'Timely, lyrical, tough, accurate, and ultimately not (too) depressing. Or as my aunts used to say, Roll up your sleeves.' - Margaret Atwood 'Lyrical and powerful.' - Van Cortlandt Public Library Staff Pick 'I've sent bits of it to my sister, to her delighted recognition, and have tucked others close to my heart to support me throughout my journey with Mum. An idiosyncratic, poetic, deeply personal book which speaks to and affirms what I've seen and felt.' - Dementia's Daughter 'I can imagine this being an invaluable companion for caregivers, to be tucked into a pocket or purse and pulled out for a few moments of relief.' - Bookish Beck 'Barnes, who also lives with bipolar disorder has been the principal caregiver for his mother Mary for several years as she copes gallantly, not always successfully, against her dementia. That's one of the finest things about this book; Barnes's generously expressed admiration for his mother as she struggles with this extraordinarily intimate illness.

' - Julia Jones, Authors Electric 'I think those two words, Be With, are an inspired choice to sum up what really matters to people who are living with dementia. I also agree with Mike Barnes that there is so much to be learned and appreciated by those family members and friends who remain close. The last years of life are as much as integral part of existence as the first. Well done to Mike Barnes for expressing this so passionately.' - Julia Jones, publisher and co-founder of John's Campaign 'I thoroughly enjoyed reading Be With. Mike shares wisdom, hope and reality all with insight - Be With is a real stand-out.' - Kathryn Quinlan, Mentor Trainer/Products and Services Coordinator at Positive Approach® to Care 'Barnes writes with a clear and melodic tenor; there's poetry in his myriad introspections, and a willingness to put everything on the table, good, bad, and heart-wrenching. This is a powerful book for those who have experienced similar trials, regardless of length of time or severity.

' - Publishers Weekly 'My heart lodged in my throat and my eyes stayed glassy. It's a lovely, loving and unflinching work reflecting on an awful, inexorable illness. Physician offices would do well by stocking copies.' - Toronto Star 'A friendly, authoritative voice in the dark that will lead its at-the-end-of-their-tether listeners through to the endgame.' - Literary Review of Canada 'The particulars of Mary's dementia give this brief book universal appeal. The author effectively humanizes himself as a man who has made errors, who wishes he had done things differently, and who has his own psychological burdens to bear. A book that tells the reader that you are not alone, whoever you are.' - Kirkus Reviews.