For my first book of the semester I wanted to choose a relatively easy read that I already had on hand or, well, on my Kindle.
“What Alice Forgot” by Liane Moriarty proved to be the perfect choice for me to return to reading again.
The novel follows the story of Alice, who suffers from temporary amnesia after falling off an exercise bike during a spin class. Instead of simply forgetting a few minor details about her life, 39-year-old Alice cannot remember anything that has happened in the last 10 years.
In the beginning of the novel Alice awakes from what she assumes is a dream and believes herself to be a goofy, easygoing, newly pregnant wife. Instead, she is shocked to discover she is now an ambitious, somewhat uptight mother of three going through a divorce.
This book became much more enjoyable once I stopped questioning the plausibility of the story. Although the story is unbelievable, Moriarty’s candid writing style and use of humor kept me engaged.
While the story focuses on Alice, Moriarty also provides insight into the life of her sister Elisabeth and her stand-in grandmother Frannie, who came into Alice’s life after the early death of her father.
Elisabeth’s point of view comes from diary entries she writes as homework for her therapist, while Frannie writes to a former fiancé who passed away years ago.
Although I especially liked reading from Elisabeth’s point of view, it was confusing at first to read them because neither the diary entries nor letters were directly connected to Alice.
Although Alice’s struggles are those of an affluent, privileged woman, Moriarty does touch on deeper topics such as loss, divorce and infertility issues. What struck me while reading the novel is also what struck Alice after she lost her memory — how much her current relationships changed in 10 years.
Overall the book was breezy and cheerful but not to a fault. I often find my mind wandering while reading, which is probably a side-effect of being a part of the generation raised on social media, but I was finally able to lose myself in a book again.
It might be a little early for some to start a spring break reading list, but this book is perfect for a beach read or even a long weekend.
kchrisco@ius.edu
