When her mother begins her decent into dementia, Joan Kantor faces a daunting task—a complex role fraught with personal triumphs and challenges. As her mother’s memories fade in and out of focus, Kantor’s recollections of their relationship gain unexpected clarity: “I know you meant well, / but just like you, / I learned to be afraid / of myself.” Fading into Focus: A Memoir is a unique collection of poetry that candidly recounts a daughter’s journey of discovery as she struggles to untangle her mother’s history in the hope that through understanding she might learn to forgive—not only her mother, but also herself. Together, these poems wrap readers in a freeing grace, encouraging them to look more kindly on their own difficult relationships and past failings so that they, too, can find peace.