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There are currently 28 member reviews
for The Forgetting Time
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Julie H. (Pine Grove, PA)
The Forgetting Time
This book lingers in your memory. It quickly pulls the reader into the story and remains engrossing through until the end. The characters are well written and developed, but more than that, one can't help but wonder about the possibilities the story presents. The dual stories of aphasia and former lives play off each other so well. There is so much to think about while reading this book! It would be an awesome book club selection!
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Kathy D. (Spotsylvania, VA)
Read this one all in one sitting!
"The Forgetting Time" drew me in from the start, and I couldn't put it down! The riveting storytelling and realistic characters you genuinely care about, challenge the reader to reconsider how we look at life, and how far we are willing to go and push our beliefs, when faced with something seemingly impossible.
As the story unfolded, and especially after it concluded, I wanted to talk about this book. I _needed_ to talk about this book. It would be a perfect selection for a book club!
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Sheryl M. (Marietta, GA)
A Spellbinding Debut Novel
I have an ongoing interest in memory, mostly what we remember, its selective nature and how our memory of an event changes over time. This book greatly expanded my concept of this phenomena.
If you are a reader who finds characters the most interesting part of a novel and enjoys watching them grow as the story progresses; who likes books with characters so real you envision them as your neighbors or work colleagues or friends, will be unwilling to put down The Forgetting Time.
Ms. Guskin has been remarkably adept at presenting a concept that is difficult for western minds to comprehend let alone accept. She has told a story that shows the power of love and the potential for growth in forgiveness and acceptance; the painful, unrelenting nature of loss; explored our understanding of memory—how and what we remember—and why we must also have a forgetting time, a time of letting go.
In presenting the thesis of this novel, the author has shown how we grow when we open our minds to new concepts and differences in the cultures of all people. I have "left" the book, but I will be pondering the facets of our minds that shape our lives for a long time.
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Sharon R. (Deerfield, IL)
The Force of Love
There are many story lines in The Forgetting Time, all intersecting in a story that is about love, that spans current worlds and those we do not know much about. Reincarnation is a major theme and the author intersperses cases that have been observed in other countries other than the United States. After a few of these I found myself jumping ahead to get back to the story of Noah and his Mom, Janie, which I was much more interested in.
The scientist in the book is trying to prove his theory of reincarnation and if you are skeptical as I am, you may be uncomfortable with parts of the book. Despite my skepticism, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and mystery involving the mother, Janie, doing absolutely everything and anything to help her child.
This Book will be very attractive to Book Clubs with multiple topics to discuss.
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Shawna L (TX)
Love, Family, Forgiveness, & More
It took longer than I expected to be engaged by this story. However, the story really began to unfold once Janie and Dr. Anderson met. It is much more than a story about reincarnation. It is about what a mother will do to help her child. It is about finding answers when none seem to exist. It is about love, forgiveness, and family. The story lends itself well to group discussion as there are many topics to explore. Persevere past the first 70 pages. The story is worth the wait.
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Loretta F. (Fountain Inn, SC)
Intrigued, but Skeptical
Many years ago I read "Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation" by Dr. Ian Stevenson. It was a fascinating read, but if I remember correctly some of cases could not be verified. And Dr. Stevenson admits that the evidence for reincarnation cannot be tested scientifically as in a laboratory. It is interesting to me that most cases of past life memories occur in cultures with a strong belief in past lives, thus very few American children remember a past life. The author seems to "push" reincarnation as fact, because she doesn't include scientific studies that are contrary or inconclusive. In my opinion, the human mind is still a mystery, and there may be other explanations for the phenomenon of reincarnation.
That said the book was a quick read with a fast moving plot very much in the writing style of Jodi Picoult. It invites speculation, and may encourage readers to explore the subject further. I recommend this book to book clubs, and to fans of Jodi Picoult.
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Barbara (Cherry Hill, NJ)
Live in the moment
Excellent debut novel and an engaging read. I'm not a fan of the main topic of the book - reincarnation. But, the story felt like a suspense novel for most of the book and kept my interest.
Those who loved Kate Atkinson's " Life after Life" will probably enjoy this book more than I did. I found this book more interesting, more tolerable and easier to read than Atkinson's book.
I found the perspectives about world views and academic research on 'reincarnation' interesting. It makes me think hard about when someone is described as having an old soul.
Even the title will be a topic for a great book club discussion.
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