What Alice Forgot

By: Liane Moriarty

Narrated by: Tamara Lovatt-Smith

Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

From the number one New York Times best-selling author of The Husband's Secret and Big Little Lies

A “cheerfully engaging”(Kirkus Reviews) novel for anyone who’s ever asked herself, “How did I get here?”

Alice Love is 29, crazy about her husband, and pregnant with her first child. So imagine Alice’s surprise when she comes to on the floor of a gym (a gym! She HATES the gym) and is whisked off to the hospital, where she discovers the honeymoon is truly over - she’s getting divorced, she has three kids, and she’s actually 39 years old.

Alice must reconstruct the events of a lost decade and find out whether it’s possible to reconstruct her life at the same time. She has to figure out why her sister hardly talks to her, and how is it that she’s become one of those super skinny moms with really expensive clothes. Ultimately, Alice must discover whether forgetting is a blessing or a curse, and whether it’s possible to start over....

©2011 Liane Moriarty (P)2011 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Funny and knowing...[about] what we choose to remember, and fight to forget." (O Magazine)

"The gripping story of a woman who wakes up with a bump on her head and no knowledge of the past ten years...an acutely observed romantic comedy that is both thought-provoking and funny." (Marie Claire, UK)

"The affecting tale of Alice’s chance for a ten-year do-over." (The New York Times)

This is a must-read

Where does What Alice Forgot rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book was incredible--it was smart, thought-provoking, intense.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The title character, Alice, hits her head in a gym accident and forgets the last ten years of her life--especially the details of her relationships with her spouse, children and friends. She forgets why she and her husband are divorcing and remembers only how much she adored him 10 years ago.

Which character – as performed by Tamara Lovatt-Smith – was your favorite?

The narrator did a beautiful job.

Any additional comments?

anyone going through marital difficulties should read this book--maybe to achieve a "good" divorce, one must remember why you once loved them

Great book with some lessons to learn too.

What made the experience of listening to What Alice Forgot the most enjoyable?

The story was interesting, had depth, and was woven well.

What other book might you compare What Alice Forgot to and why?

This book is different from The Husband's Secret and Big Little Lies. It was more heartfelt and not as light or funny. I enjoyed the mature look at kids and marriage. The plot was interesting. I was never sure how it would end up.

What does Tamara Lovatt-Smith bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Not that much. I didn't love her as the narrator. I like Carol Lee, who does Big Little LIes and The Husband's Secret, better. It was fine. I am also spoiled by Devina Porter..

If you could rename What Alice Forgot, what would you call it?

I wouldn't. The title is perfect!

Loving Moriarty Books

This is the third book by Moriarty that I have enjoyed through audible. None has disappointed. I love her character development and her unusual way of looking at events through different lenses. I especially enjoyed the narrator for this book. I want to hurry through her books I haven't read yet, and I want to slow down to save them for future enjoyment. Surely the sign of really enjoyable, excellent writing.

love

great narrator, great story line.. kept you guessing right up until the end. good read

great story; good for providing some perspective

What did you love best about What Alice Forgot?

Really enjoyed this book; well written, clever story line, and very well crafted. HIghly recommend.

Unforgetable

A new perspective brought by the wisdom of life experience and the innocence of young love. Oh, that we all had this paradigm shift.

Fabulous story

Very simple plot....great performance. I loved it mostly because I'm headed for divorce and still love my wife so much. This book was perfect summary of my life. Perhaps I'm biased

Alice Nearly Lost Her Mind!!

I enjoyed this story set in Australia with several plotlines that converged into a very interesting story about a wife, mother, and sister who suffered a serious head injury resulting in serious memory loss. She forgets a huge chunk of her life! She remembers that she is married but forgot that she had already had her baby a while ago. This story is suspenseful and interesting. How would you manage not knowing your kids?!! The story takes many twists and turns along the way with interesting characters including a grandma who writes daily letters to her dead husband even tho she had remarried.

I believe two narrators, or a more skillful narrator, would have helped with telling this story. Narrator, Tamara Lovatt-Smith did a good job but with her accent and her limited voice tones, it was sometimes difficult to follow who was speaking especially in the first couple of hours of listening. Overall, however, once I got into the story it became easier to follow. The suspense of the story held my interest from the opening paragraph until the very end...

Highly Recommend

this book made me THINK

This was one of the most thought provoking books I’ve read lately. Nice to get a mystery that was so satisfying - if you’re on the fence about it just read it. I actually went home after starting this book and thought about who I’d like to be in ten years’ time - so much can change about ourselves - and this was a fascinating story.

A good memory

A book that will bring time and memory together with a blend of the touching human experience. A tease of what could be lost in a flash of light, in a heartbeat of change. Brilliant.