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Nothing Forgotten: A Novel
“. . . an example of women’s fiction at its best.”—Foreword Reviews
When Anna, now living in California, is contacted by the Italian lover she knew decades before, she recalls their affair and the child she gave up for adoption. As the episode returns to haunt her—threatening the life she’s built, including her marriage—the story moves back in time to her youth in Europe.
Rome, 1979. Anna, twenty-two and living abroad, is involved with a man already engaged to be married. When she meets and befriends his fiancée, she is forced to confront the moral consequences of her actions. But an unexpected pregnancy, an anonymous letter, and threatening relatives complicate the picture. A novel in which an unconventional heroine, far from home, is forced to reckon with the judgment of others.
Nothing Forgotten is the third novel in Jessica Levine’s The Cousins Series. It can be read after The Geometry of Love or as a standalone.
When Anna, now living in California, is contacted by the Italian lover she knew decades before, she recalls their affair and the child she gave up for adoption. As the episode returns to haunt her—threatening the life she’s built, including her marriage—the story moves back in time to her youth in Europe.
Rome, 1979. Anna, twenty-two and living abroad, is involved with a man already engaged to be married. When she meets and befriends his fiancée, she is forced to confront the moral consequences of her actions. But an unexpected pregnancy, an anonymous letter, and threatening relatives complicate the picture. A novel in which an unconventional heroine, far from home, is forced to reckon with the judgment of others.
Nothing Forgotten is the third novel in Jessica Levine’s The Cousins Series. It can be read after The Geometry of Love or as a standalone.
- GenresFiction
330 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 10, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
April 12, 2018
It pains me to just barely give a book 3 stars when we all know how much time and effort and pieces of themselves an author puts into their work, but I have to be honest. I just didn’t like these characters very much and had a difficult time connecting with them in the present or with their younger selves that we discover through flashbacks. An Italian man contacts a woman he had an affair with 25 years ago. He was engaged at the time, divorced now but she is married and living back in the US, but in a marriage on the rocks. At 22 while living in Rome she sleeps with him and becomes friends with his fiancé. A pregnancy complicated things and is further complicated because she’s not sure who the father is. The ending is predictable as they begin to recreate their relationship and connect with a young man who may or may not be their son. Bottom line is that this was just not for me, but it will find an audience with fans of romance and women’s fiction so I rounded up .
I received an advanced copy of this book from She Writes Press through NetGalley.
I received an advanced copy of this book from She Writes Press through NetGalley.
April 7, 2018
An emotional moving read a long ago love affair a baby an Italian love affair memories.A beautifully written emotional moving novel,
November 20, 2018
This novel takes place in 1979. A 22 year old, raised by an alcoholic mother, leaves to work and live in Italy. Her roomate is a male from her office. (They have sex only twice.)
She meets and falls in love with a married man. I lost respect for both of these main characters at this point. I kept reminding myself this was the 70's. The sex described between these two and the few other one night stands was explicit. Again I had to keep reminding me about a 22 year old, in another country away from home, plus the time period.
I did not abandon the book because I wanted to know how the far future turned out for this young girl. I suppose it was written well enough, just not my cup of tea, at my stage of life.
She meets and falls in love with a married man. I lost respect for both of these main characters at this point. I kept reminding myself this was the 70's. The sex described between these two and the few other one night stands was explicit. Again I had to keep reminding me about a 22 year old, in another country away from home, plus the time period.
I did not abandon the book because I wanted to know how the far future turned out for this young girl. I suppose it was written well enough, just not my cup of tea, at my stage of life.
March 5, 2018
Jessica Levine's well researched novel takes readers into the hearts of young Americans living in Italy and France twenty-five years ago. Nothing Forgotten suggests that what we think we see may not be real.
It is not a mystical story, though the raw reality is so well hidden that Anna and Michael's family and best friends are shocked as their marriage unravels. Her long-ago lover starts sending her emails from out of the blue—this prompts the final decline. Anna thought she had put Sergio out of her mind forever but now she cannot stop thinking about him. She and Michael's communication had already degraded to frequent heated arguments, followed by tired apologies and regret. Michael's charms have long become small irritations which rapidly escalate into contempt. Their young teen daughter, Esther, feels their tension with much despair and insecurity. She does not want to be a child of divorce like so many of her friends.
Anna's Italian boyfriend, Sergio, is the classic Italian lover. At the time of their relationship, he was her supervisor and betrothed to Olivia, a lovely Italian girl in his home town. I couldn't help thinking while reading that if this were a memoir rather than fiction, it could have been another "me, too" case. He takes her home on week-ends to meet his fiancée, Olivia, a sweet and trusting soul. They become friends, and Anna hates herself for deceiving her.
The author's strength is in her descriptions of place and time, as well as her character development. She creates a believable, though improbable plot. But then we all know real life is often stranger than fiction. This is a richly detailed story of passion and failure, deception and honesty, with anticipation and nostalgia. It is about making hard choices and living with those decisions, and the twisted ties that hold a family together.
by Ann McCauley
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
It is not a mystical story, though the raw reality is so well hidden that Anna and Michael's family and best friends are shocked as their marriage unravels. Her long-ago lover starts sending her emails from out of the blue—this prompts the final decline. Anna thought she had put Sergio out of her mind forever but now she cannot stop thinking about him. She and Michael's communication had already degraded to frequent heated arguments, followed by tired apologies and regret. Michael's charms have long become small irritations which rapidly escalate into contempt. Their young teen daughter, Esther, feels their tension with much despair and insecurity. She does not want to be a child of divorce like so many of her friends.
Anna's Italian boyfriend, Sergio, is the classic Italian lover. At the time of their relationship, he was her supervisor and betrothed to Olivia, a lovely Italian girl in his home town. I couldn't help thinking while reading that if this were a memoir rather than fiction, it could have been another "me, too" case. He takes her home on week-ends to meet his fiancée, Olivia, a sweet and trusting soul. They become friends, and Anna hates herself for deceiving her.
The author's strength is in her descriptions of place and time, as well as her character development. She creates a believable, though improbable plot. But then we all know real life is often stranger than fiction. This is a richly detailed story of passion and failure, deception and honesty, with anticipation and nostalgia. It is about making hard choices and living with those decisions, and the twisted ties that hold a family together.
by Ann McCauley
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
June 11, 2018
When Anna, now living in California, is contacted by the Italian lover she knew decades before, she recalls their affair and the child she gave up for adoption. As the episode returns to haunt her―threatening the life she’s built, including her marriage―the story moves back in time to her youth in Europe.
Rome, 1979. Anna, twenty-two and living abroad, is involved with a man already engaged to be married. When she meets and befriends his fiancée, she is forced to confront the moral consequences of her actions. But an unexpected pregnancy, an anonymous letter, and threatening relatives complicate the picture. A novel in which an unconventional heroine, far from home, is forced to reckon with the judgment of others.
My Thoughts: From her present life in Berkeley, CA, Anna Stark is swept back in time to a love affair that has never been forgotten. Her first person narrative takes us to Rome…and to an Italian village where her lover’s family lives, and as she is brought into his orbit, she finds herself conflicted, confused, and unsure of what lies ahead.
Will Sergio’s plans to marry the suitable choice, Olivia, end the love affair? Will Anna try to stop the wedding? How will her choices change everything?
As I turned the pages, I was caught up in the beauty of the setting and the strength of the family ties. Sergio’s family opened their arms to her, including her in meals, but one member of the Italian family would turn against her when she tried to tell her secret to Sergio. The era of 1979 reminded me of how lives were different back then, and how these same events in this day and age could have taken an entirely new path.
In the present, Anna and her husband separate, and upon her return to Italy to see her aunt’s apartment again, she makes some life-changing decisions. 4 stars.
Rome, 1979. Anna, twenty-two and living abroad, is involved with a man already engaged to be married. When she meets and befriends his fiancée, she is forced to confront the moral consequences of her actions. But an unexpected pregnancy, an anonymous letter, and threatening relatives complicate the picture. A novel in which an unconventional heroine, far from home, is forced to reckon with the judgment of others.
My Thoughts: From her present life in Berkeley, CA, Anna Stark is swept back in time to a love affair that has never been forgotten. Her first person narrative takes us to Rome…and to an Italian village where her lover’s family lives, and as she is brought into his orbit, she finds herself conflicted, confused, and unsure of what lies ahead.
Will Sergio’s plans to marry the suitable choice, Olivia, end the love affair? Will Anna try to stop the wedding? How will her choices change everything?
As I turned the pages, I was caught up in the beauty of the setting and the strength of the family ties. Sergio’s family opened their arms to her, including her in meals, but one member of the Italian family would turn against her when she tried to tell her secret to Sergio. The era of 1979 reminded me of how lives were different back then, and how these same events in this day and age could have taken an entirely new path.
In the present, Anna and her husband separate, and upon her return to Italy to see her aunt’s apartment again, she makes some life-changing decisions. 4 stars.
July 4, 2021
When we meet Anna, the complex but well-intentioned protagonist, there is tension in her life, something is amiss, and we are very quickly taken back twenty-some years to learn her backstory. As I plunged into the world of this 22-year old living in Italy, I was initially envious of her and the freedom and adventure she is enjoying. Yes, her relationship with Sergio is complicated and not ideal; yes, she had a difficult childhood which, no doubt, feeds into her insecurities and desire to not be tied down. But she knows herself and what she needs and struggles to shape her life as she envisions it. Then, as the story continues and the plot thickens, I no longer felt envious of Anna but, rather, empathetic toward her and her somewhat messy life, realizing she uncomfortably bears the weight of her decisions. She is imperfect, as all of us are, so she can be unkind at times, with seemingly selfish motives. That’s what makes her real. Unlike some readers, I do not need to love the main character in order to enjoy the story, I just need to find the character believable and the story compelling. Jessica Levine’s descriptions of places and people, including Anna’s roommate, friends, lovers, relatives and co-workers, are well-crafted and authentic, so the story held my attention and I could clearly envision Anna’s world. The ending is unpredictable, and the last several chapters felt more rushed than I would’ve preferred, but I enjoyed the book nonetheless.
April 2, 2018
Many a young romantic’s dream, to travel the world after college, secure a job, share an adorable flat with a scandalous Brit in Rome and fall madly in love … with a handsome, sexy, engaged, older man. Assured that a woman on the side is often the Italian way, At 22, Anna cannot help herself and falls deeply in love with her boss at the language school. She quickly let’s go of her inhibitions and her heart. When Sergio orchestrates Anna’s weekends so he can spend more time with her, she unapologetically befriends the unsuspecting fiance. After a complicated year, a wedding and a heart shattered in a million pieces, she leaves Rome. Twenty-five years later Sergio contacts her. Anna must decide if she can share her deepest darkest secrets that may change her life forever. I read this story of romance and family, loyalty and deception in one single sitting. I didn’t always love the characters or their choices or the rush-to-the-finish ending but found the thread of time and setting in Rome mesmerizing. When there is a fork in the road your history is being created and future determined. Also, the notion that when we are with loved ones from our past we can once again see through the eyes of that younger self. Enjoyable, well written, delicious Italian love story.
March 17, 2020
I read this book as part of a typo-killer assignment. Usually when I read books to look for typos I am able to completely focus on the words and the punctuation and find every little typo that exists. This book was different. Different first because I only found a few very minor typos but different second because I was so distracted by the interesting story that I would get past one of the few typos and had to stop and go back to see if it really was there. The basic story is about a middle-aged woman who is married with one child who is contacted by an Italian lover from decades before when she lived for a time in Rome. The story then switches to her time in Rome and all the people and lovers and an unexpected pregnancy and makes her re-examine where she is in her current life. I won't give the ending away so will stop here. But if you want a story that will suck you in and hold you until you find out how it ends, I would definitely recommend this book.
September 30, 2018
I thought this book was extremely well written and thought the characters were well written. I think readers will be able to identify with the raw emotion and background of this book. The subject of adultery is extremely common, yet this story is different. This book explores the norms of the area that Anna is living and shows how she deliberates about the choices she has to make. The end was a little too cut and dried for me, however it seemed to fit well enough with the story. I would have liked to know more about Anna's spouse and what drew her to him after the passion that she shared with Sergio. Thanks for the ARC copy of this book. I appreciated the hand written note and loved the inscription.
January 31, 2019
This book gets two stars from me purely on the skill of the author's writing. However, the story line is tired, dark and sad, the characters pretty much all unlikable. I was intrigued to read the story as it is about a woman who relinquishes a child for adoption in the '70s. But the story goes quickly back to the beginning of her affair with her Italian lover and the other three men with whom she was involved at the time she conceived. The book was more about her casual sex life than about the relinquishment of the child which we don't hear anything about until the last few pages. On the plus side, the descriptions of Italy, it's art/architecture/history/food were quite well done and one gets the feel of a bit of a travelogue. Other than that, the book fails, in my opinion.
April 8, 2020
This book is full of beautiful descriptive writing of the scenes around you and the culture of Italy. Written so that you can place yourself in the setting. There were a few times that I felt the story slowed down just slightly but the writing seemed to make me not be able to put it down.
The story seemed to create a sense of urgency as I read it. Although a long-ago affair is not something I’ve experienced nor intend to, somehow Jessica Levine made me feel as if it were me. I could almost feel the sense of dread when Anna received the email from long ago. The sense of dread right along with that feeling of happiness. I can think of no other reason an author could make me feel these things from mere words on paper except good writing.
The story seemed to create a sense of urgency as I read it. Although a long-ago affair is not something I’ve experienced nor intend to, somehow Jessica Levine made me feel as if it were me. I could almost feel the sense of dread when Anna received the email from long ago. The sense of dread right along with that feeling of happiness. I can think of no other reason an author could make me feel these things from mere words on paper except good writing.
January 29, 2019
Berkeley, Usa.
Anna Stark inherited an apartment in Sperlonga, near Rome, Italy, from a strange aunt Doris.
Anna met Doris during her trip around the world, and she was free, young, globetrotter.
Nice to read about Italy, my country.
Some scenes, traditions, way of think, a sense of family and honor, are really Italian-style!
Well written, no boring, great characters and world building, fast to read, enjoy!
Anna Stark inherited an apartment in Sperlonga, near Rome, Italy, from a strange aunt Doris.
Anna met Doris during her trip around the world, and she was free, young, globetrotter.
Nice to read about Italy, my country.
Some scenes, traditions, way of think, a sense of family and honor, are really Italian-style!
Well written, no boring, great characters and world building, fast to read, enjoy!
October 9, 2018
You meet the right people at the wrong moments, and the wrong people at the right moments. The right timing - we call it il tempismo- only a lucky few have it. But you have to keep going forward, doing what you can with your life even when things aren’t exactly how you want them to be. Things are imperfect, disappointment even, but the main thing is to keep your goals in mind.
November 30, 2018
The writing has a nice flow and the story kept me somewhat interested but overall there was too much of a frivolous attitude about sex for my taste and too much referencing of it. I also didn’t like how the main characters were betraying loved ones left and right without much thought or regret, but still end up with what appears to be a happy ending. It left me not caring one way or the other.
January 8, 2019
This is a story about people in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and about the way in which these star-crossed lovers are dealing with their lives and their partners.
The writing is really good, and the descriptions so vivid that you feel you are there, in Italy, with them.
A very interesting read.
The writing is really good, and the descriptions so vivid that you feel you are there, in Italy, with them.
A very interesting read.
July 5, 2018
One of those mid-life "happier ever after" books. These are often a good break from the other books I am required to read for work, and I had high hopes for it, but the book wrapped up quickly, and the characters were all rather dislikable.
May 10, 2020
I enjoyed this book for the descriptions of a young woman living in Rome in 1979. The main characters were not easy to like or relate to (self absorbed, bad decisions etc), but there was an honesty to the writing and the emotions expressed that kept me reading.
September 6, 2024
Nothing forgotten is very forgettable for me. The characters all seemed superficial— devoid of character… And though I tried to like her, the main character was too narcissistic to feel any warmth or sympathy for. Not my favorite book.
February 3, 2019
A novel full of characters I could not like and a story I could not believe.
June 12, 2023
Took a lot of effort to finish this rather dull story. The less said the better.
December 13, 2023
An emotional story of first love and heartache. Deep and remarkably written story.
February 24, 2019
I really enjoyed this story. The author takes you on an adventure going back to earlier years and builds up to the present time. The ending felt abrupt, however, given how much detail was given leading up to the present moment. I guess a book needs to end sometime. I can see a sequel for this one. A fun read for sure.
January 2, 2019
Loved this book. Very quick read, wish there was a sequel.
April 20, 2023
Love regained
I chose this rating because I loved the story,!don't know of anything I didn't like! It was so romantic and I !oved the ending,!
I chose this rating because I loved the story,!don't know of anything I didn't like! It was so romantic and I !oved the ending,!
April 25, 2023
If you like minute-by-minute detail, you'll probably like this book. I found the Anna/Sergio saga rather tedius.
kindle
April 12, 2018This is a very well written book about marriage and motherhood. I am definitely going to seek out more work from this author.
Read
September 14, 2018i liked the tension of the story as i read, but i was disappointed in the ending.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews