I Remember Everything: A Tale of Friendship

by Brooks Eason

"A gripping, heartfelt story of friendship and the choices that define us. Brooks Eason captures the magic of boyhood bonds, the weight of life’s hardest decisions, and the enduring pull of shared history. I Remember Everything is rich with warmth, suspense, and humanity—an unforgettable tale that lingers long after the last page.”
– David Magee, bestselling author of Dear WilliamSam Thompson and Jeff Freeman become best friends on the day they meet in the summer they turn eight. Sam serves as the best man in Jeff’s wedding and, a decade later, they swap roles. They name their sons for each other and remain best friends until the night of a shocking twist of fate in 2023.
I Remember Everything traces their lives for more than five decades, from growing up to growing old, and follows them on grand adventures to some of the most magnificent rivers and mountains in America.
The novel also explores their mutual love for the music of the late John Prine, one of America’s greatest songwriters. “I Remember Everything” is the title of his last song.
In his seventh book, Brooks Eason has crafted an unforgettable tale of enduring friendship and having to say goodbye.

233 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 29, 2025

Reviews

[Cecilia Moorer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brooks Eason is a wonderful
Writer. His new book, I Remember Everything , is a heartwarming story about two young boys coming of age in Jackson Mississippi. Their friendship spans from 1968 through the present, and this book chronicles their lives through stories of camping and hiking trips, elementary school antics, college , marriage , children and careers. Their friendship is shattered one night due to a freak accident , and the end will
Make you wonder what you would do to protect your family. An extra bonus to reading the book is the reference to John PrIne and other great musicians . Two great new songs and artists that were discovered by reading this book were James McMurtry’s “Lights of Cheyenne” and Andrew Duhon’s “Til I Met John.”
This was a great read and highly recommended.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Remember Everything starts out feeling like a crime novel but that isn’t what the story is really about. Instead, it’s a love story. No, not the Hallmark movie kind, but the love of lifelong friends who become family. The author tells the tale of friendship shaping lives and communities and subsequent generations. The fact that the friends are men is refreshing, as the literary trend today leans towards women’s friendships. Music plays a important role in the story and readers may want to make a playlist as they read. The writing is almost conversational making it easy to read and step into the characters’ lives. Definitely worth your time.

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I have the privilege of knowing Brooks, he has been on my hit show Reels of Justice. With that out of the way I can say this book is wonderful, heartfelt, and satisfying. The characters are richly painted and their lives elegantly explored. Any man that has had a best friend for their whole life will identify with many aspects of the two charactes, seeing parts of yourself in each. On top of being a great character piece and bit of drama it describes numerous beautifully locations across the country in such a way you will want to go explore them yourself. While I am always looking forward to more from Brooks, this may be his best yet and hard top.

[Jim Bryson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as the Pearl River flows through the heart of Mississippi, muddy and slow, its full strength revealed as it empties into the Gulf, so it is with Brooks Eason’s I Remember Everything, a rich, meandering story of two boys who grow into manhood together.
It is a portrait of friendship, and who doesn’t yearn for that place where life pauses its relentless journey and allows us a moment’s respite at the hands of a master storyteller?
Our past prepares us for a future we cannot see and so only pine for—a place where friendship endures and love flows eternal.

[AmyWilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Remember Everything by Brooks Eason was emotionally touching in its description of how a man can love his best friend like a brother. Eason’s Mississippi settings, coupled with the friends’ national forest adventures move the progressing story along in an enjoyable way that unfolds in a genuine and heart-felt way. As his narrative of the life-long relationship unfolds, I could picture myself right there with them, laughing, talking, and taking it all in. The ending was an unexpected surprise that left me feeling sentimental and thinking about it long after the last page.

[Ava Williams]

A beautifully written tale of two extraordinary men and their extraordinary friendship. We should all be so lucky to be blessed with that one friend who has been with us through all of our life’s experiences (and still likes us!). You will both laugh and cry. By the end, you will wish you knew Sam and Jeff personally! Don’t miss this heartwarming, and heartbreaking, book. It’s a winner!

[Steven Hinman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Brooks Eason is a great storyteller. Book begins with a tragic day in the life of two friends. It kept me interested throughout.