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By: DUNED 029
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2025-07-08 09:50:04 |
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This novel produced an excellent discussion. We thought the handling of the issue of Alzheimer's was done with great authenticity. An engrossing read, very well-written and researched. Small town N.Z. and the bush environment were well depicted. |
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By: TAUR 059
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2025-06-07 15:53:34 |
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Everyone found it an easy read and enjoyed the book. The descriptive nature of writing drew us all into small “village” rural living and bush/ranges atmosphere. Sibling dynamics, Huntington's & Alzheimer's themes inspired lively discussion. We all commented on the well-written story line of Emily & Felix’s journey and the distress of Felixs’ decline. We all enjoyed the mystery aspect, one member felt it was a bit drawn out and again lively discussion on who we all felt had done it. (One person guessed). |
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By: KATIK 003
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2025-05-15 09:56:12 |
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We thought it was great! |
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By: MARTO 001
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2025-05-08 10:12:03 |
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Group enjoyed the book. It was well-written and crafted. Good insight into Alzheimer's. |
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By: HOKITIK 004
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2025-04-24 21:10:33 |
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Great easy read, dementia theme resounded with many readers' family experiences, which led to great discussion. All appreciated the N.Z. setting and the believable characters, and the storyline with its crime plot kept us hooked to the end. Some have read and enjoyed other titles by this author. |
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By: TAUR 061
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2025-04-04 12:18:28 |
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Charity Norman develops narratives with characters, settings and themes that are relatable. She has the ability to keep you captivated as a reader. We had a robust discussion about themes presented, many contributing their own anecdotes about relationships, dementia, “I am not what I am” examples. Someone in our group has Huntingtons in her family, and thus was provided a window to discuss the tragedy of this disease and the impact it has on whanau. Highly recommended. |
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By: AUCK 306
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2025-03-20 12:12:33 |
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All but one of our group enjoyed this book, agreeing that the writing style was simple but the storyline compelling. One member has read ALL of the author's book titles. |
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By: CHCH 518
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2025-03-10 14:49:12 |
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Many readers enjoyed this book but we all agreed that it could have been shorter. The story plateaued 3/4 of the way through. |
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By: CHCH 012
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2025-02-13 09:22:32 |
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We all enjoyed this book. The characters were well-crafted and the NZ small-town setting was very relatable against the backdrop of the Ruahaine ranges. The themes invoked lively, wide-ranging discussion. It was felt that in a few situations reader credibility was stretched but we were ok with that. |
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By: THAM 002
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2025-01-16 14:43:39 |
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Enjoyable N.Z. read. Led to excellent discussion on dementia and end of life issues. |
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By: MAST 005
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2024-11-13 17:06:30 |
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Excellent read with a sensitive portrayal of the progress of dementia. Small town rural life was captured beautifully by Charity Norman. The chararacters were believable and interesting. |
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By: MAST 010
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2024-10-21 09:26:46 |
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Don't think any previous book has created so much discussion on many levels! |
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By: RICH 012
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2024-09-03 14:22:45 |
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Liked that it was set in NZ. Relatable as a fellow tramper. Interesting about dementia. Mother seemed too forgiving that she spent so many years wondering what happened to her. |
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By: WHITBY 005
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2024-07-13 13:05:24 |
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Enjoyed by all. Engrossing thought provoking read which dealt with hard topics sensitively. Characters well-formed and likeable. |
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By: CHCH 566
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2024-06-20 10:24:32 |
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We loved this book. We had a fabulous in depth discussion. |
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By: NELS 062
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2024-06-05 14:29:33 |
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Enjoyed by all but one of the group who found it depressing. Many themes within the book which led to a lively discussion, in particular about dementia. |
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By: HAMIL 062
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2024-04-05 18:32:21 |
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Loved by all. Easy engrossing read. Beautiful intense and sometimes humorous descriptions of the Ruahine landscape, the horrors and delights of dementia, family relationships, mercy killing, and the impact of Huntington's on the sufferer and their family. The characters were relatable and likeable and handled their situations with grace, courage and kindness. It had a complicated plot, and covered many themes (a thriller combined with medical drama and family relationships) but it was very well done and still easy to read and follow. |
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By: HAMIL 029
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2024-04-02 10:14:36 |
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Remember Me is an engaging and thought-provoking read. It deals with the hard topic of dementia and yet makes an intriguing story with likeable characters. One member commented that parts of the story gave her nightmares but she kept on reading. The New Zealand setting was appreciated too. |
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By: AUCK 466
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2024-03-04 13:48:28 |
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A great read - brought discussion about family dynamics, death and dying, ageing parents, taboo romance, and critical self-awareness as we age. All wrapped up on a non-scary thriller/whodunnit. This book is more deep family and relationship excavation than a true crime novel. It sparked great conversation! |
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By: PIOPIO 001
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2023-10-26 19:20:06 |
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Everyone enjoyed this book. Relatable well formed characters, great story line, complex on many levels but easy to read. The book dealt with hard topics, dementia, Huntington's disease and relationship breakdown in a sympathetic way. Generated indepth discussion. |
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By: CHCH 553
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2023-10-06 13:05:12 |
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A great first book for our group - all finished it, and it provided lots of discussion around the reality of the relationships within the book. Lots of our group had personal connections with the content, or location of the setting. |
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By: AUCK 412
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2023-09-25 21:36:33 |
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Most really enjoyed this book but a couple found it too depressing. Everyone else agreed that it was very well-written and opened up a big discussion re the implications of dementia. |
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By: GREYT 001
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2023-06-07 11:06:53 |
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We all loved this book. The issues of developing dementia and of hereditary illness were so thoughtfully told and with such insight. A delightful, interesting read! |
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By: MOTUE 009
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2023-05-20 11:26:55 |
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Everyone felt this was a very engaging read. The book was very well-written and everyone in our group seemed to have a personal connection to the subject matter. Very thought provoking and discussion was lively and insightful. |
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By: WHANGA 001
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2023-05-08 10:27:36 |
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We all absolutely LOVED this book - and a great discussion followed. Such a recent work with all the key components of good writing - plot, setting, characters, themes. Several of us could relate to that part of N.Z. |
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By: AUCK 353
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2023-05-01 14:58:39 |
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We all thought this was a very satisfying choice. Well-written, good plotting, and very real characters, set in a believable very small town. Felix's dementia and the reactions of his children were beautifully depicted - most of the group could relate to this scenario. |
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By: DUNED 118
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2023-04-13 10:20:35 |
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Enjoyed by all members. Particularly the NZ setting. The topics were very current and handled well. Our discussions could identify many personal experiences of the family relationships. We felt that the author had a very good perception of the behaviour of people with dementia and managed that care well whilst preserving the relationship of child/parent with dignity. The author wove the interactions with minor characters into the story line reflecting the NZ community very cleverly. Many of us were left wanting to read more of her books. |
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By: NORTH 003
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2023-03-22 12:43:14 |
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Loved by all. We appreciated the complex character portrayals that all rang 'true'. Few of us predicted the ending, but were grateful for no loose ends. We enjoyed that it reflected Kiwi life...apart from tomato 'ketchup' rather than sauce. Most left the meeting preparing to read more Charity Norman. |
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By: RICH 010
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2023-03-09 12:47:24 |
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We all enjoyed this very readable, gripping and insightful book about a subject that, sadly, is close to all our hearts. Probably one of our favourites - we'll definitely look for more by this author. |
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By: CHCH 344
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2023-03-01 12:50:38 |
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Really enjoyed this book. Well structured mystery. Atmospheric, and really evocative of N.Z. mountain villages. |
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By: WHAKA 017
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2023-03-01 12:49:14 |
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Everyone felt it was an easy read, and read through it quickly. They enjoyed the storyline, and the insight into dementia was well thought out. Informative and interesting. A great enjoyable read. A number of readers would like to read more books by the author. |
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By: OHOPE 001
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2023-03-01 12:47:53 |
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We all enjoyed this book. Challenging, wonderfully descriptive, clever plot and educational. |
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By: AUCK 335
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2023-02-19 11:52:04 |
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We all enjoyed this book. It's a gripping narrative with well-developed characters and very good descriptions of the rural setting, bush and mountains. Norman writes well and deals with big issues - Alzheimers, Huntington's chorea and mercy killing -with sensitivity and compassion. |
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By: STEW 001
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2022-10-10 11:34:38 |
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Readable and engaging. Description of 'place' was well done. |
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By: DUNED 044
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2022-08-18 14:07:06 |
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Universal approval of this book. |
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