I Didn’t See It Coming: Scenes of Love, Loss and Lewy Body Dementia

In this memoir of love, loss, and Lewy body dementia (LBD), Mary Lou Falcone takes readers on a cathartic journey of caregiving that is filled with hope, laughter, and tears. At the age of ten, Mary Lou’s life was forever changed when her father had a severe stroke that took away his ability to speak. While her mother worked three jobs, Mary Lou cared for not only her father but two younger siblings. Echoes of her childhood challenge return when she later faces the biggest test of her life: her soulmate of forty-seven years, the celebrated artist Nicky Zann, is diagnosed with the little-known disease Lewy body dementia, which ultimately claims his life. As her beloved husband’s sole caregiver throughout this difficult period, Mary Lou discovers invaluable resources for dealing with LBD, all of which she shares with her readers. In addition to Mary Lou’s firsthand account of her extraordinary journey, many friends and family, including world-renowned classical musicians, opera divas, directors, and actors, share their perspectives on her resilience in these pages. She emerges from great loss transformed and energized, as will the readers of I Didn’t See It Coming.

Mary Lou Falcone is internationally known as a classical music publicist/strategist, having helped guide the careers of many prominent artists and institutions for 50 years. Combining communication skills with her background as a performer and educator, she now adds another layer: advocate for Lewy body dementia (LBD) awareness. Her late husband, the illustrator Nicky Zann, died from LBD in 2020, which was the catalyst for this her first book. Nicholas ’Nicky’ Zann, the inspiration for this book, was a popular 1950s rock ’n’ roll musician who became a world-renowned cartoonist, illustrator, and painter. His work hangs in the permanent collection of London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, and the illustrations featured throughout this book come from his bestselling fortune-telling card game The Answer Deck (Running Press).