"I wanted only to comfort the boy, to say something that might explain anything. But what? To say that I was a person who had once fallen in love with everything, and what else could I have done? Or to say that all of my attempts to find a way to live had ended up becoming my life? Or to say that I had waited so long that I had almost forgotten there was something I was waiting for, that waiting itself nearly became the point?"

My absolute favorite part of this book isn't even part of the story. It is the title page. The letters fade out gradually throughout the title. It haunted me before I even read the first page. As I read, I kept recalling the fading letters at the start of the book... something so simple, but so fitting to the tale that it stayed with me.

The Story of Forgetting is just that. A story of forgetting. And not forgetting by choice, but at the hands of nature; early onset Alzheimer's that is passed through generations. This book is at times funny, heartbreaking and endearing. The two narrated stories intersect with such an ingenious and delicate touch that I found myself frustrated (but not in a bad way) when one would stop and the other begin. I found myself missing either Abel or Seth in alternate chapters, and wondering what the other was doing when not telling their story.

Although the novel contains a bit more research information about the illness than I really cared for, the story seemed more real because of it. It was obvious to me (maybe well before it should have been) how Abel and Seth would come together, but I still loved following the paths of their lives.

There are many things in life we try very hard to forget... still others we try even harder to remember. The sadness in reading this book came from my realization that there are more things in my life I'd like to forget than remember. What if I had no choice? What would I give up for those few things I'd like to hold onto? What price would I pay for the many things I'd like to forget? Would the thoughts I'd be happier without become those I'd kill to remember if I started to lose track of everything? Aren't all memories important for the mere fact that they've shaped us into who we are; and without them - good or bad... really... who am I? ( )

This book was great! I enjoyed the medical input regarding EOA and found this to be very enjoyable. ( )

Very well written novel and not the least depressing even though it deals with the subject of Alzheimer's . ( )

this is a story of early onset Alzheimer's. The story is disjointed and lacks focus. The two storylines co-mingle and at many times tedious to read. The writing wasn't to bad. ( )

The Story of Forgetting is well written, the characters are well drawn and interesting, and the subject matter (early on-set Alzheimer's disease) unusual and well detailed, but I have to confess that I didn't manage to finish this book. I enjoyed the first third of the story, including the excursions into medical history, and I remember thinking what a good book it was as I was reading it. But at some point about a third of the way through, for reasons I no longer remember, I put it down and, well... forgot about it. I hope to return to it some time, but so far haven't felt compelled enough to pick it up again.