Before I Forget

A Novel

By: Tory Henwood Hoen

Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik

“[Narrator Barrie] Kreinik's performance of Cricket's father is distinctive and heartwarming...a sensitive narrator of a compelling and sometimes amusing story about hope in the midset of loss, and the courage to grow.” — Kirkus

A funny, heartfelt, late coming-of-age story that examines the role of memory in holding us back—and in moving us forward—for fans of The Collected Regrets of Clover and Maame. This program is read by Barrie Kreinik, winner of multiple Audie and Earphones awards.

Call it inertia. Call it a quarter-life crisis. Whatever you call it, Cricket Campbell is stuck. Despite working at a zeitgeisty wellness company, the 26-year-old feels anything but well. Still adrift after a tragedy that upended her world a decade ago, she has entered early adulthood under the weight of a new burden: her father’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

When Cricket’s older sister Nina announces it is time to move Arthur from his beloved Adirondack lake house into a memory-care facility, Cricket has a better idea. In returning home to become her father’s caretaker, she hopes to repair their strained relationship and shake herself out of her perma-funk. But even deeply familiar places can hold surprises.

As Cricket settles back into the family house at Catwood Pond—a place she once loved, but hasn’t visited since she was a teenager—she discovers that her father possesses a rare gift: as he loses his grasp of the past, he is increasingly able to predict the future. Before long, Arthur cements his reputation as an unlikely oracle, but for Cricket, believing in her father’s prophecies might also mean facing the most painful parts of her history. As she begins to remember who she once was, she uncovers a vital truth: the path forward often starts by going back.

With laugh-out-loud humor and profound grace, Before I Forget explores the nuances of family, the complexities of memory, and how sometimes, the people we know the best are the ones who surprise us the most.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press

Critic reviews

"At once a charming exploration of small-town life and a realistically heartbreaking depiction of Alzheimer’s disease." —Kirkus (starred review)

"Hoen’s satire of social media and opportunism adds bite to the tender portrayal of a young woman watching a parent fade. This family drama is worth a look." —Publishers Weekly

"I loved this magical book. Tory Henwood Hoen approaches Alzheimer's with generosity, wonder, and tender-hearted storytelling. The result is an uplifting tale full of wisdom, healing, and deeply human, funny characters. When I got to the end, I had tears in my eyes and expansion in my heart." —Rebecca Barry, author of Recipes for a Beautiful Life

"An emotional, tender, yet restorative read. What I liked most was that there wasn't just a focus on the loss of memory but the gaining of something, too. A wonderful and necessary reminder that whilst life’s worst cases can take away, the same cases can also give." —Jessica George, New York Times bestselling author of Maame

"Before I Forget is an endearing novel of charm and warmth, the characters so well-drawn that to say goodbye feels like a real loss. It’s a homecoming story written with wit, grace, and genuine heart, and I will remember it—and especially the ending, a perfect farewell—for a long, long time." —Adam White, bestselling author of The Midcoast

"A tender, funny portrait of love in its myriad forms, Before I Forget cleverly examines the way memories can shape, challenge, and haunt us—but also inspire us to take charge of our own fates. Tory Henwood Hoen crafts a setting so vivid and sensory that you'll be longing to spend a lazy summer in the Adirondacks." —Mikki Brammer, bestselling author of The Collected Regrets of Clover

Praise for The Arc:

"With giddy hilarity and stabs to the heart, Hoen's heady cocktail of satire and celebration is a delectable addition to the dating-app and matchmaking rom-com list." —Booklist

"Hoen raises some fascinating questions about love and relationships and ends on an optimistic note. The result is as thoughtful as it is thought-provoking." —Publishers Weekly

"A delightful debut about love and dating and modern womanhood that asks as many questions about self-determination and free will as it answers." —Shelf Awareness

"Funny and modern…like a rom-com’s cooler big sister." —Real Simple

relatable and hopeful

Great story telling! the main character is very relatable for a coming of age and midlife . caring for self and taking on care of a loved one is something everyone eventually experiences.

Engaging treatment of a classic theme

It’s a time-tested trope: Messed-up girl returns to her hometown, comes to terms with her past. This is an engaging take on the genre, with a likable heroine and well-drawn supporting characters. By incorporating the themes of dementia, memory, and the essence of what is real, the author puts this a cut above.

Warm warming

A beautiful, heart warming story of a girl finding herself in the face of life’s sorrows. The author brings a lightness to these heavy topics of chronic illness, caregiving and loss.

Engaging and heartfelt story

Loved this book! I loved Arthur and his wisdom. This was a great story and loved how it dealt with Alzheimer’s and dementia though it didn’t show the ugly side of it as much, I still enjoyed the premise.

A Bit Of Insight On Dementia

I found the author’s know-it-all attitude irritating, her youthful ignorance and arrogance overbearing. The narrator ascribes motivation to other characters that I find unwarranted. Too many of the secondary characters are two-dimensional and completely predictable.
The author’s treatment of the character of the father is more sensitive and sweet than any other characters’, but there was not enough depth to carry the book. Her lack of knowledge of the nuts and bolts of normal life (not just the main character’s) was pretty obvious—where was her editor?