In her moving new memoir, Grandma HAS Alzheimer’s But It’s OK, Dr. Marian Tally Simmons Brown shares the powerful story of an ordinary family’s extraordinary journey caring for a beloved mother and grandmother living with Alzheimer’s. Told through the eyes of the family grandchild, this deeply personal book captures the value of family bonds, the pain of watching a loved one decline, and the hope and strength that faith and love can provide in the darkest of times.
The memoir offers more than a personal story—it is a testament to compassion, perseverance, and active faith. Readers are reminded that unconditional love can overcome fear, uncertainty, and hesitation. This narrative empowers families and caregivers to stand strong, even when circumstances seem overwhelming and hope appears to fade.
Dr. Brown’s background as a retired educator and cultural scholar informs her perspective, allowing her to weave together academic insight, lived experience, and cultural understanding into her writing and public work. She is an acknowledged authority on Afro-American Culture, particularly the Music of the Southern Fundamentalist Black Church. Throughout her career, she has been an influential voice highlighting the vital role of Black Church ritual in preserving cultural identity. Her work has included conferences, workshops, and seminars that explore this rich cultural tradition.
For two decades, Dr. Brown served as Professor of Fine Arts at Florida State College, Jacksonville, Florida. Her career included international academic contributions, such as leading students to museums and architectural sites across Europe and participating in a U.S. Department of Education–sponsored cultural program in Sierra Leone, West Africa. In 1992, she was among a select group of Humanities College faculty chosen for a national symposium at Johns Hopkins University.
But her life took a deeply personal turn when her mother was diagnosed with intermediate-stage Alzheimer’s. At the peak of her career, with extensive community and professional commitments, Dr. Brown made the life-altering decision to return home to become her mother’s primary caregiver. As an only child, and with the support of her father, she committed to ensuring her mother remained in the family home for the rest of her natural life.
This decision reshaped the next decade of Dr. Brown’s life, as she and her father witnessed and supported her mother’s transformation through the stages of Alzheimer’s. Grandma HAS Alzheimer’s But It’s OK documents not only the family’s struggles but also their resilience, deep love, and faith.
The book speaks to caregivers, families of Alzheimer’s patients, and anyone facing the challenges of caring for a loved one. It highlights how even in loss, there can be meaning, love, and hope. Dr. Brown continues to share her insights today, leading workshops for caregivers, grief support groups, and women’s empowerment programs.
About the Author:
Dr. Marian Tally Simmons Brown is a retired educator, cultural scholar, and caregiver advocate. With a distinguished career in academia and community leadership, she now devotes her time to empowering caregivers and families by sharing her personal experiences through writing, workshops, and speaking engagements
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