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karma_narwhal's review against another edition
5.0
I laughed, I cried, I outright sobbed. Great book!
bookwoman37's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
4.0
This is a Heartbreaking and inspirational memoir. Written by the actress Kate Mulgrew it is part autobiography and a tribute to her parents. When her father is diagnosed with cancer and her mother with Alzheimer's she returns home to spend time with them. The book is beautifully written.
andreadmw's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
Great honest portrayal of the ravages of Alzheimer’s and cancer. Her family is complicated and there are some really not great stories about them that are heartbreaking to read. How her and her siblings all dealt with the painful loss of their parents in their own way. Very well written.
kazzified29's review against another edition
5.0
I have read Kate Mulgrew's premiere memoir, "Born With Teeth" roughly five times and I had recently read it in April. When 'How To Forget' was announced and that it was about Mulgrew's relationship with her parents, I was instantly intrigued. I have been following Mulgrew's career for close to twenty years and I have heard a myriad of stories about her parents, her upbringing, her siblings and her mother's battle with Alzheimer's Disease. Where 'Born With Teeth' barely touched about that disease, I was interested to see how 'How To Forget' would expand upon it.
Mulgrew has an undeniable gift with words. She is fiercely articulate and I always find myself needing a dictionary close-to-hand when reading anything by her. In 'How To Forget,' I found myself being witness to my own thoughts appearing on a page written by someone that I have admired for two-thirds of my life. That surprised me and took me aback. I found myself being witness to a new and heartbreakingly vulnerable side to Mulgrew. She does not try to hide how her parents' illnesses and deaths broke her heart and broke the hearts of her siblings. She is able to articulate with such skill something that I didn't know that I had felt and did not know how to verbalise when I watched my own father pass away from a terminal disease. This book truly struck a chord with me. I annotated this book as I read and I am so glad that I did because it helped me to absorb it and make peace with my own frustrations and pains. It is unwaveringly honest, heartbreaking, poignant and in places, wickedly hilarious. Kate Mulgrew's strength throughout this book is truly inspiring. She has never painted herself as a saint in either of her memoirs. She gives over to the reader a very personal, subjective and vulnerable narrative and you can tell that she needed to get this off of her chest. There were moments when I wanted to reach for the tissues and that I simply wanted to give her the biggest hug imaginable.
Even if you are not a fan of Kate Mulgrew or have been a fan for years, I would highly recommend this book. For someone that has lost a parent to a degenerative and wasting disease, Mulgrew's words made an impact that I will never forget and will find difficult to describe.
Mulgrew has an undeniable gift with words. She is fiercely articulate and I always find myself needing a dictionary close-to-hand when reading anything by her. In 'How To Forget,' I found myself being witness to my own thoughts appearing on a page written by someone that I have admired for two-thirds of my life. That surprised me and took me aback. I found myself being witness to a new and heartbreakingly vulnerable side to Mulgrew. She does not try to hide how her parents' illnesses and deaths broke her heart and broke the hearts of her siblings. She is able to articulate with such skill something that I didn't know that I had felt and did not know how to verbalise when I watched my own father pass away from a terminal disease. This book truly struck a chord with me. I annotated this book as I read and I am so glad that I did because it helped me to absorb it and make peace with my own frustrations and pains. It is unwaveringly honest, heartbreaking, poignant and in places, wickedly hilarious. Kate Mulgrew's strength throughout this book is truly inspiring. She has never painted herself as a saint in either of her memoirs. She gives over to the reader a very personal, subjective and vulnerable narrative and you can tell that she needed to get this off of her chest. There were moments when I wanted to reach for the tissues and that I simply wanted to give her the biggest hug imaginable.
Even if you are not a fan of Kate Mulgrew or have been a fan for years, I would highly recommend this book. For someone that has lost a parent to a degenerative and wasting disease, Mulgrew's words made an impact that I will never forget and will find difficult to describe.
caroliiiine1's review against another edition
3.0
Moving story but at times it feels like she uses the most complicated language possible to convey simple thoughts. It was a struggle to get through it because I kept getting distracted by the words used rather than the sentiment. Born with Teeth was a much better memoir in my humble opinion.
zhzhang's review against another edition
4.0
It is a really sad memoir. How do we care our aging parents? Especially those with chronic diseases. A miss lion dollar question.
jpraska006's review against another edition
5.0
How to Forget is a deeply raw and emotional journey. It's at times hilarious, and at others somber, reflective, and heartbreaking. I know Kate Mulgrew mostly from her acting, but if this book serves as any evidence, she's an immensely capable and strong writer as well. The way she breaks down the stories by framing her time with her parents and family within the larger structure of her last days with them worked beautifully well - intimate in a way that felt as if she were inviting readers to witness some of her most precious memories as she relives them herself.
booksmjc's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.0