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How to Forget : A Book of Short Steps and Long Walks
In spare and lucid lines of poetry and prose, How to Forget takes the reader on a walk through childhood, love, loss and longing. Told through memory and impressions both personal and communal, the book chronicles lifetimes through the act of walking.
These journeys often follow the same paths but end in unexpected conclusions. An elephant wanders through tea estates in the Nilgiris, a woman confronts the night, prawns are tossed in chilli oil, a childhood is lost and solitude is found in fifty-five walks across cities and timelines.
With gentle and insightful observations, Ganapathi offers soothing respite from the chaos of our cities and the clamour of our thoughts.
These journeys often follow the same paths but end in unexpected conclusions. An elephant wanders through tea estates in the Nilgiris, a woman confronts the night, prawns are tossed in chilli oil, a childhood is lost and solitude is found in fifty-five walks across cities and timelines.
With gentle and insightful observations, Ganapathi offers soothing respite from the chaos of our cities and the clamour of our thoughts.
- GenresPoetryNonfiction
120 pages, Hardcover
Published May 30, 2025
13 people are currently reading
295 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
August 1, 2025
There is a certain kindness universe sends your way in form of a book that you cannot keep down.I feel finding that right book at the right time can sometimes be more merciful than being loved. On evenings where comfort of pages feel more desirable than arms of a lover is when this right book means the most.
How To Forget by Meera Ganapathi was that book for me. It met me on a silent evening and filled it with music. This book accompanied me for a peaceful walk around the outskirts of town, got me home and tucked me in a cozy blanket, turned the warm lights on and unlike the lover, refused to leave.
It's a book of poetry, of prose, of long and short walks, of being a little girl and a grown woman and a mother. It's a book of freedom and what it means for an Indian woman. It's a book of cats and Mumbai. It's a book of first love, heartbreak and marriage. It’s a book that unites chai and coffee lovers as one, we can have our disagreements on what's better but we will all agree that this beautiful book pairs well with both.
How To Forget is a lot like Jhumpa Lahiri's Whereabouts. If Lahiri's Whereabouts feels like a piece of art being admired at a museum then Ganapathi's book is that art being made.
By the title you'd think it's a compilation of tips on letting go but it's not. It's in fact the opposite, it's a compilation of nostalgia, you can call it an irony or just pure poetry. Sometimes the first step to forgetting is remembering - right from where it all began, one step at a time.
How To Forget by Meera Ganapathi was that book for me. It met me on a silent evening and filled it with music. This book accompanied me for a peaceful walk around the outskirts of town, got me home and tucked me in a cozy blanket, turned the warm lights on and unlike the lover, refused to leave.
It's a book of poetry, of prose, of long and short walks, of being a little girl and a grown woman and a mother. It's a book of freedom and what it means for an Indian woman. It's a book of cats and Mumbai. It's a book of first love, heartbreak and marriage. It’s a book that unites chai and coffee lovers as one, we can have our disagreements on what's better but we will all agree that this beautiful book pairs well with both.
How To Forget is a lot like Jhumpa Lahiri's Whereabouts. If Lahiri's Whereabouts feels like a piece of art being admired at a museum then Ganapathi's book is that art being made.
By the title you'd think it's a compilation of tips on letting go but it's not. It's in fact the opposite, it's a compilation of nostalgia, you can call it an irony or just pure poetry. Sometimes the first step to forgetting is remembering - right from where it all began, one step at a time.
July 7, 2025
Meera Ganapathi's words are like a hot shower after a long, tiring day, something you just can't get enough of. You want them to linger on your skin and last a little bit longer.
'How To Forget' knows you're rushing through life without noticing its nooks and crannies, and so it gently nudges you to sit down, pause, and absorb the beauty in everydayness.
Even if you're someone who finishes books quickly, one after another, you'll go slow with this one because you will want to savour every word. You'll want it to sit on your bedside table for some more time.
As someone who loves underlining and taking pictures of excerpts, I didn't know how many to capture and share. And so you simply need to get the book yourself!
'How To Forget' knows you're rushing through life without noticing its nooks and crannies, and so it gently nudges you to sit down, pause, and absorb the beauty in everydayness.
Even if you're someone who finishes books quickly, one after another, you'll go slow with this one because you will want to savour every word. You'll want it to sit on your bedside table for some more time.
As someone who loves underlining and taking pictures of excerpts, I didn't know how many to capture and share. And so you simply need to get the book yourself!
August 11, 2025
that being loved and being in love
are in fact the same thing.
I quote this as a reflection to my previous read- 'all about love' as this book by Meera Ganapathi has taught me more about a kind of love I was searching for.
'How to Forget' touched me, it embraced me like a warm hug, like iridescent sunlight swaying and leaping through stained glass and hits you just right on those slow afternoons- 1:30PM to be precise.
It caught my eye when I first saw it and for all the right reasons. A book with a title how to forget yet I will remember this one for a long long time. And why not? For Meera's voice through these pages were ever so captivating to ones soul.
'I walk around square parks in circles following a steady stream of others leading me to and through a loop that lasts 10,000 steps or most of an hour SIDEBUMPINGARMSTHUMPINGHEARTSPUMPING I walk around hedges shaped like birds and birds shaped like dustbins and I see all of it and none of it as I follow a stranger in a loop of what we all pretend is a walk in the big city through a square park in circles.'
I quote this chapter though not in its original spiral format- for that you must get yourself a copy.
Read
November 16, 2025It’s not a book about women walking, but it’s a book about walking written by a woman. While reading, I found myself wishing for many a men in my life to read the the book as well— for its tenderness, but also to know what is it like for a woman to walk through the streets, the fields, a marketplace, the neighbourhood, in a park and inside the four walls of her house. The book is, of course, about a lot more than that though.
December 17, 2025
I follow the writer on Instagram and all her posts are not hits for me. This is no fault of hers and says nothing about her abilities. There's no way that everything that anyone has to say will resonate with everyone else. I mention this because even in the collection, every poem/piece did not speak to me but I felt a soft weight in my chest after finishing the entire book. On reading some snippets especially, I had to pause, sit for a bit, and think.
I had a professor who used to say, "You must not critically analyse poetry immediately. You need to respond to it." There's something about some of the poems here; you are likely to respond without realising it. I particularly liked two pieces. One about a too-soft-kiss at the wrong time and another about how walking ahead is essentially walking away. There's a third poem about walking at the same pace and ah Meera, I see what you're trying to do here.
I read it in one go, but this is the kind of book that needs to be savoured slowly so maybe I'll revisit some bits.
This review is an assortment of thoughts with no sense of order much like the book. Isn't that the point of poetry, though? It does not have to make sense. It only needs to elicit a response.
I had a professor who used to say, "You must not critically analyse poetry immediately. You need to respond to it." There's something about some of the poems here; you are likely to respond without realising it. I particularly liked two pieces. One about a too-soft-kiss at the wrong time and another about how walking ahead is essentially walking away. There's a third poem about walking at the same pace and ah Meera, I see what you're trying to do here.
I read it in one go, but this is the kind of book that needs to be savoured slowly so maybe I'll revisit some bits.
This review is an assortment of thoughts with no sense of order much like the book. Isn't that the point of poetry, though? It does not have to make sense. It only needs to elicit a response.
September 5, 2025
Wondeful book <3
November 5, 2025
Such a delightful read, I relished each and every single writing. This book is a meditation in romancing with the world. If you enjoy walks - - with or without purpose - - this book is for you.
I'm so glad I got a physical copy of this one! I get to keep coming back to it - - or perhaps,,, it will beckon me when I most need it. :)
I'm so glad I got a physical copy of this one! I get to keep coming back to it - - or perhaps,,, it will beckon me when I most need it. :)
August 12, 2025
#365
Book 36 of 2025- How to Forget
Author- Meera Ganapathy
When I first saw this title, I thought this book is all about forgetting and letting things go, and that’s the reason I decided to read this book. Who doesn’t want to just forget and move on, we are humans at the end of the day.
But as I read, I realised this is not just about forgetting. It’s about walking through life, holding on to small moments, noticing things we usually miss. It’s about slowing down, breathing, and seeing the world with softer eyes.
The writing is very calm, almost like the author is taking us for a walk and pointing out things like the sound of rain, the smell of food from a street corner, the way light falls on an empty chair. It’s not heavy or complicated. Each page feels like a small pause in a busy day.
This book was especially relatable for me because I’m also someone who enjoys long walks. I could almost see myself in many of the author’s moments, noticing the same little details on the way.
What I liked the most is how personal it feels. Sometimes it feels like the author is talking directly to you. And in between the simple descriptions, you suddenly find a line that stays with you.
This is not a book you rush through. You read a few pages, put it down, think about it, and maybe pick it up again the next day. By the end, I didn’t feel like I had “forgotten” something. Instead, I felt lighter, like I had made peace with a few things I was carrying for too long.
If you’re looking for a soft, slow, and thoughtful read, this book will be your quiet companion.
Book 36 of 2025- How to Forget
Author- Meera Ganapathy
When I first saw this title, I thought this book is all about forgetting and letting things go, and that’s the reason I decided to read this book. Who doesn’t want to just forget and move on, we are humans at the end of the day.
But as I read, I realised this is not just about forgetting. It’s about walking through life, holding on to small moments, noticing things we usually miss. It’s about slowing down, breathing, and seeing the world with softer eyes.
The writing is very calm, almost like the author is taking us for a walk and pointing out things like the sound of rain, the smell of food from a street corner, the way light falls on an empty chair. It’s not heavy or complicated. Each page feels like a small pause in a busy day.
This book was especially relatable for me because I’m also someone who enjoys long walks. I could almost see myself in many of the author’s moments, noticing the same little details on the way.
What I liked the most is how personal it feels. Sometimes it feels like the author is talking directly to you. And in between the simple descriptions, you suddenly find a line that stays with you.
This is not a book you rush through. You read a few pages, put it down, think about it, and maybe pick it up again the next day. By the end, I didn’t feel like I had “forgotten” something. Instead, I felt lighter, like I had made peace with a few things I was carrying for too long.
If you’re looking for a soft, slow, and thoughtful read, this book will be your quiet companion.
September 19, 2025
Reading How to Forget was like basking in the morning sun. The author’s words are gentle and comforting, creating a world of pure, unhurried warmth.
September 8, 2025
This book felt like a walk indeed.
July 9, 2025
Finished reading it in a day. It felt like a comforting place to be in- the voice and the world of this book. Already ok second read. And now I’m savouring it piece by piece like small doses of serotonin.
October 24, 2025
I would even read a grocery list if it's written by Meera Ganapathi! She writes about a simple act of walking with so much depth about life! So heartfelt and wholesome
July 10, 2025
What a lovely book this is!
‘How to Forget’ by Meera Ganapathi is made of short steps and long walks captured in scribbles, poems, tidbits of conversations, leaves and pebbles, cats and dogs, street sights and potholes—and the quiet beauty of everyday life. 🌿✨
I finished it in one sitting, but I know I’ll return to this gorgeous book time and again. Her words—so simple, yet so evocative and gently profound—made me want to pick up my own journal and make notes about my own walks.
‘How to Forget’ by Meera Ganapathi is made of short steps and long walks captured in scribbles, poems, tidbits of conversations, leaves and pebbles, cats and dogs, street sights and potholes—and the quiet beauty of everyday life. 🌿✨
I finished it in one sitting, but I know I’ll return to this gorgeous book time and again. Her words—so simple, yet so evocative and gently profound—made me want to pick up my own journal and make notes about my own walks.
July 27, 2025
One of the more curious qualities of memory is how it can be intercepted. Which is to say that it is as much about imagination as it is about experience. When I was younger, my sister used to make fun of me (she still does) when I would eagerly scream “I remember!” about a memory of an event that happened either before my time or when I was simply too small to remember.
While reading this gift of a book, I kept thinking about how many of my memories were my own and how many had been created because of stories I had heard … or imagined. I also thought about what indeed was one of my first memories? Losing a grandparent, and in the same year being mauled by a dog. These two come to my mind. It may be simplistic to say this, but this is because these are two events we talk about often at home. How we remember is a function of how we talk about it. Memory then, in this state of inception, is a function of language.
From many sources, memories pool into our minds and we dip into this pool sometimes out of habit, sometimes out of intention and other times for indulgence. But then almost always also emerge from it with a sense of astonishing nourishment. Even pain has its place in the water.
‘How to Forget’ made me think of all these ideas and more in a flâneur-istic way. It is a book of memories and thoughts that arrive like poems but stay like novels. It is also a book about walking and belonging and being. And so it inspires something truly exceptional, especially in today’s day and age. The ability to think about our lives in days and minutes and small moments. Days that roll on over us brutally always, but despite that brutality smattered with gentleness, love and the magic of the ordinary.
I also really enjoyed how the book understands space and cities. Which again, made me think deeply about my own obsessions with those very static yet sentient elements. So much so that I found myself doodling in my book often. This is a book about a lot of things, but perhaps in its finest moments, a book about reconnection—which all of desperately need, I think. Highly recommended!
While reading this gift of a book, I kept thinking about how many of my memories were my own and how many had been created because of stories I had heard … or imagined. I also thought about what indeed was one of my first memories? Losing a grandparent, and in the same year being mauled by a dog. These two come to my mind. It may be simplistic to say this, but this is because these are two events we talk about often at home. How we remember is a function of how we talk about it. Memory then, in this state of inception, is a function of language.
From many sources, memories pool into our minds and we dip into this pool sometimes out of habit, sometimes out of intention and other times for indulgence. But then almost always also emerge from it with a sense of astonishing nourishment. Even pain has its place in the water.
‘How to Forget’ made me think of all these ideas and more in a flâneur-istic way. It is a book of memories and thoughts that arrive like poems but stay like novels. It is also a book about walking and belonging and being. And so it inspires something truly exceptional, especially in today’s day and age. The ability to think about our lives in days and minutes and small moments. Days that roll on over us brutally always, but despite that brutality smattered with gentleness, love and the magic of the ordinary.
I also really enjoyed how the book understands space and cities. Which again, made me think deeply about my own obsessions with those very static yet sentient elements. So much so that I found myself doodling in my book often. This is a book about a lot of things, but perhaps in its finest moments, a book about reconnection—which all of desperately need, I think. Highly recommended!
September 8, 2025
I would give this book more than 5 stars if I could.
The theme of the book is clever, Meera draws similarities between everyday mundane activities and the act of 'walking'; and boy did she catch my attention. It is honest, it is intelligent and it is the most finely knit piece of words about the most ordinary things in life, arranged in the finest manner possible.
I spent a week carrying this book everywhere I went and hoped for it to never finish.
I don't know if it were the book entirely or also the fact that I read this snuggled in a corner of my childhood bedroom that did the magic, the jury is still out on that one!
The theme of the book is clever, Meera draws similarities between everyday mundane activities and the act of 'walking'; and boy did she catch my attention. It is honest, it is intelligent and it is the most finely knit piece of words about the most ordinary things in life, arranged in the finest manner possible.
I spent a week carrying this book everywhere I went and hoped for it to never finish.
I don't know if it were the book entirely or also the fact that I read this snuggled in a corner of my childhood bedroom that did the magic, the jury is still out on that one!
July 17, 2025
"How to Forget" is a quiet, beautiful ache in the form of poetry and prose. Meera Ganapathi walks us through memory, childhood, solitude, and love — not with loud declarations, but with hushed, thoughtful steps.
Each line feels like a breeze brushing past old doors of forgotten emotions. With every page, you don’t just read — you wander, you feel, you remember.
A book to read slowly, when the world feels too loud, and you long to listen to your own heart again. I was so curious to read this book when it was released and now my heart is filled. Just loved it.❤️
Each line feels like a breeze brushing past old doors of forgotten emotions. With every page, you don’t just read — you wander, you feel, you remember.
A book to read slowly, when the world feels too loud, and you long to listen to your own heart again. I was so curious to read this book when it was released and now my heart is filled. Just loved it.❤️
July 22, 2025
Beautifully written poems and essays that stir up familiar feelings and articulate innermost thoughts in a way that makes you want to savour each page. Many pages remind me of copy-written pieces, where just a few well-crafted lines, sometimes accompanied by photos and illustrations, are enough to tell a whole meaningful story. Well done Meera <3 Here's to many more.
August 10, 2025
The book was so true to its start - ‘This book is, in fact, a walk.”
So much nostalgia and wisdom lived through each walk, through poetry, prose and then some images. It’s everything that I end up feeling after a long, peaceful walk. Should have been more of this!
“I walk in all the same places, and the places are different every day.”
So much nostalgia and wisdom lived through each walk, through poetry, prose and then some images. It’s everything that I end up feeling after a long, peaceful walk. Should have been more of this!
“I walk in all the same places, and the places are different every day.”
November 20, 2025
How to Forget by Meera Ganapathi felt like a mood cleanser. The book was a blend of vividly written prose and poetry that made me slow down and savour every word. Meera drifts through a range of topics from nostalgia, love, friendships, grief to feminism and the small everyday moments that linger quietly yet beautifully. What a delightful read!
December 25, 2025
This book has a very interesting concept. All of life happens in the context of a walk. I enjoyed so many pieces in this that explored different aspects of life as glimpses seen through walking.
Personally, some of the poems seemed a little underdeveloped; I would’ve loved to have seen them probed and prodded a bit more.
Personally, some of the poems seemed a little underdeveloped; I would’ve loved to have seen them probed and prodded a bit more.
December 28, 2025
Its a book on short steps and long walks. Here, Ganpathi shows a vibrant, ecclectic side of walking, as an escape, as a way not to forget but to stay with memories. I loved reading all little essay-cum-poems she has written. She takes us through various spaces, not only geographically but emotionally as well. Go for it.
July 8, 2025
This book is a warm hug.
July 24, 2025
SO GOOD.
July 29, 2025
One of my favourite writes I follow on Instagram. The book is a collection of things (and thoughts) Meera encountered on her walks. A very light read. A very poetic book.
August 25, 2025
Not at all my cup of tea, unfortunately, as it felt like a whole lot of nothing.
September 8, 2025
Such a lovely collection of poems, short essays, anecdotes, and memories.
September 10, 2025
beautiful writings.I want to read this book again . great great book
September 17, 2025
Beautiful book that makes me nostalgic and hopeful for the future at the same time
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November 30, 2025‘How to forget’ notices the tiny glimmers of stars in a dark night. Things we all know yet never say.
December 22, 2025
A sweet small book between books! A lovely one time read, though some prose and poems are worth revisiting
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews