Lisa Bellet Collins, Fallsington Friends Meeting, shared her family history in the development of her self-published book, Out To Pasture.  Growing up in an intergenerational family, Lisa developed perspectives on relationships and decision making within families.  Her work with the New Jersey Department of Health Long Term Care Division led her to becoming an attorney. Through humor and sadness, she shares how learning to communicate and understand the needs of her primary character was integral in her care planning.  The central character has a neurological illness, Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare brain disease that affects movement, balance, vision, speech, and swallowing.  Lisa noted that Quaker concepts of community and bringing people together were integral to developing the story.  The intergenerational component makes the story real as the family finds other solutions to long-term care placement. 

Synopsis

Out to Pasture by Lisa Bellet Collins is a poignant family drama centered on Mimi, an eighty-year-old woman whose cognitive abilities have diminished but whose heart remains intact. She has gradually lost the ability to speak, now able to say only “No” — even when she means “yes” Blurb+1. Mimi is content to spend her remaining days with her daughter Lily and her teenage grandson Todd, whom she trusts to understand her.

The story takes a sharp turn when a forgotten lunch causes a fire, forcing Mimi’s family to confront difficult decisions about her care. The tension escalates as they debate whether to send her to Shady Acres nursing home or find another solution. The narrative explores themes of family loyalty, aging, dementia, and the search for dignity in later life.

With its blend of emotional intimacy and realistic family conflict, Out to Pasture offers a tender yet challenging look at how loved ones navigate the complexities of caring for a parent in decline, while trying to preserve their connection and sense of home.

Author of Out to Pasture now available at:  https://www.blurb.com/b/9995147