Untangling Dementia Themes in Teen Fiction with Krysten Lindsay Hager
Today’s guest is Krysten Lindsay Hager, who writes funny, charming, irresistible dramas for tweens and teens. Her stories are about friendship, self-esteem, fitting in, frenemies, crushes, fame, first loves, and values. She also writes about dementia, especially Lewy Body, in the teen novels “Competing with the Star,” a Readers’ Favorite Book Award Finalist, and “Dating the It Guy.”
Krysten’s experience with dementia started in her sophomore year in high school when her grandfather was diagnosed with “hardening of the arteries.” She helped her parents provide care for him, which affected her college years and led her to write “Competing with the Star.” Many years later her father was diagnosed with Lewy Body dementia which inspired “Dating the It Guy.”
In this episode we discuss why fiction is an excellent medium for educating teens about serious topics, why Robin Williams’ story helped her understood her father’s illness, how the vulnerability of dementia affects loving relationships, and the positivity to be found in saying “the long goodbye.”
Read Krysten’s AlzAuthors Post: https://alzauthors.com/2017/02/01/krysten-lindsay-hager-how-young-adult-fiction-helps-heal-and-educate/
Start reading “Competing with the Star” https://amzn.to/2JJjIAs and “Dating the It Guy” https://amzn.to/33CEcCk now!
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Connect with Krysten Lindsay Hager
Website: https://www.krystenlindsay.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KrystenLindsayHagerAuthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krystenlindsay/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KrystenLindsay
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/krystenlindsay/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClIQCsRcKc97-25oXvabZ8A
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