Title: The Art of Forgetting
Author: Camille Noe Pagan
Genre: Women’s Fiction/Chick Lit
Publisher: Dutton/Penguin Group
Publication Date: May 14, 2011
Hardcover: 284 pages
Where’d I Get It: Bought it.
Synopsis (From Goodreads): Marissa Rogers never wanted to be an alpha; beta suited her just fine. Taking charge without taking credit had always paid off: vaulting her to senior editor at a glossy magazine; keeping the peace with her critical, weight-obsessed mother; and enjoying the benefits of being best friends with gorgeous, charismatic, absolutely alpha Julia Ferrar.
And then Julia gets hit by a cab. She survives with minor obvious injuries, but brain damage steals her memory and alters her personality, possibly forever. Suddenly, Marissa is thrown into the role of alpha friend. As Julia struggles to regain her memory- dredging up issues Marissa would rather forget, including the fact that Julia asked her to abandon the love of her life ten years ago- Marissa’s own equilibrium is shaken.
With the help of a dozen girls, she reluctantly agrees to coach in an after-school running program. There, Marissa uncovers her inner confidence and finds the courage to reexamine her past and take control of her future.
The Art of Forgetting is a story about the power of friendship, the memories and myths that hold us back, and the delicate balance between forgiving and forgetting.
My Thoughts: You know your favorite pair of slippers? The one where they have been worn in just right for superior softness, the ones that are molded to your foot? Well this is how I perceive writing this book was to the author. Ms. Noe Pagan has experience in every topic that she wrote about in this book and conveys it in a natural way. When describing brain injuries, she didn’t make it sound text bookish or boring, but wrapped it in to the story, keeping the plot interesting while sneaking in some learning.
Marissa is a likeable character that any non super model can relate to, we’ve all been there, done that and can appreciate the emotions the character feels during different periods in the book. Julia becomes a love/hate character, you hate that she seems so perfect, you love that she is brought down a peg, you hate yourself for thinking that about someone going through a catastrophe and then we all grow up in the end.
Overall I’d say that this was an enjoyable book, although nothing in it is all that new or exciting. Get it at the library.
Rating: 3 of 5
