When I Forgot

Title: When I Forgot

Author: Elina Hirvonen

Number of pages: 180

Started: 3 February 2012

Finished: 5 February 2012

Opening words:

Why I’m happy

I’m happy because I have a steam engine (that works).

I’m happy because I have Daddy Mommy Sister Grandma and got a Stiiga bike for Christmas.

I’m happy because I’m in the science club and when I grow up I’m going to be an inventor and win the Nobel Prize.

I’m happy because I get to live my whole life in free and independent Finland and because my Heavenly Father loves me and takes care of me.

Joona Louhiniitty 3A

Read a longer excerpt here.

Plot summary:

While on her way to the hospital where her brother is institutionalized, Anna experiences a moment of recollection so arresting it shatters her world -- a recollection of searing pain and madness. Exploring psychological trauma, the boundaries of memory, and the political ramifications of September 11, 2001, "When I Forgot" offers gripping insights into the universal themes of suppressed pain and, above all, retaining a sense of hope in an increasingly grim world.

What I thought:

When I Forgot is a very slim novel. It is 180 pages long, but that is in part due to some generous line spacing. That said, it was a brief insight into the heartache of life. I thought I had some merits to it, but I did not find it the hypnotic read that reviewers seem to find. It was a decent enough read, but one that will not stay long in the memory.