Emma Heming Willis is releasing the book she wished she had when her husband Bruce was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path was initially announced in 2024, and is due to be released on September 9, 2025.
Published by Open Field Books and Penguin Life, it documents Emma’s journey as a dementia caregiver to her husband of 16 years and aims to guide others who need support.
This will accompany the latest research and insights from dementia and caregiving experts.
“I know that no two caregiving journeys are the same, but we are connected by the same unchosen thread. It’s not an easy path for you, your loved one, or your family. But I’m here to let you know that you are not alone, and, in time, you will be okay,” she shared in a statement announcing the book.
Dementia is a brain condition that causes progressive damage to either the frontal or temporal lobes of the brain or both.
Typically, it impacts people between the ages of 45 and 65, and sadly there is no cure.
Supporting primary caregivers
Emma has been a primary caregiver for Bruce since his 2022 diagnosis and advocated for dementia awareness and the importance of carers also prioritising themselves.
Over the years, she has spoken about caregivers needing to support themselves to help those they care for.
She told her followers she finished editing the book in March and confessed she cried as she re-read the chapters.
“This book is very personal and my hope is that when it finally lands into your hands, it will help you as much as this book has helped me,” she has previously shared with her followers on social media.
Going public with Bruce Willis’ diagnosis
Emma has also spoken about the challenges of her family’s journey with dementia being in the spotlight.
“I struggle with guilt, knowing that I have resources that others don’t. When I’m able to get out for a hike to clear my head, it’s not lost on me that not all care partners can do that,” Emma wrote in an op-ed for Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper in 2023.
“When what I share about our family’s journey gets press attention, I know that there are many thousands of untold, unheard stories, each of them deserving of compassion and concern.
“At the same time, I see that what I share matters to others who may be struggling, and in a small way makes them feel seen and understood.”
The book can be pre-purchased from Amazon.
