An Isle of Wight-based author has released a deeply personal novel exploring dementia, family relationships and the memories we wish we had thought to preserve.
Jodie Kelly’s Before I Forget: Letters To Winnie, released on 1st November 2026, is dedicated to the memory of her grandfather and inspired by the relationship they shared throughout his experience with dementia.
Described as almost a love letter to grief, the novel explores the complicated emotions of loving someone whose memories are gradually slipping away, while confronting the questions we often don’t think to ask until it’s too late.
Audrey’s letters
The story follows Audrey, who, after being diagnosed with dementia, begins writing a series of letters for her granddaughter, Winnie, hoping she will one day understand who her grandmother once was.
Through stories of love, family, heartbreak and the life she built, Audrey tries to preserve the memories that matter most. But as the letters continue, the woman behind the words slowly starts slipping away.
Before everything is forgotten, Audrey is desperate to leave behind the pieces of herself she cannot bear to lose.
A personal story
For Kelly, the story carries a significance beyond fiction. Her own experience of dementia through her relationship with her grandfather inspired her to explore the grief that accompanies the condition, not only for the person living with it but also for the people who love them.
The novel also touches on a feeling many people will recognise: wishing they had asked more questions, listened to more stories and discovered more about the people they loved before the opportunity was gone.
Through Audrey’s letters, Kelly hopes to encourage readers to look beyond the familiar roles their loved ones occupy and discover the stories, experiences and memories that make them who they are.
More than a story about forgetting, Before I Forget: Letters To Winnie is ultimately about remembering, connection and the pieces of ourselves we leave behind.
Where to find it
Independently published by Jodie Kelly, the book is available now through Amazon.
News shared by Jodie, in her own words. Ed
