The Last Cadillac

"A touching debut memoir about a middle-aged woman charged with caring for both her aging father and her two growing children. Overall, Sullivan's book is a tender tribute to a man she regarded as a kind father and beloved grandparent. It also provides a moving picture of the ways that the family made their ailing patriarch's final years adventurous and fun, such as by taking a family vacation to Ireland. The author deftly examines the drama of complicated family dynamics and provides an accurate picture of what it's like to be a member of the so-called "sandwich generation," caring for both children and parents. One of the strongest aspects of Sullivan's memoir is the way she beautifully describes caring for a parent with dementia: "His senility was like water rushing through my fingers; I couldn't grab hold of it, understand it, manage it at all.[T]he dementia came and went without an itinerary. We just had to follow along and do the best we could." The heartwarming story of a writer's discovery that the aging processand life in generalcan be tragic and wondrous, all at once." Kirkus Reviews
"Nancy Nau Sullivan's The Last Cadillac is a daughter's heartfelt and loving tribute to her father and her family. She takes her reader from the Midwest to Florida to Ireland and back, never losing her sense of humor--and her sense of duty to her family--along the way. With Sullivan, we survive hurricanes, philandering ex-husbands, teenagers, sibling rivalry, stomach bugs, strokes, cancer, and tragedy. But in the end, like Sullivan, we are stronger for it, and we're left with a feeling of hope for the future. For any reader who has had to take care of their parents--or anyone they care about-- this book is highly recommended. And for anyone who just wants a good story, told with the finesse and clarity of the best memoir writing, this book is also for you." David Armand , Associate Editor, Louisiana Literature Press
"There is nothing more interesting than what we choose to do with the life we are given, especially when we are given the devastating loss of loved ones. The Last Cadillac is a beautifully told story of what one woman chose to do with her life after a painful divorce and the soulful loss of her mother to cancer. Nancy Nau Sullivan's memoir speaks to the soul of how new life can rise from the most sorrowful deaths, and all the surprising beginnings that can be found in the most painful of endings. This is a story we all know of life falling apart and being pulled together in new, different, and even better ways. The Last Cadillac is a brilliant testament to the divine power of the human spirit to rise and shine from the darkest of times. I love this book." Karol Jackowski , author of the bestseller Ten Fun Things to do Before You Die
"Nancy Nau Sullivan pulls us in quickly and has us hooked until the end with her hilarious, immersive, often poignant relate of the emotional rollercoaster ride that she and her family bravely commenced at the end of her 20+ year marriage and her father's twilight years." Nicole Salgado , co-author of Amor and Exile: True Stories of Love Across America's Borders
"The Last Cadillac is a deeply personal memoir chronicling the author's search for autonomy and dignity for herself and her aging father. After a divorce and witnessing the long painful death of her mother, Sullivan and her dad search for hope and healing at a family cottage on Anna Maria Island, Florida. You'll laugh out loud and you'll cry -- an absolute must read for every caregiver." Mary Ann Johnson , Director of Community Relations, Lutheran Services Carolinas
"Nancy Sullivan gives readers an intimate glimpse into real life caring for a parent with cognitive decline. What health professionals only read about in textbooks, Sullivan has weaved into a true and poignant, painfully honest story of her Adventure in caregiving. From a cross-country move as a single mother, to reflecting on the loss of her mother to cancer, to dealing with her Dad's gradual physical and mental deterioration and eventual death, the author draws us in to her world with a unique mixture of humor and heartbreak. Through a craftily-told story about their journey, Nancy Sullivan shares with us how she navigated the torrential waters of caregiving and mothering at the same time. Dealing with the changes of living with a parent with failing health in the midst of everyday family dynamics, the author causes us to feel her experience and walk the Adventure with her. As an academic, learning through her role modeling was a refreshing vacation." Kristen L. Mauk , Professor of Nursing, Colorado Christian University
"The Last Cadillac delivers an entertaining account of the struggles of a woman who tries to be daughter, mother, and sister at the same time. Nancy Nau Sullivan brilliantly delivers a story full of humor and raw emotion that transports the audience to Anna Maria, FLA, where the sky is always blue and the problems feel smaller." Sara Jimenez Ferrera , Professor of Spanish and English, Purdue University
"This book was one of those you can't stop reading. The author takes you along on her journey through a difficult time in her life. Her writing lets you share those struggles but also the joys and laughter in her life at this time. It is a story that many of us are experiencing as we also have families to raise and aging parents to see through to their finial journey. This book gives us hope as we realize we are not alone but share many of the same feelings as we go through life." Pamela Danko , Librarian, Hammond Public Library