Throwback Thursday is my weekly feature which I created to post a review that I've written from the past. Every week I will post a review that I've written prior to my blogs existence. I'll be sharing both the books that I think you'd enjoy and the books that I should warn you against wasting your time on! ;-)
I chose to post What Alice Forgot this week because, not only was it a very good book, it's still really popular on book club lists and a lot of people are still reading or wanting to read it!
Publisher: PanMacmillan Australia
Release Date: May 2010
Format: Paperback
Pages: 487
Source: Purchased
Genre: Chick Lit
Original Review Date: November 3, 2011
Rating: 4 bookmarks
Synopsis: Alice is twenty-nine. She is whimsical, optimistic and adores sleep, chocolate, her ramshackle new house and her wonderful husband Nick. What's more, she's looking forward to the birth of the 'Sultana' - her first baby.
But now Alice has slipped and hit her head in her step-aerobics class and everyone's telling her she's misplaced the last ten years of her life.
In fact, it would seem that Alice is actually thirty-nine and now she loves schedules, expensive lingerie, caffeine and manicures. She has three children and the honeymoon is well and truly over for her and Nick. In fact, he looks at her like she's his worst enemy. What's more, her beloved sister Elisabeth isn't speaking to her either. And who is this 'Gina' everyone is so carefully trying not to mention?
Alice isn't sure that she likes life ten years on. Every photo is another memory she doesn't have and nothing makes sense. Just how much can happen in a decade? Has she really lost her lovely husband forever?
I chose to post What Alice Forgot this week because, not only was it a very good book, it's still really popular on book club lists and a lot of people are still reading or wanting to read it!
Publisher: PanMacmillan Australia
Release Date: May 2010
Format: Paperback
Pages: 487
Source: Purchased
Genre: Chick Lit
Original Review Date: November 3, 2011
Rating: 4 bookmarks
Synopsis: Alice is twenty-nine. She is whimsical, optimistic and adores sleep, chocolate, her ramshackle new house and her wonderful husband Nick. What's more, she's looking forward to the birth of the 'Sultana' - her first baby.
But now Alice has slipped and hit her head in her step-aerobics class and everyone's telling her she's misplaced the last ten years of her life.
In fact, it would seem that Alice is actually thirty-nine and now she loves schedules, expensive lingerie, caffeine and manicures. She has three children and the honeymoon is well and truly over for her and Nick. In fact, he looks at her like she's his worst enemy. What's more, her beloved sister Elisabeth isn't speaking to her either. And who is this 'Gina' everyone is so carefully trying not to mention?
Alice isn't sure that she likes life ten years on. Every photo is another memory she doesn't have and nothing makes sense. Just how much can happen in a decade? Has she really lost her lovely husband forever?
Interesting side note, this was my first time reading a book by an Australian author within the first few pages, I’d mistaken Ms.Moriarty for an English author. That doesn’t really matter, but I thought it was interesting to note that tidbit. Getting back on topic, this book was very good. It had a somewhat slow start, but once Alice left the hospital, the rollercoaster ride really began. This book contained some very deep situations and prompted me to stop and think “What if I forgot 10 years of my life?” Who would I be, what relationships would I think still existed or not existed…very intriguing.
I was saddened by the state of the relationships in Alice’s life. Her drifted relationship with her sister Elizabeth, her broken marriage with Nick, her damaged kids (especially the eldest child), her deceased best friend. Along with that memory loss she also lost remembering her children, giving birth to them, important things that nobody should forget. That’s life I guess. Messy and wonderful all at the same time. I thought the excerpts where her sister writes to her therapist gave an awesome way for us to see Alice’s life from a little different perspective. And because Alice doesn’t know who she is now, we need all the perspectives we can get. Her “adopted” grandmother, Fannie, writing to her dead fiancé was also interesting. At first, I didn’t get the connection between them right away, but it was clear a little later on once it was explained how Fannie came into their lives.
Alice grew a lot as a person from her memory loss and it made her better. I was very satisfied with the ending. After all of the drama, it was a relief to get a realistic, yet happy ending.
Happy Reading,
~Tamara
