Join PBS Books on Wednesday, October 8 at 8 pm ET | 5 pm PT for an inspiring conversation with author Emma Heming Willis about her deeply personal new book, The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path.
In this moving work, Heming Willis transforms her own experience of navigating her husband Bruce Willis’s frontotemporal dementia diagnosis into a compassionate guide for caregivers everywhere. Drawing on her story as well as insights from leading experts, The Unexpected Journey provides clarity, courage, and practical wisdom for those facing the challenges of caring for a loved one while caregivers learn to care for themselves.
Heming Willis—an advocate, mother, stepmother, wife, and co-founder of Make Time Wellness—brings honesty, empathy, and hope to this essential conversation, led by Heather-Marie Montilla, PBS Books National Director.
This event is part of the PBS Books Caregiving series, made possible with support from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation.
Host
Heather-Marie Montilla
Heather-Marie Montilla, a dynamic integrative leader, is an educator and nonprofit manager. She has worked in the nonprofit sector and libraries for over two decades, making a positive impact in arts, cultural, educational, and community-building arenas.
Having joined the PBS Books team as their Library Bureau Chief in Fall 2018, Montilla is now the National Director of PBS Books and has interviewed more than 150 writers. In addition, she is a faculty member at Michigan State University and Eastern Michigan University for their Arts and Cultural/Entertainment Management Programs. Having been an Executive Director for 8 years, Heather has a wide range of experience in management, finance, strategic planning, marketing, and fundraising. Heather holds a MPA From Columbia University, a MLIS from Wayne State University, and a bachelor’s from Duke University. She lives in Chicagoland, and is married with four children, a dog, and a bird.
Guest
Emma Heming Willis
Emma Heming Willis is a mother, step-mother, wife, advocate, and co-founder of Make Time Wellness, a brand devoted to women’s brain health. After her husband, Bruce Willis, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, she became a passionate voice for care partners and families navigating neurodegenerative disease. Through her storytelling and advocacy, Emma hopes to help others feel less alone on the caregiving journey. This is her first book.
