Spin Cycle

“This is a thought-provoking story about confronting not the end of life, but what comes before the end. It teaches us about the discovery of compassion, both for others and for ourselves.”

“Botello offers something for anyone who is directly or indirectly connected to persons living with dementia. Family members, friends, colleagues, and health service providers . . . will find this book is readable, raw, and relatable. By telling this story, Botello helps readers recognize themselves through various characters and appreciate human connections while they find their own ways to cope.”

“I recommend this book for anyone who has just learned that a loved one is diagnosed with dementia. Botello has done it—written a story that takes us from that initial shock and bewilderment to understanding and compassion. This gripping read will make you laugh and cry, but also show you who you’re with and where to head next.”

“If you’ve ever played the role of caretaker for a loved one, Spin Cycle: Notes from a Reluctant Caregiver, will be achingly recognizable. But even if you haven’t, Alfredo Botello’s bittersweet novel is a profoundly moving story that explores what it means to both deeply love and be deeply burdened by family. It’s uncomfortably painful and absurdly funny—at times, you’ll feel like you’re reading a private journal ripped straight from the author’s soul, while at other times, the book reads like a Hollywood thriller as our protagonist is faced with an impossible choice. An emotional roller coaster that will leave you excited for the next ride the author plans to take the reader on.”

“An intimate yet epic journey digging into the messy truths and secrets connecting parents and their children, Alfredo Botello’s new novel is a sensational story to lose yourself in. Rich in character and generous in its warm and natural prose, Spin Cycle marks the exciting next chapter of a razor-sharp voice in American literature.”

“With his signature immersive storytelling style, Botello launches us into an underrepresented chapter of life—caring for an aging parent and the associated family dynamics. Botello’s stories explore emotional dilemmas within gray areas that don’t frequently appear in modern literature, with a compassionate yet honest lens.”

“One of Spin Cycle’s most valuable contributions is the realization that we are not alone in dealing with conflicting emotions as we care for our aging parents. I wish I’d had Alfredo’s book twenty years ago, as I was totally unprepared for the emotional roller coaster of caring for my mother. Alfredo shares his wild emotional ride with other elder caregivers looking for support. Together they wrestle with feelings of anger, guilt, resentment, compassion, and hope. I cried, laughed, and related to Alfredo’s desire to do better by making internal promises to be more patient, kind and compassionate. Then confronting the harsh reality that keeping that promise is much harder than it looks! Alfredo reminds us: caregiving is a journey, not a destination. It’s not one day at a time. It’s one moment at a time.”

“With astonishing honesty, clarity, and, ultimately, compassion and grace, Botello tells the story of Ezra and Lily, each coping in vastly different ways with a parent devolving into dementia. As in his previous novel, 180 Days, it’s the living voice that Botello brings to the story that I find so compelling. There is fresh vision to be found on every page as his characters, burdened by family secrets, make their way through the frustrations, the self-loathing, the anguish, and the rage, to find ways to love that touch upon the depths of their humanity. If, as poet Toi Derracotte has said, “we’re here to learn how to love,” Spin Cycle offers a master class on the subject. Read it, savor it, and grow.”

“Spin Cycle is a necessary, emotionally complicated novel that confronts the harsh reality of dementia and the toll it takes on its victims’ loved ones. Botello deftly explores the role of caregiver through humor, compelling characters, and sharp prose. This story offers an honest portrait of aging, illness, and, ultimately, the comfort one can find in community and compassion.”

“In Spin Cycle, author Alfredo Botello takes on the issues that, for most of us, are often too difficult to even think about: duty, responsibility, burden, envy, and shame, but also those we cherish such as love, trust, family, and friendship. He puts the reader in front of a mirror and asks “What would you do?” . . . The characters in the novel are the people we all know; they are us, and Botello masterfully brings the reader in to share their world, which is our world. Ezra, the protagonist, learns to cast off the turbulence and distractions that obscure the tough choices we ultimately must face . . . A touching story told with intelligence and humor, its dialogue pulls no punches and cuts deep to an issue which touches nearly all of us.”

“Ezra Pavic’s journey is a deeply moving exploration of family, caregiving, and personal growth. Ezra’s struggles with his mother’s dementia and his own guilt and resentment are poignantly captured, as he opens APPA (Adults Patiently Parenting Adults) in hopes of helping others while finding clarity in his own life. Botello’s story shines through its complex characters, especially Lily Coleman, a hospice worker with her own unresolved family pain . . . This is a must-read for anyone who’s grappled with caregiving or the complexities of family, compassion, and self-forgiveness.”

"With his new novel, Alfredo Botello is on full display as not merely an amazing and talented writer, but one who manages to grapple with life’s most profound challenges with self-deprecating humor, compassion, and love . . . Botello manages to craft a narrative that is at once engaging, funny, sad, poignant, and beautiful. Botello’s protagonist takes us on a journey of caring for his mother on her last long road—pushing through the frustration, resentment, and guilt of ‘parenting your parent,’ in an ‘emotional spin cycle.’ I found myself completely in awe of Botello’s ability to convey this very human story of a son’s complicated love for his dying mother, and equally, his bravery in telling this story, making the sad journey not only bearable but beautiful. This is a must-read for anyone with aging parents!"

“Funny and wrenching by turns, Spin Cycle: Notes from a Reluctant Caregiver, is a thought-provoking journey through the harrowing world of modern caregiving.”

“Written with passion and emotional honesty, Spin Cycle’s theme is universal: the challenge faced by adults forced to care for aging, and often difficult, parents. Needing help in facing this dilemma, a group of ‘fellow travelers’ joins a storefront school—APPA (Adults Patiently Parenting Adults). The school is run by Ezra, who hopes to help himself while helping them. But the secret Ezra carries requires a depth of compassion he’s not sure he has. This book will take you through a gamut of your own feelings as you turn the pages to find out if he does. Highly recommended.”

“A lovingly crafted book . . . It starts as a beleaguered caretaker’s chronicle of guilt and frustration and grows into an examination of familial obligation, selfless love, and forgiveness, all of it rendered with a frank, funny, and simple beauty.”

“Through his poignant storytelling, author Alfredo Botello effectively conveys the emotional struggles and challenges that individuals face when taking care of their elderly parents, especially those with dementia. Ezra Pavic, the central figure in the story, is a complex and relatable character. His portrayal of struggles with anger, guilt, and resentment adds depth to his character, making him real and multidimensional. These challenges provide opportunities for growth and development as he navigates through complex emotions. Those who have gone through the experience of taking care of a loved one will readily identify with the protagonist’s feelings of frustration, guilt, and aspiration for self-improvement. Botello elicits a profound sense of authenticity and comprehension of the challenges faced by caregivers of elderly parents. The combination of a well-developed narrative arc, engaging writing style, and compelling characters makes Spin Cycle: Notes from a Reluctant Caregiver a captivating read.”

“Alfredo Botello paints his characters with a deft and sensitive touch, one that provides subtle insights into the anguishes and disappointments of growing older. Spin Cycle explores the challenges of caring—for parents with dementia, for those around us, and ultimately for ourselves. His characters resonate with humanity in all its flaws and imperfections, but with all its dignity and resolve too. This is a special book, in places as quiet as a whisper but as bold as the human heart.”

“Botello manages to delve into themes of guilt, frustration, and resentment with a pen that is both compassionate and razor sharp—and with hope and humor, even in the bleakest of moments. A must read for anyone who feels lost in the wilderness caring for an older loved one.”