The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne by Ron Currie

From Maine’s own Ron Currie comes a novel that asks the hardest questions with startling clarity: What does it mean to truly know someone? And what happens when the person you love most becomes a stranger?

The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne is a meditation on memory, identity, and the slow unraveling that comes with dementia. Currie—author of the acclaimed Everything Matters!—brings his signature blend of profound empathy and unflinching honesty to this intimate portrait of a family in crisis.

When Babs Dionne begins to lose herself to Alzheimer’s, her husband and children must navigate the impossible terrain between the woman she was and the person she’s becoming. Currie writes with devastating precision about the small, brutal losses that accumulate over time—the forgotten names, the repeated stories, the moments when recognition flickers and then disappears.

This isn’t a sentimental tale. It’s raw, sometimes uncomfortable, and deeply human. Currie captures both the savage reality of cognitive decline and the noble dignity of a life fully lived, even as it slips away.

Perfect for readers who appreciate literary fiction that doesn’t look away from life’s most difficult passages. If you’ve been moved by authors like Elizabeth Strout or Richard Russo—writers who understand that the smallest moments often carry the greatest weight—you’ll find a kindred spirit in Currie’s work.

A powerful exploration of love, loss, and what remains when memory fades.