THE BOOK

Don't Eat the Elephants is a powerful true story about how Pat and Don Miller's love prevailed over a disease that frightens us all. From their first dates and budding love affair to Don's last breath, the narrative is filled with chuckles and challenges, lighthearted scenes and deeply poignant ones.

The reader is immediately drawn into the story as Pat shares the fun and excitement of their college romance, the adventures of their year in Japan when Don was in the Air Force, the arrival of their two daughters, and tales of the early years of their marriage. When Don was in his early fifties, he began to have problems that no one understood. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease when he was barely 59, and with Pat by his side, died when he was 65. Seeking to keep her emotional balance, Pat kept a journal during Don's illness, and those notes became the basis for their story. She describes how the two of them coped with the challenges they faced, and in so doing offers inspiration and wisdom for everyday living. As Pat looks past the symptoms of the disease to find the husband she so deeply loves, she discovers that their love is able to sustain them both, and the courage and strength they each find make this an inspiring and heart-warming book.