Forget Me Not is a wonderful combination coming-of-age and historical novel. The narrator, Alex, experiences things in his life most of us never will, such as dreadful orphanages and bloody bullfights. The reader is a voyeur, seeing things never before seen, and the story has a Gabriel Garcia Marquez-magical realism. The writing is lyrical and evocative, such as "In the orchard, bee hums and bird songs filled the sun-warmed air. Spring blossoms smothered trees. Branches sprayed out, their tips touching, forming a dense canopy of pink and white. Standing tallest was the forbidden cherry tree." Forget Me Not is entirely mysterious and enchanting, and the reader roots for Alex the entire way. A terrific novel.

Forget Me Not is so rich and full, a huge, confident sweep of a tale with a memorable cast of characters and vivid details that bring it all to life and that carried me away with it. It ranges from the lyrical to the uncomfortable, with the author never shying away from depicting even the darkest moments. I particularly liked the description of Kew Gardens, a place I love!

A rich story from an author who knows how to breath life into her characters and have them act and speak in a manner that makes them real. Love the book with its strong sense of place and time. It was one of the rare reads that allows to to visit another place, meet people you grow to know and care about. Finished it last week, and will be reading it again soon. I highly recommend this book and this author.