About
Melanie P. Merriman, PhD has spent much of her life as a research scientist, hospice consultant, and foundation grant evaluator—driven by a passion to illuminate, understand, and find meaning. Now she writes with the same purpose. Holding the Net is her debut as a solo author. She is also the co-author of Merriman’s Hawai‘i: The Chef, the Farmers, the Food, the Islands, a cookbook with stories about chef Peter Merriman. Melanie and her husband Klein Merriman split their time between South Florida and Cape Cod, MA.
Featured Work
Holding the Net: Caring for My Mother on the Tightrope of Aging
In this poignant and timely memoir, Melanie Merriman and her sister struggle, each in their own way, to care for their aging and fiercely independent mother. Melanie, a hospice consultant, has studied aging, illness, and the intricacies of the healthcare system, but nonetheless finds the real-life experience of caring for her mother humbling. Written for people who have cared for a parent, are currently facing that challenge, or are aging parents themselves, Holding the Net offers practical details about the effects of aging on the body and mind, living arrangements for older people, health care decisions, and coping with rehabilitation. It also challenges the notion that anyone can be an expert when it comes to caring for an aging parent, and encourages us to simply do our best.
Other Works
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Merriman's Hawaii: The Chef, The Farmers, The Food, The Islands
2015
Awards and Recognition
- Caring.com choice for 2017’s Best Books on Caregiving
- American Book Fest 2017: Best Book Award Winner for Autobiography/Memoir
