"Early love is exciting and exhilarating. It's light and bubbly. Anyone can love like that. But after three children, after a separation and a near-divorce, after you've hurt each other and forgiven each other, bored each other and surprised each other, after you've seen the worst and the best-- well, that sort of love is ineffable. It deserves its own word."
A novel about the pains of growing up and the strength of the little decisions that build up a future that could become inoxerable if allowed to. An almost perfect work that could have declared a stronger statement if the ending had not been so predictable and conservative.
PLOT
Alice Love (Ok, I disliked the last name) wakes up at the gym, she is confused not because she has fainted but because she is in a gym! She has never been a fan of these places. She is surrounded by a bunch of people that she does not recognize in a life that does not appear to be her own. Quickly, it's revealed why she is so amazed by her surroundings: she has lost memory of the last 10 years.
10 years ago, Alice was pregnant with her first child and madly in love with her husband. Slowly, it is revealed to her that she currently has three children. That is not the most shocking news. Time has changed many things, the relationship with her husband is one of them: they are on the verge of a divorce, a very nasty one. Also, she does not seem to be as close with her sister, Elisabeth, as she once was. Close might not be the word: friendly.
Alice is shocked on how her life has changed, and is unable to accept what is happening. She was 29 at one moment and then she is about to hit the 40s. As readers, we wonder if she did some time travelling (Outlander much?) or she is victim of a memory disease (The Notebook much?). Liane Moriarty is a master of creating domestic events in a complete mystery, What Alice Forgot is no exception. In the first and second arc of the book we are so invested on Alice's despair and confusion, how little snippets of the past come briefly to the surface. The novel is about the details, little things that are significant as the story goes on.
Alice's memory lapse helps us understand the people around her, specially second main character, Elisabeth who has been away from her for the last years. Elisabeth writes a diary for her psychologist, Dr. Hodges to whom she explains how Alice's amnesia affects her as she is the first one to find out about it. Elisabeth steals the spotlight from the main narrative, and I was so invested in her character that I was disappointed with the outcome. Elisabeth is struggling to get pregnant and has had several miscarriages that have made her extremely cynical. Her diary entries are compelling and witty with lots of dark humor.
Alice Love gets her memory back and all the sorrow and disappointment that her brain was shielding her from. The outcome is not bold. Alice gets her life back together, becomes more comprehensive towards her children and herself, and finds the capacity to forgive her husband for taking her for granted. Elisabeth finally has a baby. The world is good and full of rainbows and smiles. It's the typical happy ending that would satisfy you... if you love happy endings.
STRUCTURE
The novel is narrated in third person, in present tense and Alice's past is soberly narrated by Elisabeth through an epistolary format. Elisabeth writes a diary for her psychologist, it is one of the highlights of the novel. Elisabeth is such a layered and well-expressed character.
There is another part of the novel that Alice's grandmother writes called Grannie's letters to Phil. I won't describe it because I find it unnecessary as its existence in the novel.
THEMES
The consequences of losing a child, infertility are the main topics surrouding Elisabeth's character, her bold and uncensored description of the events that have shaped her character made me wince or cry from time to time. Her voice feels so authentic and poignant.
From Alice's narrative, we can talk about the consequences of the passing of time. Alice used to be a cheerful person, but as she grew older, wiser and skeptical, she lost some of her spark. The novel invites us not to become dry or bitter because of circumstances, we must find the silver lining, we have to learn, but we cannot let ourselves corrupt for the bad things surrounding us, specially if it eventually leads us to unhappinness and disatisfacion.
Lack of effective communication and marriage are key factors taken into account in this novel.
CHARACTER: 8/10 (Sometimes happy Alice was too annoying for my taste)
PLOT DEVELOPMENT: /10
THEMES: 10/10
GRADE: Good (I was close to name this novel Moriarty's best and a must-read novel, but the ending really fell short)
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