Random Harvest (1941)

Charles Rainier wakes up on a bench in an East Liverpool hospitalwith no idea of who he is or where he came from. He starts over, only to have the past come back to wedge it's place in his life. ( )

An interesting book about learning who you are. The main character is literally learning this because he has amnesia but he is also questioning if he has to be the person his background and experiences have turned him into. ( )

What a neat treat from a bygone era. Random Harvest was written in 1941 and was so popular at that time that it was #2 on the NYTimes Bestsellers of the Year list. It was immediately adapted to film, which was nominated for multiple Academy Awards, but I highly recommend reading the book first--it is so much better!

You may think that having been written more than 60 years ago would make it quaint, archaic or unapproachable, but it is anything but. It's a fabulous glimpse into those years between the wars. ( )

Charles Rainier has a rising political career, a beautiful and charming wife, a fine country home, and a successful business, but he is missing something - about 2 years of his life. He was wounded during World War I and received a head injury. From the time of his injury in a trench in Germany to over 2 years later when he 'came to himself' on a park bench in England, he can't remember a thing. This is the story of his life, his romances, and his ultimately successful attempt to figure out who he is.

I really enjoyed this book. It's set during the rise of Hitler and the coming war sort of hovers over all the action. It sounds like it would be sort of sappy or something, but instead I just kept wanting to read more. I put it in the 'love' category because I heard it called a love story. It is, but you don't get the payoff to the love story until the very end of the book, so the rest of the time, it just reads like the story of man torn between his family obligations and his own desires. So good. ( )

A great story. ( )