU.S and their Parkinson’s Herbal Protocol. She started on the Parkinson’s Treatment last year, her symptoms gradually diminished including her Tremors, Body Weakness and Muscle Pains. Reach them at healthnaturalcentre.org , She is getting active again since starting this treatment, she is able to walk again ( down the street and back ) and able to ride her treadmill again! God Bless all PD Caregivers. Stay Strong, take small moments throughout the day to thank yourself, to love your self, and pray to whatever faith, star, spiritual force you believe in and ask for strength. I can personally vouch for these remedy but you would probably need to decide what works best for you.
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Bonnie
470 reviews8 followers
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January 29, 2024
A moving story of Canadian couple looking forward to their retirement years- to have the time to explore more of the world in their old wheelie and add new outdoor adventures. Their daughters live close by with their children. Leslie, a teacher and Lincoln, a school librarian lived in their fixer-upper house for decades. Their jobs brought them support and friendship in a close-knit British Columbia town. Then Leslie is diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease at the same time that Lincoln is diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia. Their planned retirement is replaced by years of medical settings, life changes, and 2 diagnosis that slowly steal their mobility, memory and companionship. One touching story in the book is during a winter snow. Lincoln is confined to a wheelchair but Leslie takes him out of the group home every day to show him the garden or a sunrise or any small taste of the world he loved. Snow made it impossible - especially with her Parkinson's disease- to move the wheelchair outdoors. Leslie found someone to custom-make ski runners for the chair's wheels. Lincoln could still go outside. What the diseases did not take away from them was their love and the little joys of life.
2024
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Sheila
1,455 reviews13 followers
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January 1, 2024
Leslie and Lincoln have lived a full life. They travelled extensively before they were married and finally settled into a small town in southern British Columbia both working as teachers where they becoming involved in the small community. Now, just as they are retiring, Leslie starts having problems walking, her left leg begins dragging and Lincoln is showing signs of confusion. They go for a drive and when Leslie finally asks Lincoln where they are, he tells her, he has no idea.
Their worst nightmare begins, Leslie is diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and Lincoln is diagnosed with Lewy body dementia. Their friends and neighbors rally around them helping wherever they can. Leslie works hard to keep Lincoln home and safe with her until her own health suffers and she has to make the difficult decision to find placement for him.
It's an amazing story and well written. I think anyone who is faced with a progressive debilitating disease or has a spouse with the same situation should read this book. Leslie shows incredible strength in how she navigated her own journey with Parkinson's Disease while showing resilience and the love she had for her husband.
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Elizab
36 reviews
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October 11, 2025
My husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease about four years ago. At first, we followed the conventional route prescription meds, physical therapy, and regular doctor visits. Unfortunately, despite our efforts, his condition gradually got worse. His memory declined, coordination became a challenge, and daily life was growing increasingly difficult for both of us.About a year ago, feeling like we were out of options, we decided to explore a more natural route. That’s when we came across NaturePath Herbal Clinic. To be honest, we didn’t expect much. But we were surprised within just a few months of starting their herbal program, there were noticeable improvements. His alertness sharpened, his mobility improved, and he seemed to have more strength and energy.Today, he’s more active, confident, and independent than he's been in years. It’s been a transformative journey, and I truly believe this natural approach made a real difference for him. If you or someone you care about is dealing with Parkinson’s, I’d definitely suggest taking a look at what NaturePath offers. Their website is www.naturepathherbalclinic.com
info@naturepathherbalclinic.com
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Dianne
241 reviews
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January 26, 2023
Lewy Body Dementia is the disease which is the subject matter for this beautifully written memoir. Lincoln Ford the husband of the author is an outdoorsman who loved to hike and cycle. He is a well loved educator and librarian. He is a husband, father and grandfather who lives in British Columbia, Canada. If you are familiar with Lewy Body you will know that one of the symptoms are hallucinations which the person inflicted will believe to be real. Lincoln’s sense of humour and consideration for others is evident when he waits for his less athletic, imaginary hikers to catch up with him. As the wife of a man who is also a teacher, an athlete, a father and a grandfather, I understood every action and emotion expressed in the book. It was commissioned by the Banff School of Fine Arts and the CBC. Five stars out of five and a thank you to Leslie Davidson for taking the time to tell of her family’s journey with Lewy Body
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Vilja
69 reviews
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December 16, 2022
One of the most beautiful books I have ever read. A tribute to love, family, friends, and a life lived together.
I cried and smiled through all of it. The pages brim with fondness for everyone in the author's path, and are filled with the magic that is everyday life.
It is a story of great courage and resilience, but still an incredibly sad story; however, it is made up of so much joy, happiness, and gratitude, for all the things we humans experience, big and small, and all the places we move through.
I live in Revelstoke, where much of this story takes place, and the author brings our town and all the other locations mentioned vividly to life, painting gorgeous images of our beloved mountains, rivers, valleys, and forests.
I can only wish that I will one day find a love as profound as the one between the author and her husband.
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Enid Wray
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July 9, 2023
It has taken me a couple of weeks to read this - I’ve been so busy, and I’ve been picking up and putting down other titles that were going to expire on me. However, I am so glad to have taken the time to finish it here this afternoon.
This is a little gem of a book. Indeed, there were many many times while I was reading that the tears were streaming down my face - fogging up my glasses and making it take even longer to read.
This is a beautiful love story - full of tenderness and warmth and compassion. What they go through - individually, and as a couple - is both heart-warming and heart-breaking.
There is so much here that is so relevant. I mean we’re all getting older… we’re all dealing with situations like - or similar to - this now, or we will be sooner than we like to think we will.
Highly recommended.
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Steve Malone
201 reviews
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August 27, 2023
For me this was an amazing book. It is not that long but covers a lifetime of a couple, particularly their last few years. The simple honesty, sincerity and candor sprinkled with enough humor to make it real comes through in every page. Terrible things happen to good people and there is no sugar coating of a solution. I still came away inspired and with a deeper understanding of loss; the progressive loss of ones friend, partner and love of ones life while also facing ones own mortality. It is not an easy read, but I couldn't put it down reading the whole book in two days.
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Deborah Sowery-Quinn
940 reviews
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May 11, 2024
This memoir is one of the Evergreen nominees for this year (Ontario Library Association Forest of Reading Program). This memoir was so beautifully written, so moving, so compelling. So much grace in handling the double blow that was received by Davidson and her husband. And yet there is so much humour and love and stories of support from friends, family and community. I had to write the author and tell her how much I loved it (my own father had dementia so I had a small connection and I have a lot of fears about my future as I age) and she very kindly responded in appreciation.
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Lingyuxiu Zhong
142 reviews
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December 27, 2022
I understand that this is a local favorite -- someone who's native to British Columbia, documenting her heartbreaking and courageous journey through caregiving and grief. And it is a profoundly touching story. But the writing really leaves much to be desired, most times feeling like a hodgepodge of diary entries and very bland / banal telling of events. I understand the empathy owed to the author and her family, but a book should be judged on the merits of its writing and originality.
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Bonnie Chismar
9 reviews
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April 6, 2023
In July last year, I started on Parkinson’s disease TREATMENT PROTOCOL from Natural Herbs Centre (ww w. Naturalherbscentre. com). One month into the treatment, I made a significant recovery. After I completed the recommended treatment, almost all my symptoms were gone, great improvement with my movement and balance. Its been a year, life has been amazing
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Ashly Cuthbert
30 reviews
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November 24, 2024
This was heart wrenching in all the ways I expected and a few ways I hadn’t. It’s amazing how you can feel so attached to someone you’ve never even met just by getting to know them through somebody else’s eyes. I was scared to read this because I knew the feelings it would make me have but I’m still so glad I did. This isn’t my normal kind of book but I’m a better person for having read it.
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Margi
299 reviews
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August 31, 2022
Leslie Davidson has an extraordinary gift for finding the grace in everything. She is also an extremely talented writer, who manages to share the story of her own illness and that of her husband, Lincoln, in ways that will take your breath away. This is a beautiful, beautiful book.
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Shelley
621 reviews
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March 9, 2023
This book was all the more special because the author is from my hometown. To be hit by this double whammy would be so difficult to endure yet she has conveyed strength, grace and courage in her honesty.
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Kayla Lynn
1 review
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March 15, 2023
As a nurse who largely deals with Dementia and Parkinson’s I picked this book up with no real expectations. This book was amazing, humbling and extremely insightful. Thank you to Leslie for this beautiful book. 💜
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Kristin Anthony-Malone
2 reviews
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August 3, 2023
Spectacular! A true love story. Powerful and engaging.
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Katelin
12 reviews
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October 7, 2023
Wow. All the tears. A book I’m sure I’ll revisit down the road.
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Pat Chell
91 reviews
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November 15, 2023
This was an amazing book to read!! Facing life with such bravery, vulnerability and humour!
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Kelly Bartelings
48 reviews
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November 25, 2023
Beautifully written with so much honesty and positivity in a world of circumstances that can bring so much negativity. Also felt good to read about the same places I grew up in
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Cynthia
4 reviews
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February 18, 2024
An incredibly emotional read! Extremely enlightening on so many levels!
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Barb Thompson
458 reviews
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July 22, 2024
Amazing woman with so many obstacles she describes her story to make the reader feel they are part of the writers life.
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CanadianReader
1,332 reviews
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October 2, 2024
The writing was not up to effectively carrying the content. I was unable to persist.
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Hannah
18 reviews
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September 3, 2025
This is an absolutely beautifully written book about love and loss, the inevitable for all of us in some way, shape or form.
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Meg
476 reviews
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February 22, 2024
This is one heck of a book. It is sad, funny, happy, exciting, terrifying...it has a little bit of everything. A couple ravaged by not one, but two, life altering illnesses who live gracefully and with kindness. The writing is so beautiful that I constantly forgot that these people weren't family of my own.
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Renny
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March 28, 2024
This book is a gem. Honest, humorous, heartbreaking, and so well-written.
There is no cure. Dance while you can.
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Dancing in Small Spaces: One Couple’s Journey with Parkinson’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia Kindle Edition
by Leslie A. Davidson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars (32)
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An unstintingly honest and surprisingly humorous memoir that charts a couple’s parallel diagnoses of Parkinson’s and Lewy body dementia.
In 2011, Leslie Davidson and her husband Lincoln Ford were enjoying retired life to the fullest as ardent outdoor enthusiasts, energetic travellers, and soon-to-be grandparents. But when Lincoln’s confusion became a concern and Leslie began to experience a hesitant leg and uncontrollable tremors in one arm, a devastating double diagnosis completely changed their life.
In this personal and unstintingly honest memoir, Leslie recounts the years that follow the diagnoses—her Parkinson’s and Lincoln’s Lewy body dementia—charting physical changes, mastering medications (and sometimes flubbing it), the logistical puzzles of caregiving, and the steady support of their close-knit community in the small town of Grand Forks in south central British Columbia.
She describes her struggle to maintain perspective while questioning what having perspective even means, and the work of being an advocate while needing an advocate. And she explains how, amid all the challenges and tears, shared laughter remained all-important to their survival, especially in times when Lincoln saw her as an imposter. She shares powerful lessons in love, courage, and grace from the man who had always led the way and who, despite the ravages of his illness, in many ways, still did.
At once poignant and unflinchingly frank Dancing in Small Spaces is the story of a long and adventurous marriage, of deep gratitude, and, ultimately, of writing one’s way toward understanding and acceptance.
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"Such a beautiful book. So moving, and so deeply personal and human." --Sheryl MacKay, CBC's North by Northwest
"Leslie Davidson's memoir highlights how a loved one's dementia diagnosis can be frightening, exhausting and lonely, but also create unexpected opportunities for tenderness and humour. Even after two devastating diagnoses sent them into cognitive and physical decline, Davidson and her husband Lincoln found ways to recognize and hold on to each other and the adventurous spirit of their marriage. Dancing in Small Spaces is the truest kind of love story." --Dakshana Bascaramurty, bestselling author of This Is Not the End of Me
"This book is a triumphant song of love. Beautifully written, fierce and tender, it will inspire gratitude in everyone who reads it." --Alison Wearing, author of Moments of Glad Grace
"A sad and beautiful story that sparkles with wit, wisdom, and honesty; a primer on courage that insists on a simple but profound truth: love is the domain of the brave." --Kara Stanley, author of Fallen and Ghost Warning
"What happens to love when identity stumbles and fragments? How does love survive? How can love survive? The beauty to be found in this book lies in its refusal to shirk difficult questions. Leslie writes with honesty and credibility. She is a writer who consistently sees a different slant, a jagged edge in an otherwise direct theme." --Dr. Jon Stamford, neuroscientist, co-founder Parkinson's Movement
"Dancing in Small Spaces is an ironic title given the big life that Leslie lives. . . Dementia and Parkinson disease have wrought havoc among her family and friends, constantly pushing to confine her to increasingly small spaces. Leslie will have none of that. Her generous soul, her poignant and eloquent writing, and her essential humanity all push the boundaries back out." --Jillian Carson BScPT, Founder Parkinson Wellness, Projects Ambassador WPC 2016-2019
"You'll be struck by Leslie's calmness and acceptance, particularly around the passing of Lincoln, as well as how she now navigates Parkinson's every day with grace, honesty, and acceptance." --Power Over Parkinson's Podcast
"This is not a sad story although there are sad moments. It is a story of true love that you will be grateful you have read it." --17 Branches, non-profit organization
About the Author
Leslie A. Davidson is the author of two children's books, In the Red Canoe (Orca Books, 2016) and The Sun is a Shine (2021). Her essay "Adaptation" won the CBC Canada Writes Creative Non-fiction Prize and her work has been published in the Globe and Mail, Viewpoints and On the Move. Davidson is a retired elementary school teacher, a mother, and grandmother. She lives in Revelstoke, BC.
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Dancing in Small Spaces: One Couple’s Journey with Parkinson’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia
Dancing in Small Spaces: One Couple’s Journey with Parkinson’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia
Product details
ASIN : B09ZM81MMM
Publisher : Brindle & Glass
Accessibility : Learn more
Publication date : 25 October 2022
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From other countries
Robert MacLean
5.0 out of 5 stars True and unwavering love.
Reviewed in Canada on 22 September 2025
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
The author is a gifted writer who experiences love, life and grief and is so skilled and passionate describing her loss and pain. She pours her heart into the reader’s world.
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Barbara McSkimming
5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Sharing
Reviewed in Canada on 26 August 2024
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
This memoir of the love and relationship between two people dealing with the terrible cruelty of fate landing them with not just one but two incurable diseases is a remarkable read. The courage and dignity they summoned together is remarkable. A truly inspiring story is told here —a true story of acceptance, love and grief that would appear insurmountable. Leslie takes us one step at a time through their journey and does so with sincerity and honesty. A must read for all of us touched by dementia and Parkinson’s in our own lives.
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Bonny Lynn Cooke
5.0 out of 5 stars It is about love during the hardest of times.
Reviewed in Canada on 20 September 2023
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
This is an important book for policy developers, recently diagnosed, caregivers, and communities that want to show some love when a terrible medical crisis happens. Leslie and Lincoln were much-loved members of the small town of Grand Forks when they were both diagnosed with serious medical conditions. Leslie writes the book with honesty and humour and you feel you are there with them as they try to cope. You see Leslie doing her best to care for the man she loves and the community that loves them trying to do their best for them. What makes the book readable is the love throughout and the humour. It is the dual diagnosis that is so important to understand, so many Canadians are ill and trying to care for a loved one when they themselves are terribly ill. The day-to-day care is unrelenting and we see this through Leslie's eyes, it is so much easier to comprehend when the story is personal rather than another government factual report. This is a fierce book about fierce people living courageously. Some people say it would make them too sad to read, but it made me proud. Leslie and Lincoln were people I loved and Grand Forks was my community. Read this book it is important for so many reasons.
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Catherine Winstanley
5.0 out of 5 stars A Five-Star Read
Reviewed in Canada on 23 November 2022
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
An informative, honest, and beautifully written account.
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Karen Lowe Gillespie
5.0 out of 5 stars Heartwarming
Reviewed in Canada on 9 November 2022
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
A heart warming book of love & life. It’s a fantastic read… so we’ll written. You won’t be able to put it down
Highly recommend
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C. Graham
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
Reviewed in Canada on 22 October 2022
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
An excellent non-fiction book.
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