Manhattan Book Group Announces Gold Win for 'Awakenings in Real Life' in the 2026 Manhattan Book Awards
The Manhattan Book Awards is a year-round literary recognition program honoring outstanding books from independent and hybrid publishers worldwide. Titles are judged by an industry-experienced panel and evaluated on criteria including narrative strength, originality, production quality, and overall impact. Gold honors are reserved for books that exemplify excellence within their genre and demonstrate exceptional craft.
About the Book:
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 (shared with Alzheimer's / Dementia families) 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 in this book, and on his podcast, as he uncovers other people’s real stories of awakening, meaning, and the blessings that life brings when we finally open our eyes.
Check out his website: https://www.awakeningsinreallife.com
"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. Family stories, space for journal notes accompanied by the author’s gentle guidance for readers to fill in their own blanks based on these insights, and psychological and philosophical wisdom accompany the warm-hearted story of a father and son’s lifelong shared connections... readers seeking a powerful account of revised thinking, emotional intimacy, spiritual and psychological revelations, and detailed insights into just how “awakening” manifests, is interpreted, and leads to transformative thinking will relish how intimately and precisely Awakenings in Real Life reflects this journey."
- Midwest Book Review
“Heartwarming and insightful - 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. Each chapter closes with a gentle nudge for readers to pause, reflect, and consider how the themes might illuminate their own experiences. It’s a book that doesn’t just share a journey—it invites you to walk alongside it.”
- Teepa Snow, leading voice in dementia care
About Manhattan Book Group
Manhattan Book Group is a New York–based independent publishing organization dedicated to discovering, developing, and promoting exceptional voices across fiction and nonfiction. Through its publishing services, imprints, and literary recognition programs—including the Manhattan Book Awards—the company champions quality storytelling, professional standards, and meaningful visibility for authors worldwide.
Michelle VanSledright
Manhattan Book Group
+1 800-767-0531
email us here
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