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Remember to Forget Me
With the publication of REMEMBER TO FORGET ME comes the highly anticipated follow-up to Kerry Neville's award-winning debut, NECESSARY LIES. In this new volume, Neville peers with a steady eye into the universal struggle to lead a life of purpose and dignity. In "Zorya," we are drawn into the world of a former Ukrainian sex worker whose determination to embark on a new path with the dream of supporting her son and aging mother ends up subjecting her to even greater affronts. "Indignity" takes us into the mind of a Polish widow who comes to the United States determined to start her life anew only to discover that her job as caregiver puts her into a painful collision with her past. In "Lionman," we witness a circus freak whose unexpected chance to satisfy his hunger for human connection leads to a nearly inconceivable revelation. And in the title story, a devoted husband thinks he has survived life's final assault by consenting to have his beloved wife institutionalized for dementia--only to find that it's just the beginning of his heartbreak. With enormous compassion, Kerry Neville penetrates deep into the lives of people shattered as much by yearning as by loss. These are stories you won't soon forget.
- GenresShort Stories
196 pages, Paperback
Published October 10, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 2, 2017
This collection is stunning and graceful. In this book, women find themselves in need of independence, completion, and in some cases, stability. They work their fingers to the bone, love to their heart's potential, and constantly adapt to a world run by men. These characters are immigrants, migrants, and homebodies feeling brunt of the world and do their best to weather its storms.
My favorite stories in this collection are 'Indignity' and 'Remember to Forget Me.' Both stories include characters that have aged to the point where they are not able to take care of themselves, and each has a main character that interacts with that person's body and mind in surprising ways. With love, memory, and mortality intertwining, both stories made me think deeply about those I love, especially the ones that have gotten older and ones that have already left. in a world of increasing demand for caregivers and those that need care, seeing their stories, and how different they can be, is important.
My favorite stories in this collection are 'Indignity' and 'Remember to Forget Me.' Both stories include characters that have aged to the point where they are not able to take care of themselves, and each has a main character that interacts with that person's body and mind in surprising ways. With love, memory, and mortality intertwining, both stories made me think deeply about those I love, especially the ones that have gotten older and ones that have already left. in a world of increasing demand for caregivers and those that need care, seeing their stories, and how different they can be, is important.
January 10, 2018
The empathy and grace in this book is simply stunning, as is the writing. I could not put it down once I started it. The people who inhabit these stories stay with you, in the best way. Confession: I am not always the best reader of short stories these days. This collection may have single-handedly changed my mind about that.
February 28, 2018
Every single one of the short stories in this collection transported me. Kerry is so amazing at bringing characters to life and making you really care about them. What a fabulous read!
January 28, 2018
Stunning collection of raw short stories.
March 16, 2021
Spectacular collection that I can't believe I waited this long to read. These are exceptionally relatable stories about loss and love, about wanting to hold onto what is gone yet needing to let go of the emotional pain that the memory or the person carries. Would highly recommend for people who don't like short stories because each one is excellent. I loved every one of these stories, with the slight exception of "The Lionman." (Am still giving this 5 stars rather than 4.5 because the writing of "The Lionman" was excellent, but it didn't quite grab me as much as the others.) Disclaimer: Although Kerry Neville is a personal friend, I would be giving this a 5 star review regardless. She's an immensely talented writer who deserves much wider acclaim.
March 23, 2019
The characters Neville created for Remember to Forget Me come from around the world and all stations of life, but there's nothing about them that isn't familiar in some way. The last story held me in such a state of surprise and awe that I want to shout about it, but I'm not about to spoil the book for you. I'll just say that this collection is so human and illuminating and powerful that it had me rethinking my entire life.
May 26, 2018
This short story collection absolutely blew me away. Neville's voice is earnest and her characters are real. The situations that she writes about are new and surprising, but the emotional truths that they reveal are old and heartrendingly relevant. She is a writer of true literary fiction. I'm looking forward to reading more from her.
June 30, 2019
Delightfully melancholic
January 4, 2020
Really great some heartbreaking, some dark, some hard to read book of short stories.
May 7, 2021
I was introduced to this book in the form of hearing Neville read it out loud at a University English Department event and loved it so much that I had to buy a copy (the fact that she signed it was an added bonus!) It's an absolutely stunning collection of short stories that I'd highly recommend to everyone :)
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews