Alex Bailey narrates his typical life: from directionless teenager to married young man, college graduate, well-respected English teacher, and father of two. A success by any measure. But... he begins to wane. His students, supervisor, children, and wife all notice his memory is gradually failing. How does he – how do they – cope? Alex sets out to document his seminal experiences and those of the people he's closest to. As degeneration creeps in, the past recedes, and, he, his life elapsed, is left wondering what his sixty-odd years have truly meant.

Wistful and engaging, Mislaid Pearls is a meditation on growing old, and a plea for civility in the face of senescence. A measure of our humanity is the honesty and kindness we offer to those less fortunate than ourselves, particularly to those whose deterioration precedes our own.