I Want To Make You Smile
Lindelwa Ntutela, researcher, writer of I Want to Make You Smile: A Family Memoir of Resilience in the Age of Alzheimer’s, lives in California. Her sister Smileth’s shocking diagnosis with Alzheimer’s dementia redirected the trajectory of the author’s life and career. While some types of dementia are linked to lifestyle factors or age-related changes, it was the genetic component that motivated the author to dig deeper into family history and uncover close relatives in the lineage who had been afflicted with dementia. Travelling each year from New York City, and later California, to Johannesburg, South Africa to be with her siblings, she began to document the symptomatic progression of the disease and the impact it had on her sister, and her caregiving family members. This publication is a groundbreaking memoir that delves into the rarely discussed lived experience of Alzheimer’s disease among Black elders in South Africa. Through the lens of her personal journey, she offers in this book a poignant and powerful narrative of caregiving, love, and resilience in the face of cognitive decline. Lindelwa’s story is not just a family memoir; it is a testament to the strength and perseverance of Black families and communities facing the challenges of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. With heartfelt honesty and cultural insight, Lindelwa shares her family’s experiences, providing a unique perspective that fills a significant gap in existing literature. This memoir is a beacon of hope, understanding, and awareness, offering universal lessons on resilience and the power of family bonds. It is a must-read for anyone touched by Alzheimer’s, those interested in cultural narratives, and readers seeking stories of emotional depth and human connection.
Something Devastating Happened In 2012:
My sister was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Dementia
The Book
I WANT TO MAKE YOU SMILE: A FAMILY MEMOIR OF RESILIENCE IN THE AGE OF ALZHEIMER’S is more than a memoir; it’s a resource for caregivers. Drawing on my personal experiences and the emotional capital gained through caregiving, the book serves as a backdrop for training programs in emotional resilience. If you’re looking for inspiration, practical insights, or simply a story that resonates, I invite you to explore the book.
The Inspiration
This is the story of Ncuncu, a sharp-witted, take-charge kind of woman who moved up the ranks to school principal in Soweto. She knew she could subvert the structures of tribalism, and ethnic favoritism that undermined her mother, a school teacher who could not be promoted to a higher level because she was Xhosa. Education for her was a premium, not just essential, but also something to be treasured and invested in. The daughter of two elementary school teachers, she completed her Junior Secondary Teacher’s Certificate at Lovedale Teachers College in Alice, Eastern Cape, and studied part-time for her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Education, preparing to engage a new generation of students with a transformational pedagogy. Her son, now married with four children, grew into young adulthood at private preparatory schools, and his mother was relentless in enrolling him at the City University of New York, where I worked as a faculty member. But then, in 2012, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, a progressive, neurodegenerative disease, the onset of which often gets mistaken for normal aging.
The Mandate
This book isn't just a reflection; it’s an invitation. An invitation to join a conversation about the caregiving experience, to share stories of resilience, love, and hope. Whether you’re a caregiver encountering yourself face-to-face in the role of caring for someone else, or navigating the complexities of Alzheimer's dementia and seeking to better understand this journey, I want to hear from you.
Caregiving has taught me that pain can be a powerful catalyst for advocacy, and together, we can inspire change toward more compassionate and equitable care. Share your thoughts below, connect with others, and let’s build a community united by shared experiences and the resilience of the human spirit.
A Letter to My Sister
A letter to my dear sister walking the journey of Alzheimer's ...more
Inspirational
May 01, 2025•1 min read
Reviews
"Weaving together storytelling, history, and prose; I Want to Make You Smile envelops the reader in a lifetime journey alongside the Ntutela family. Apartheid, patriarchy, and intra-familial trauma are all a part of the world in which each family member fulfills a vital purpose in surviving and ultimately thriving against the odds as a united family. From South Africa to countries around the globe the scholars, leaders, and professionals of the Ntutela family are unstoppable. Yet, it is the internal battle with Alzheimer’s that shapes the family’s unwavering dedication to one another. Lindelwa’s research and lived experiences demystify Alzheimer’s in a way that is both accessible and deeply human. I Want to Make You Smile is a must-read memoir."
P. Carol Johnson
Connecticut, USA
“This book is deeply personal, with a raw emotional tone that brings both vulnerability and strength to the forefront. The author's ability to weave conversations with her sister in their language of isiXhosa introduces nuggets of humor as a tool to cope. But it is in the idioms of the language that the author shares moments of deep introspection that make this memoir both accessible and meaningful to a diverse and multilingual South African readership. A compelling read for anyone interested in the rising prevalence and shocking experience of dementia in the aging Black population of South Africa, I Want to Make You Smile will stay with you long after the final page.”
Pumeza Armstead
California, USA
"I Want to Make you Smile, by Lindelwa Ntutela, this true story was a difficult read for me and yet a necessary one. Necessary because it let me know how Alzheimer's exists so very close to the vest. I never thought it would attack my family but it has. Ms. Ntutela thank you for your candid Birds Eye view of Alzheimer's."
Renita Hall-Crump
California, USA
I want to make you smile
