Winter Stars

An elderly mother, an aging son, and life’s final journey
“Winter Stars is a gift — a modern classic of frontier literature documenting the uncertain journey into the country of caregiving.” –Michael J. Fox.

Dave Iverson was a busy broadcast journalist recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease when he decided to do something he’d never quite imagined: He moved in to take care of his 95-year-old mom. Winter Stars is the moving story of their ten-year caregiving journey.

“The resulting memoir is a love story you won’t soon forget,” writes Elizabeth Farnsworth, former chief correspondent for The PBS NewsHour and author of A Train Through Time.

By the end of this decade, 74 million Americans will be over the age of 65, including every member of the Baby Boom generation. The pandemic prompted more Americans to consider caring for their parents at home, but as Iverson learned, the gritty, life-changing reality caregiving delivers requires more than good intentions. He didn’t know that his mom’s dementia would pose more challenges than his Parkinson’s. He didn’t know he’d be capable of getting so angry. He didn’t know that becoming a caregiver means experiencing love and loss, anger and insight—usually when exhausted and often on the same day. And he didn’t know that moving in with his mom would challenge and change him more than any other life experience.

“A deeply moving memoir, Winter Stars is still more than that — it is a guide to finding the help we all need, in one way or another, as life poses new and different challenges,” praises Ron Elving, Senior Editor and Correspondent, NPR

For the vast number of families who are confronting —or will soon confront—a caregiving journey, Winter Stars offers an intimate, unvarnished portrait of the challenges, choices, and life lessons that lie ahead.

“Honest, comforting, and true, Winter Stars is a testament to the power of family love,” says Ann Packer, best-selling author of The Dive from Clausen’s Pier and Songs Without Words.
Awards, Reviews, and Coverage
No1NewRelease 150 in: Parkinson’s Disease; Aging Parents

“A deeply moving account of a 10-year caregiving odyssey … As Iverson depicts in heartrending scenes, those years were never without their difficulties … but there are also glimmers of joy … This cannily conveys the nuances of living with and loving someone at the end of their life.” –Publisher’s Weekly

“Compelling in sharing admiration for the women in his life, Iverson’s monumental memoir about assuming a caregiver’s role is marked by complexity, love, and humor. … Winter Stars is the elegant memoir of a relatable caregiver who spent a decade caring for his ailing mother.” –Foreword Reviews