Awakenings in Real Life

Winner, ACCI Literary Excellence Award — Best Non-Fiction/Memoir

Gold Winner, 2026 Manhattan Book Awards

Finalist, 2026 Storytrade Book Awards — Nonfiction Prodigy Award (Best Nonfiction Debut)

Best Memoir Nominee, 2026 Astra Book Awards

"AWAKENINGS IN REAL LIFE offers a heartwarming collection of memories, insights, and personal reckonings as the author reflects on his father, his family, and his father’s dementia journey... It’s a book that doesn’t just share a journey—it invites you to walk alongside it."
TEEPA SNOW
Author of Understanding the Changing Brain: A Positive Approach to Dementia Care

"A poignant farewell from a son to his father."
KIRKUS REVIEWS

“Cohen’s journey embraces a heartfelt emotional experience that frames ‘awakening’ in a new manner. This will prove surprisingly uplifting and positive in a manner that adds extra dimensions of possibility and understanding to the dementia experience. [A] warm-hearted story of a father and son’s lifelong shared connections.”
MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

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What if the person you thought was lost forever suddenly returned—even for a moment?

When Dan Cohen’s father, deep in dementia, unexpectedly “woke up,” he sent a message that he still appreciated and wanted to live life. For two unforgettable days, Herbie spoke with clarity, shared memories, and expressed his love—gifting his family laughter, wisdom, and hope. That extraordinary awakening opened the door to a deeper understanding of resilience and connection.

In this moving memoir, Cohen weaves his father’s remarkable story with family histories, lessons, and moments of joy that shaped their lives together. Awakenings in Real Life is a celebration of memory, love, and the awakenings that can transform how we see our lives.

Awakenings in Real Life is both a heartfelt memoir and an invitation: to notice your own awakenings, to share your stories, and to celebrate the transformations that bring purpose and hope into our lives.

Join Dan Cohen in this book, and on his podcast, as he uncovers other people’s real stories of awakening and meaning, and the blessings that life brings when we finally open our eyes.