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4 Years Trapped in My Mind Palace by Johan Twiss is set in a nursing care facility in the San Francisco area. At first I was not excited about reading about a nursing home because it reminds me of my job in a similar facility. However, the book is also set in the mind of Aaron’s new roommate, Solomon.
Aaron, a 14-year-old boy, who contracted Cryptococcal meningitis, is currently in a vegetative state. He cannot control his body but his mind is just as active as before the illness. No one knows that Aaron is aware of what is going on until Solomon moves into the room. Solomon can hear his thoughts. It’s the first time in two years that Aaron could communicate with anyone.
Solomon also has dementia. Occasionally, Aaron gets trapped in Solomon’s memories. Solomon was a jazz musician and also fought in WWII. He has seen some amazing things. Famous boxing matches. Great music.
He has also seen things like the liberating of the concentration camps and other horrors of war.
Will Aaron get trapped in the memories or in his own mind forever? Will he be able to communicate with anyone else?
Most people will enjoy this book. It has a little bit of something for everyone. Romance. Action. Adventure. Nostalgia.
Recommendation:
If you don’t like unhealthy people or old people, then you might not be a fan of 4 Years in My Mind Palace. Aaron’s own parents disappear for a while. They don’t call, write or visit. They pay the bills for his care but that’s all. ( I mean really . . . what kind of monsters are they anyway?) Will the parents visit him again?
I recommend this book to everyone, except those cruel parental monsters and Nazis of course.
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