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)

Unforgettable! I loved this story!

I loved this story! We got the view point from three different people: Alice, her sister and Frannie. I think it was just creatively done and it was a multidimensional story with the three viewpoints and you not only got to know Alice through their eyes, you got to know the other two and what they've gone through in the present and in the past.

One negative of the audiobook version which could be overlooked because the story was just beautiful. I didn't love the narrator unfortunately. In fact, in the beginning, I didn't really realize when Alice's viewpoint switched to her sister's viewpoint....the narrator had the same exact voice and tone for both of them.

The great do-over!

This book made me squirm uncomfortably and put it down occasionally just so I could do a little soul searching. This story is so cleverly told through hindsight and foresight and answers that universal question: if I could go back would I make the same decisions? It brilliantly points out that the obvious choice, the easy choice and the smart choice while easily discernable from the outside, on the inside, with circumstances and issues nagging at you - - the choices are much more difficult. And while the characters and narrators are Australian, the circumstances are universal. I *think* this might be more appealing if you have a few years under your belt, but I sure as heck would have loved to have read it 10-years ago!

Loved it.

had a bit of a problem with the performance

After listening to quite a number of brilliant narrators that are able to make the different characters sound so different that you "recognize their voices" I struggled with Tamara Lovatt-Smith's performance. Without barely a break, the narration switches between Alice, her sister and her granny, but her voice is exactly the same! It always took me about 2 sentences before I caught on that the scene had changed. The seamless change of perspective without a clue but the words themselves really irritated me for a great part of the book.
Also although the narrator herself is of Australian origin, I didn't hear that. She sounded almost British to me and didn't suit the story in my eyes.
Sorry, but I don't understand why the performance got such high marks.
The story itself was quite enjoyable and saved the audiobook for me.

Loved...

I read The Husbands Secret ...after it being reviewed in People Magazine. I loved it and then came to look for her other books. I didn't love the concept of this book when I read the preview...but, I really loved it. Loved it as much as The Husbands Secret. So, much so I immediately downloaded the next one, The Hypnotist.
It was a very thought prevoking book... great story...interesting concept. Loved the characters, the humor, the emotion. Highly recommend!

Clever and Fresh, but Painful

This book gave me pause. It made me stop and think about spouses taking each other for granted in the day to day and the long term effect that can have on a marriage. Am I guilty? Though the plot for What Alice Forgot is highly unlikely, Moriarty weaves the tale convincingly and left me tearful in several places. It is painful (but well done) following Alice post injury as she discovers that her marriage has fallen apart, yet she is in the happy mindset of her marriage from 10 years prior. Clever and fresh, What Alice Forgot is a satisfying, well written book.

OK

Seemed pretty long and drawn out. The ideas about divorce were very thought provoking. To bad it took so long to get there.
It would have been nice to have a little change of voice for each character. it just ask sounded the same and if you weren't paying close attention, you couldn't tell who was speaking.

Philosophical and still fun!

On several occasions my wife has asked me, "where do you see yourself and us in the next ten years?" But never once have either of us dared to wonder if our younger selves would be disappointed or pleased having viewed our lives ten years hence. So with that said its fair to say again that this book got me thinking...

Liane Moriarity' genius of creating charismatic characters, remarkable dialogue and mysterious situations doesn't overshadow the fact she is one of the centuries best persons of letters. Her works are as deep as they are entertaining.

So this book captured my imagination from the first chapter and held it throughout its entire length. It challenged me, encouraged me, thrilled me, all while keeping a warm smile on my face.

Love, love, love this book!

Liane Moriarty is my new favorite author. After listening to, The Husbands Secret, I decided to try another of her books and I enjoyed this one even more. The concept of waking up and thinking you are 10 yrs younger was fascinating to me. It made me examine my own life and think about what my 10 or 20 or 30 yrs. younger self would think of me now. I like the way the author builds suspense and keeps us guessing. She is great at building realistic characters and tells the story from many viewpoints. It's also interesting how one of the main characters is deceased. The narration was great. I highly recommend this book and my book club is reading it this month, so far the reviews are great!

Favorite listen so far this year!

Any additional comments?

I loved What Alice Forgot. This was really a story about someone finding herself again, but played out in a completely unique way. I have been recommending this book to everyone. Get it - you won't be disappointed!

What I want to Remember

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

My rating is closer to a 2.5, but some one with higher sentimentality may rate it higher. I would recommend to anyone who has gone through serious marital disputes and for anyone who has had difficulty with motherhood with the clause that they have walked away from these challenges with fairy tale endings.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The performance was what kept me through the lulls in this book.

What character would you cut from What Alice Forgot?

All the characters weave the story line but however endearing the grandmother and her boyfriend's part may be extra.

Any additional comments?

Most people enjoy a happy ending, but I prefer one that would have delivered a stronger Alice. There are some wonderful times of introspection by the characters. At these times the book sparks inner reflection as well - at the things we should keep, those we should change, and those we need to learn to accept. At these times the characters - Alice and her sister - made me feel like I had two allies. This is all undone at the end. The story seems to convey "life doesn't always turn out as expected" and "that's okay" but the end betrays it all.