Release Date: October 16, 2023
Size: 8x8
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-57869-142-5
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-57869-143-2
Library of Congress Control Number: 2023907734
eBook: 978-1-57869-144-9 CLICK HERE to order the eBook.
Booksellers and Libraries: Order Info Here or at Ingram.

SYNOPSIS

Indigo Hours is a lyrical, profound, and playful book of haiku poems with original scratchboard drawings from an artist thrust into the role of care partner after her husband’s diagnosis of “likely Alzheimer’s.”

Artist and author Nancy Stone took life for granted–until she was thrust into the unchosen role of caregiver for her spouse of fifty years. Her husband’s decline has changed every aspect of their relationship–except their love. In poems that show the change of emotions along with insights for coping with loss and grief and the metaphor found in nature–water, light and shadow–Stone breaks down the silence and stigma associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease, and offers a calming guide for others dealing with the devastation and exhaustion of caregiving. Her poems and art offer glimmers of gratitude, courage, and resilience for moving forward with love in your heart during challenging times.

Excerpt

Cavities

His daily delight:
Wildlife beyond the window
Our small world expands

Slow excavations
Woodpecker and Alzheimer’s
Leaving emptiness

Cavities in trees
Lapses in the brain. Only
The forest resounds

Praise

“Nancy’s haiku is very powerful in its simplicity, and how it is at that tender intersection of beauty and pain. Her writing is beautiful, her experiences deeply touch your heart. Anyone living with the slide of dementia, or any other loss, will be reassured, comforted and at times uplifted by her gifted writing. A truly amazing and meaningful book.”  

–Deb Chisholm, MEd, CMC, BCC
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“The poems are beautiful. Light, color, and emotion jump out from each verse. Nancy provides eyesight for all of us who have loved ones in need. One feels both the tangible and spiritual needs of both the lover and the loved one.”

–William Geiger Jr., Pomeroy Professor at University of Vermont

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“Nancy Stone’s Indigo Hours, a collection of her haiku and scratchboard drawings, is an invaluable gift to the reader. She eloquently voices the fears, the complexity and the hope that attend her life as a caregiver. She offers perspective and possibilities with honesty and grace. This book is a great comfort no matter the challenges one faces—a lovely reminder that none of us is truly alone.”

–Debra Runge, caregiver

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“As the partner of a loved one with dementia, I enjoy Nancy’s haiku immensely. She holds her caregiving experiences up to the prism of haiku to distill into poetry the essence of each moment along her journey with her husband. Her poetry helps me reflect on my own journey with my wife.”  

–Chapin Kaynor, caregiver

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“Nancy didn’t choose the journey her true love’s brain took them on and yet she certainly has chosen to be alive to it. These haiku are snapshots of the complexity of honest moments and her full participation in the richness of the path that chose her….such wisdom and wrenching and healing and being brave enough to share them.”

–Jason Imanuel, poet

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“Nancy’s book is a heartfelt meditation, in haiku and visual poetry, on her passage into the mysterious journey so many of us are forced to take with a loved one. Neither a recipe for healing nor a plea for understanding, she shows us a path for acceptance. Her words and art will be familiar and comforting to anyone who is embarking on a journey into the confusing darkness of dementia.”

–David Yandell, Professor Emeritus of Pathology at University of Vermont

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“The raw, honest emotion of caregiving is captured in these flowing words. If you are or have been a caregiver to someone living with dementia, your heart will tug and squeeze with acknowledgement and complete understanding.  As someone who works in the world of dementia and lives it personally, I read these more than once and laughed, cried, sighed, asked myself ‘why,’ and shook my head ‘yes’ several times. Nancy, thank you for sharing your journey with the world in such a concise and elegant way!”

–Cathy Michaels, CPD, director of community relations at The Arbors at Shelburne

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“Nancy Stone’s poetry will touch your heart and remind you of the complexity and preciousness of life.”

–Jane Dwinell, coauthor of Alzheimer’s Canyon: One Couple’s Reflections on Living with Dementia

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“It would be impossible to put into a small reflection the impact that Nancy’s writing had on me. I really loved reading the progression in haiku. Amazing work! The simple rhythm of haiku invited me on a five-year journey of transformation. Indigo Hours beautifully captures the challenges of caregiving, the frustration of forgetting, and the flexibility required to navigate dementia. As Alzheimer's progresses, the poems encourage the reader to shift focus from the external and bold activities to turning inward and finding joy in the simple things in life––like a short haiku.”

–Meg Polyte, policy director at the Vermont Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association

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“Indigo Hours’ introspective haiku and evocative art combine to take readers on a journey through the battles of letting go and holding on, loss and love, and despair and hope. We come out the other side of the journey with an increased ability to make meaning of the human condition, a reminder to take care of ourselves, and a call to cherish the moments we have with the ones we love. The work is marked by tenderness and a sincere effort to help all who might pick it up. Astounding.”

–Lucas Dunn, educator

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“It is my honor to help guide families through the very difficult process of choosing a new home for their loved one suffering from dementia. Every journey is unique and often heartbreaking.  The artwork and haiku in this book are incredibly beautiful and thought-provoking. Many people will find comfort in Nancy Stone’s words and art knowing they are not alone.”

–Jane Samuelson, director of community relations at Maple Ridge Memory Care

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“This poignant and moving collection of haiku by Nancy Stone is a powerful testament to her enduring love, care, and devotion for her husband as she watches his cognitive decline. The title of the book, Indigo Hours, evokes a dark blue state of mind. Some poems are surrounded by beautiful drawings depicting the intricate harmony between them and the whimsical lines of the black-and-white background. 

     I highly recommend this beautiful book of poetry and art to anyone facing similar struggles, or to anyone looking for a deeper understanding of the emotional impact of cognitive decline. This book shows that it is possible through creativity to find moments of beauty and connection even in difficult circumstances.

     Nancy’s honesty and vulnerability in sharing her experience of what it means to love and care for someone is both touching and inspiring. Her poems offer hope and comfort not only to others who may be facing similar challenges but for all those who in times of loss find artistic forms of expression.”

–Mina Levinsky-Wohl, LP, LCMHC, psychoanalyst and psychotherapist

Reviews & In the News

Burlington Free Press, December 5, 2023: Santa thinks you should add some Vermont-related books to your holiday wish list

StoryComic Podcast, November 8, 2023: (Episode 319): Nancy Stone: Finding Light and Shadow in ’Indigo Hours’ also as a YouTube Video.

The Williston Observer, November 9, 2023: Around Town for November 9, 2023

The Williston Observer, October 26, 2023: Author Nancy Stone shares her ‘Indigo Hours’

WCAX News, October 5, 2023: Vermont artist publishes book of haikus

Meet the Author