The Forgetting

Here is a novel that deserves to be discussed: a powerful story full of suspense, with themes of memory, amnesia, and family relationships that I was desperate to share. The novel alternates between the stories of two central characters: Anna, in London, who has awoken from a car accident with no memory of her life before the crash, and first-time mother Livvy, in Bristol, who is looking to juggle the balance of childcare and a return to work. As we delve into the domesticity of each of their lives, we discover that there are well-kept secrets that are struggling to be revealed. I don’t want to give anything away, but in Hannah Beckerman’s compelling style, this highly topical, conversation-starting novel left me hanging on every word. I assure you, this is a story that packs an emotional punch that will leave you breathless. When Anna Bradshaw wakes up in a hospital bed in London, she remembers nothing, not even her loving husband, Stephen. The doctors say her amnesia is to be expected, but Anna feels cut adrift from her entire life. In Bristol, Livvy Nicholson is newly married to Dominic and eager to get back to work after six months’ maternity leave. But when Dominic’s estranged mother appears, making a series of unnerving claims, Livvy is sucked into a version of herself she doesn’t recognise. A hundred miles apart, both women feel trapped and disorientated, and their stories are about to collide. Can they uncover the secret that connects them and reconstruct their fractured lives?