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    Forgotten: A Novel
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    Forgotten: A Novel
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    Forgotten: A Novel
    Ebook382 pages5 hours

    Forgotten: A Novel

    By Catherine McKenzie

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    “For fans of The Good Wife, Catherine McKenzie’s Forgotten is a pure, page-turning pleasure.”
    —Gwendolen Gross, author of The Orphan Sister

    “By turns hilarious and heart-tugging….A thoroughly enjoyable read!”
    —Juliette Fay, author of Deep Down True

    If your old life vanished completely, should you try to get it back or create a whole new one? That’s the intriguing question at the heart of Catherine McKenzie’s Forgotten.  The smart, funny, and provocative story of a woman who returns home after being stranded for months in Africa by an earthquake only to find that everyone in her life believed she was dead and moved on, Forgotten is captivating and thought-provoking contemporary women’s fiction from the author of Arranged and Spin—a fresh and witty tale that will not be soon forgotten.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 16, 2012
    ISBN9780062115423
    Unavailable
    Forgotten: A Novel
    Author

    Catherine McKenzie

    Catherine McKenzie was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. A graduate of McGill University in history and law, Catherine practiced law for twenty years before leaving to write full time. An avid runner, skier, and tennis player, she’s the author of numerous bestsellers including I’ll Never Tell and The Good Liar. Her works have been translated into multiple languages and I’ll Never Tell and Please Join Us have been optioned for development into television series. Visit her at CatherineMcKenzie.com or follow her on Twitter @CEMcKenzie1 or Instagram @CatherineMcKenzieAuthor.

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    Reviews for Forgotten

    4/5

    125 ratings37 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Wonderful quick quirky read!!! I love all of Catherines books and this was great!!!
    • 4/5
      I gave this book 4 stars because I did like the main character and at times found myself laughing out loud at something she said, but I found the story itself a bit slow. It's predictable in my opinion, nothing that happened shocked me. No twists and turns to something out of the ordinary. I expected more self-discovery and more of how going back to a regular life after being presumed dead was difficult. It all seemed fairly easy honestly. There were struggles, but nothing on the scale I expected. But I did like that main characters and how it all played, hence the 4 stars, but I have no burning to desire to find other books by this author.
    • 5/5
      I read a lot of books. And a good portion of them are "chick lit". However, after a while, they all start to blend together. That is where Catherine McKenzie comes in. Her books are fun, original, fresh and filled with page turning drama.

      Her latest book, Forgotten tells the tale of Emma, who ventured to Africa and was unable to return. Presumed dead, her old life goes on without her. She then has to decide if she wants that old life back at all.

      The book has humor, drama and of course, a little love. The plot twists are unseen and you can't wait to find out what Emma decides and what is next in store for her. Everyone has a little to learn from this book. Who can't relate, even just a little, about walking away from everything they don't like about their life? Emma wins your heart and her journey is heart wrenching and filled with joy at the same time.


      I guarantee you will lose sleep staying up to finish "just one more chapter"! If you're looking for a great summer beach read, this is it. In fact, pick up Catherine's other books Spin and Arranged while you're at it.

      Spin takes you to a rehab where the residents may or may not need to be there. Friendships are formed and life lessons learned, even for those who didn't think they had anything to learn.

      Arranged dives into the world of arranged marriage. At first glance it is shocking and unusual. At second glance it may be the best thing ever!
    • 3/5
      This is the 13th of the Decker/Lazarus series and I have enjoyed each one. I have learnt a lot about the Jewish faith and have loved watching Peter and Rina's relationship grow.Back Cover Blurb:A place of worship is vandalised, daubed swastikas testifying to a hatred that, for a time at least, defies understanding.But the Deckers, Rina and her detective husband Peter, soon realise the violence done to their synagogue can be traced to one deeply disturbed adolescent, Ernesto Golding. Born into privilege but obsessed by the past, he is eventually charged, his case closed. But Peter Decker still worries that others were involved. And six months later Ernesto is found murdered.Suddenly Decker and his family are plunged into a ghastly world, of damaged youth, ruthless parents, and of secrets, their roots in the horrors of the last generation, that seem to demand ultimate retribution....
    • 4/5
      Absolutely gripping. Kellerman does not provide easy answers and she has a sympathetic but unwavering eye when it comes to family relationships. The Forgotten can be a heart-wrenching read at times as it deals with both the Holocaust and parents facing the loss of a child.
    • 4/5
      Though I've been reading her husband's books for years, I'd never read a Faye Kellerman book. I picked up this for cheap at the book fair and decided to give it a shot. I didn't realize it was the 13th in a series! There was obviously back story, but I don't feel like I was missing too much. The book itself was pretty good. I found myself fairly engrossed by the end. I wasn't expecting to finish it last night, but before I knew it, I was done!
    • 4/5
      One of the better Decker and Rina novels, Faye Kellerman still has what it takes to write a gripping mystery/police procedural. While character development continues to be her strong suit, Kellerman gets the details right too.This is the 13th installment in this series, but you don't need to read the first 12 to enjoy this story or understand the characters. Kellerman finds logical ways to re-introduce material from earlier stories that is needed for continuity. Even if you've never read a Decker and Rina book, you'll be able to follow this one.The story starts with the Deckers' synagogue being vandalized. Soon, the kid who vandalized the synagogue is killed, as is his shrink. Decker, with Rina's help, has to figure out what the connection is.A very enjoyable read.
    • 3/5
      Emma Tupper is grieving her mother’s death. When her mother’s final gift to her is a trip to Africa, Emma takes the trip, putting her life and career as a litigation lawyer on hold. While in Africa, Emma gets sick, and her month long trip turns into 6 months. When she gets home, she finds that her apartment has been rented to a photographer named Dominic, her things gone, her boyfriend has moved on and her cases have been reassigned. Now that her life has been upended, Emma has to reconsider her life choices. While rebuilding her caseload, she is assigned to an insurance case involving a missing Manet painting. Part investigation, part romance, part finding yourself, this is a cute story. There were too many holes to give it a higher rating though.
    • 4/5
      The story of Emma, an attorney who is presumed dead after not returning from an African vacation, Forgotten is a quick chick lit read. The story draws you in right away, and I read the first 150 pages in one setting. I found the characters both likable and relatable. Emma's reactions to events seemed true, and her relationships - both romantic and friendly - believable. I liked that Emma was a strong, intelligent woman that didn't back down, and didn't take the obvious route with her career or her relationships. I found a few elements of the plot somewhat annoying (would a corporate attorney really be able to solve a stolen art case that left the police stymied?), but overall I enjoyed the book, and thought the ending was just right. A great quick read. Recommended!
    • 5/5
      I've now read all of her books and given each one five stars. That is not normal for me, that just tells you HOW GOOD of a writer she is! Bravo.
    • 5/5
      Love this author, her style and this book!
    • 5/5
      I quite enjoy Catherine McKenzie’s style of writing, so I was looking forward to reading Forgotten. If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if you were presumed dead and your life had moved on without you, and I honestly have, then this book might be a beautiful, fictional read for you. There are a lot of reasons to enjoy this book.Emma is a woman who has recently lost her mother and, in honoring her, is taking the trip to Africa her mother always wanted to take. During her time there, a disaster occurs, and Emma is stuck there for an extended period of time without communication to her life in the United States. In our world of technological advance, we are inclined to freak out when we go for such a long period of time without communication from our friends when they are gone and Emma’s friends and co-workers are no exception. During her brief time away, Emma is considered dead, her apartment is rented to another person, her items are tossed and life moves on without her. When she returns home, it is to discover that nothing is as it seems and with the question as to whether or not her life really matters.Forgotten is a great story that had me returning to my book, over and over again. Catherine McKenzie writes with humor and a lot of heart. I really enjoyed this book. It was honest, refreshing and entertaining.Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
    • 3/5
      Emma Tupper leads a busy life as a corporate lawyer. But after her mother passes away, she takes a month-long leave of absence (basically unheard of in her firm) to visit Africa -- the dream trip her mom never had the chance to take. But things go awry and Emma gets sick in Africa. Shortly after, an earthquake hits the region where she's recuperating, and her one-month trip becomes a six-month odyssey. Unable to communicate from her remote village, Emma finally returns home, only to find out that everyone thinks she died in Africa and that life has gone on without her.

      This was an interesting novel. It's a fun and diversionary story, to say the least, even if not much of it seems too rooted in truth. Emma is so easily declared dead in a mere six months? When she returns back to find her apartment rented, the new tenant has no issue with her staying with him, and even wearing his clothes? Hmm. Okay. A romance triangle is thrown in, of course, with Emma's pre-Africa boyfriend having moved on (or has he?). So much of the book seemed downright silly to me, but I found it oddly addictive. Emma's a little irksome from time-to-time, but I'm not sure what I would do if I came back from vacation and everyone thought I was dead and had sold my life out from under me! It's a good exploration on how we often lead our lives out of habit and ease, versus truly going after what we truly want. Nothing earth-shattering here, but an enjoyable read.

      Thanks to Goodreads for giving me a copy of this book through their First Reads/Giveaway program.
    • 4/5
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    • 5/5
      excelent
    • 4/5
      First book I've read by this author and I really enjoyed it! Must read her other books. It was a fast read for me and I wanted a light read as a break from the other books I was reading.
    • 4/5
      Here, we have another case of my stepping outside of my comfort zone. This novel is kind of a combination of chicklit/romance, neither of which is my usual genre of reading. Those who have followed regularly know that I am a big fan of YA and Fantasy, of which this is neither.

      Forgotten is a novel that takes you through so many emotions that you will not know whether to laugh or cry. Emma is one of those characters that nearly anyone can connect with. I mean, I don't get the whole "I love being a lawyer" thing, but so much of the rest of her story is relatable to me. I couldn't help but think that Craig was a total butthead, and Dominic seemed like the perfect guy.

      I know, I know, no one is perfect, right? But even with his flaws, he was a great guy.

      I read an ARC of this novel, so I cannot comment as to the editing, because what I read and what made it to print is probably a bit different in terms of editing. I know, I know. The grammar/editing nazi refrains! Shocking, eh?

      If I had to find one point in the novel that bothered me, it would be the ending. It felt unfinished, like there was something more the characters wanted to say and just didn't get the chance. It felt like there should have been more to the story than how it ended, and I feel .. Like there is something unfinished about it.

      Overall, this was an excellent read and I am glad I stepped outside of my little box to read it.
    • 4/5
      Solid entry in an excellent series. A Jewish school is vandalized and the unlikely perp caught. One of Rina's boys becomes a key conduit into a college admissions ring that moves prep school boys into the best colleges. The bodies(5) pile up before the Decker and his team sort it out.
    • 4/5
      4.5 hours abridged. I found this book in a second -hand store. Story of a modern Jewish mother, Rina whose modest place of worship has been desecrated with anti-Semitic graffiti. Her husband, Lt. Peter Decker is on the case. The suspects end up missing or dead and the trail takes curves and has dead ends. .......The characters are well developed and very relatable. Because the version I had was abridged, I got lost with some of the dective co-hort names. It seemed like there were too many of them or I just missed information because of the abridgement. I listened to it two times because I enjoyed the narrator so much. I love a good narrator!! If you see his name on another story, you won't be disappointed. I could not find this book in ANY of the book searches. I entered my informaion by hand.
    • 3/5
      I very much enjoy Catherine McKenzie's books so I was looking forward to getting to read this one. I liked it but must admit, not as much as Spin & Arranged. I liked Emma & really was interested in how she would put her life back together after six months away & being believed dead but the romance part fell a bit flat for me. I'm not sure why but I didn't feel very invested in Dominique. Maybe I needed to know more about him but he just didn't pull me in the way other paramours have in her other two books. I did find there was plenty of wit to go around while Emma wended her way through & that was good. Sunshine may have been my favorite character & I loved her insight. Sophie, I could only take so seriously but I do have a bias against being drawn into the whole grown women "mortal enemies" thing. I suppose it may be a common enough thing but it's not something I do so I couldn't really relate to that bit. It's likely no surprise but I'll definitely read the next book by McKenzie. I'm on a roll & I'm still having fun.
    • 4/5
      Emma is a workaholic attorney trying to make partner when her mother becomes ill and dies, leaving her a ticket to Africa, the one place her mother always wanted to visit. Although she was only supposed to be gone for a month, Emma becomes deathly ill in Africa and after an earthquake cuts off communication, she is stuck in Africa for almost a year before she can get home. Back in the states, Emma's friends and coworkers are confused by her absence and many assume that she is dead. When she finally returns, she discovers that someone else is living in her apartment, and her office and her boyfriend are now in the hands of her archenemy at work. Emma has been given up for dead and must try to reactivate her life on many fronts. In doing this, she faces some choices about what she really wants to do for a living and whether she wants to do things differently. The story also brings some fun, pop culture elements into it as Emma goes on national television as the lawyer who came back from the dead. There is also the emerging relationship with the man living in her apartment and Emma's work on a major art heist, which her law group has been charged with attempting to resolve. I enjoyed this novel, which took a new twist on the "second chance at your life" theme. I thought it was well written, interesting and the characters were fun and complex.
    • 3/5
      The premise of this book intrigued me: thirty-something lawyer Emma Tupper goes to Africa. Illness and an earthquake turn her month-long trip into a six-month absence, during which she is unable to communicate with friends back home. When she returns, many thought she had died and life has gone on without her. How does she reintegrate?This novel, though, doesn't explore these questions in a meaningful, nuanced way. The story moves along well, but is lightly told and the characters are not deeply drawn. Not bad, but "chick lit" nonetheless.
    • 4/5
      Forgotten starts with an unusual premise - the teenage heroine "remembers" the future and "forgets" the past. She manages to navigate her life by taking notes, so that she knows what happened in the past. On the other hand, knowing the future can be a problem, especially if you aren't sure whether you can do anything to change it. The main plot involves a budding romance and the heroine's struggle to decide how to manage her unique situation within the context of her relationship. There are a few points where the plot strains credulity, but it's such an enjoyable book and the characters are so likable, that I just "forgot" to remember those parts once they were past.
    • 4/5
      To fulfill her mother's dying wish, lawyer Emma Tupper heads on a once in a lifetime trip to Africa. When there, a series of events leave her stranded out-country, for almost six months. When she returns to New York, her life, to say the least, is very different. Life continues to move forward when the people back home think you are missing, presumed dead. Emma's obstacles to reclaiming her old life seem to ring true, as do the new angles she wants to try. In a lot of ways, this seemed like a 30-something coming of age story, with Emma's opportunity for a do-over of sorts for parts of her life. The story really made me think and was a step up from usual chick lit fare.
    • 4/5
      Have you ever wondered what would happen if everyone thought you were dead and went on without you? Obviously your job would disappear but what about your boyfriend and close friends? Would they move on quickly or slowly, grieving your supposed death and unable to move forward without you? And if they'd all adjusted, what would happen if you came back, not gone forever after all? Could you claim your old life again? What changes would you make? Or would you just desparately wish for things to go back to the way they were before your disappearance? This is the premise in Catherine McKenzie's newest novel Forgotten.Emma Tupper is a workaholic attorney who is very good at her job. She is smart, dedicated, and driven. She's perfectly content to subsume her entire life in work as she eyes the brass ring: being named as partner at her law firm. Even her boyfriend is a part of her work life, a fellow lawyer, he understands and encourages her drive and all the sacrifices she makes to get ahead. But when her mother dies and leaves Emma a trip to visit Africa, a journey her mother always longed to make but never did, Emma does the inexplicable and takes time off for this trip that meant everything to her mother even though it certainly means that her partnership will be put off for at least another year. The trip will change everything for Emma. She gets terribly sick and is left at a mission in a village to recuperate. Just as she's getting back on her feet, a massive earthquake hits the city she's supposed to be in and she is listed among the missing. It is months later before she can get out of the village and find a flight home. Six months missing and incommunicado in Africa, Emma was presumed dead by everyone except her best friend. But Emma doesn't know this as she arrives home. All she knows is that her car is missing from the airport lot, her key won't work in her apartment lock, her ATM card doesn't work, her bank account is frozen, and her boyfriend and best friend are not answering their phones to provide an explanation. Eventually she gets into her apartment building only to discover that a man named Dominic is moving into her apartment. Nothing has stayed the same while she was gone, even more than she knows.As Emma resumes her old life the best she can and works through the myriad of feelings she faces with the upheaval of her once carefully ordered life, she has to examine everything that she's based her life on the past couple of years and to decide what of her old life she wants to continue on with in her new life. She has to do a lot of soul searching about her job, her love life, and her priorities. And even as she's sorting through all of that, she must also be realistic about what she wants from Dominic who has been kind enough to allow her to live in her old and his new apartment while she figures things out. He has some tough things of his own that he is working through and so his tolerance for and prolonged understanding of her situation is a huge kindness.This is a cute novel with a very different premise. It takes Emma some time to really sort out her feelings about all the pieces of her life but she is very honest about them, examining them closely and then accepting or rejecting them knowing full well all of their pluses and minues. Her life has been thrown into chaos and so as a character she is often a bit befuddled but the reader can be sympathetic because she's been thrown such a curveball it would be hard for her to be the competant and take-charge woman she was in her previous life. Change is certainly inevitable for everyone but most people don't get such a huge dose of it all at once. Dominic as a character is lovely but even he has limits, making him more realistic than he might have been if he'd allowed Emma to move in and then just gone with the flow. McKenzie has written in some nice touches, such as Emma appearing on the local morning show as the woman who came back from the dead, the relentlessness the press shows in trying to reunite her with her old life, and the draw of publicity for her law firm. What Emma ultimately chooses to do with her newly assembled life has some surprises to it although readers will definitely not be disappointed with her final decisions. A sweet book about growth and change and being comfortable and happy and right in your life, readers looking for chick lit with heart and intelligence will find this right up their alley.
    • 4/5
      With a dash of Sophie Kinsella's "Remember Me?", this is a clever and original story of how unexpected events impact one's romantic future. I really enjoyed the author's writing style and voice. When lawyer Emma Tupper is trapped for half a year in a third world country, her life back home in Toronto goes on without her. In her struggle to build a new life once she returns, Emma finds that her values and perspectives have matured and grown. Emma is a thoroughly charming, convincing, and sympathetic heroine.
    • 5/5
      The Good Stuff Simply put, I just adore anything that McKenzie writes, and this is no exception. She is just the perfect storyteller. She hooks you in with great characters that you can relate to and puts them into intriguing tales with plenty of twists and turns The perfect book for just losing yourself into too nothing cliche or predictable - thank you - now lets make this into a movie 'kay - cuz we need some romantic movies that are not cliche and predictable - this is a smart romance people - us girls like that you know Characters are never caricatures, these are people that you can either relate too or feel that you know someone just like them Definitely felt myself attracted to Dominic Loved the banter between Dominic and Emma - it was truly delightful Such an honest loving relationship between Sam and Stephanie Great secondary characters Liked Emma's development - Its more realistic that she does change but not a complete change like in so many predictable stories where a heroine does a complete about face. Emma becomes more human but not completely goody goody. Fabulous dialogue - McKenzie always makes me giggle, yet at the same time nod my head in agreement or understanding Love Kevin and his family - trust me so will you The Not So Good Stuff Would have liked a little more of what happened to Emma in AfricaFavorite Quotes/Passages "You okay? You look pale."I let the phone drop to the table. "You ever have to call someone to let them know you're not in fact dead?""God, no.""Yeah, well, I don't recommend it." "Because the truth was, I wanted to be a lawyer because I liked arguing. I liked it so much I'd argue either side of anything just for the hell of it, whether someone asked me to or not. Anytime, Anywhere.And that's not an appealing characteristic, right? Being argumentative? I want to go to law school so I can learn to argue so well no one will ever dare to disagree with me again ... Won't I be popular then? Won't I be happy? Oh well, at least I'll be right." "Big family?""You could say that. I'm the youngest of twelve.""You're making that up, right?"Nope.""Your parents really had twelve children?""The Catholic Church has a lot to answer for.""I'll say."Who Should/Shouldn't Read Yes this will mostly only appeal to women -- I know I know - they will call it Chick Lit - but who the fuck cares - its a good book hands down Other than that -- you like a good story with great characters and snappy dialogue -- than this be what you are looking for 5 Dewey's I received this from William Morrow in exchange for an honest review
    • 4/5
      I think this book was fantastic. It really made me realize that life does move on without us and that we must live in every moment and strive for happiness, each and everyday! I am not sure what I would do if I came back from a trip and found out everyone I know and love had thought I was dead for quite some time. Emma, the main character, faces just that when she arrives home from a trip (urged by her mother on her deathbed) to Africa. This novel is smart, funny and often nerve wracking and frustrating. Can you imagine trying to gain back everything in your life when some have moved on and forgotten you? This novel brings us on a thought provoking journey of rediscovering what is really important and taking hold of what is rightly ours! I really enjoyed it and rate it 4.5 stars.
    • 5/5
      McKenzie is a master of the "hidden" romance. The story that has you dragged along by the teeth under some other premise and then, when you're finally done, you set the book down and suddenly think "Oh, that was a romance."Since the last two books of hers I've read (Spin and Arranged), McKenzie's writing has gotten even better. I had no problem visualizing Emma's confusion, dislocation, sorrow, and rage. I hope to see more from her in the future.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this book for the light read that it was. It was interesting to see how Emma reacted to finding out she was presumed dead as well as how her life readjusted afterwards. She did not always act in the way I predicted she would either. I was in the mood for a fun book that was easy to read and this fit the bill nicely. I will recommend this book to my friends.