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How to Forget
How to Forget: A Daughters Memoir | Kate Mulgrew
14 posts | 7 read | 1 reading | 21 to read
In this profoundly honest and examined memoir about returning to Iowa to care for her ailing parents, the star of Orange Is the New Black and bestselling author of Born with Teeth takes us on an unexpected journey of loss, betrayal, and the transcendent nature of a daughters love for her parents. They say you cant go home again. But when her father is diagnosed with aggressive lung cancer and her mother with atypical Alzheimers, New York-based actress Kate Mulgrew returns to her hometown in Iowa to spend time with her parents and care for them in the time they have left. The months Kate spends with her parents in Dubuqueby turns turbulent, tragic, and joyfullead her to reflect on each of their lives and how they shaped her own. Those ruminations are transformed when, in the wake of their deaths, Kate uncovers long-kept secrets that challenge her understanding of the unconventional Irish Catholic household in which she was raised. Breathtaking and powerful, laced with the authors irreverent wit, How to Forget is a considered portrait of a mother and a father, an emotionally powerful memoir that demonstrates how love fuses children and parents, and an honest examination of family, memory, and indelible loss.
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PaperbackReader
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“To be finished with life, one needs to be utterly exhausted, and worn out by heartache”

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Plaidsticks
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Pickpick

This was a lovely listen. Kate Mulgrew does a fantastic job reading, and though (fortunately) my parents are quite to the age of sickness and dying, I was old enough to go through similar emotions with my beloved grandparents. #audiobook #morebookslessbullshit2019

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Megabooks
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Pickpick

This book is an exploration of Kate‘s parents‘ deaths and her family‘s closeness.

Kate‘s father passed away quickly from stage 4 cancer. He was aloof and the first half of the book reflects the short amount of time to reconcile this difficult relationship.

Her mother died slowly from Alzheimer‘s. They had a fun, loving relationship, and the second half expressed the difficulty of watching her mother‘s vibrancy taken piece-by-piece. 4.5⭐️

mom2bugnbee Ooo! I didn't know that this book existed! Her autobiography Born with Teeth was excellent, especially on audio, becauwe her voice is wonderful. Thanks you for this! 5y
Megabooks @mom2bugnbee Yes! It‘s a great book, definitely sadder though. And of course her voice is lovely! 5y
99 likes2 comments
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Eggbeater
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Pickpick

Compassionate and heartbreaking, read with tissues. The book must be listened to on audio in order to hear it magnificently performed by the author. Kate Mulgrew paints a vivid picture of a close-knit, large, Irish Catholic family coping with the impossible, yet all too common tragedies of Alzheimer's and cancer.

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Eggs
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Pickpick

Mulgrew helped her parents die with dignity 😔

76 likes2 stack adds
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UwannaPublishme
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Great Kindle deal today on Kate Mulgrew‘s new memoir. Thanks Book Riot!

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Megabooks
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Y‘all, I‘m not going to lie. Today has been rough. It‘s been a struggle to get out of bed. I‘m so depressed, I can barely walk. We had a bad storm. The power went out. I still made some progress. I started this audiobook, and I love Kate‘s voice and her observations.

#24b4monday #bfc #bfcr2 #bookfitnesschallenge

DivineDiana So sorry to hear that you had a rough day. Wishing you a bright tomorrow! ❤️ 5y
Leelee.reads Sending warm, hopeful thoughts to you. ❤️ 5y
BeansPage Oh sweetie, I hope you feel better very soon ❤️🤗❤️ 5y
See All 38 Comments
cobwebmoth I'm sorry today has been difficult. Sending positive thoughts and hugs to you.❤ 5y
cewilf I‘m so sorry to hear you had a tough day 🙁 Sending lots of positivity your way!! Tomorrow is a new month, a new week, and a fresh start. Remember that difficult days do not negate all the progress that has already happened or that is still to come ❤️ 5y
LifeInPages You got this! How I get thro is thinking of my depression and ptsd as an "enemy" like at a softball game or something similar and how i can't let it beat me else I can't go state aka pay the bills. I know It's werid and out there but it's at least something 5y
Megabooks @DivineDiana Thank you so much 💜💜 (edited) 5y
Megabooks @Leelee.reads I really appreciate it 💕💕 5y
Megabooks @TheReadingMermaid Thank you, dear 💙💙 5y
Megabooks @cobwebmoth Positivity received and appreciated 💗💗 5y
Megabooks @cewilf You have said so much truth. Thank you 💜💙 5y
Megabooks @LifeInPages I‘m sorry about your depression and ptsd. It is so hard, and it is a fight. I refuse to give up, but, as I‘m sure you know, some days are worse than others. Thank you so much for your support and empathy 💙💕💙 5y
sudi So sorry to hear that, hope you feel better soon 💕💕 5y
Megabooks @sudi Thank you so much 💜💜 5y
wanderinglynn Sending you positive vibes & {hugs}. 💚 5y
KathyWheeler I‘m sorry it‘s been a bad day for you. You did a great job in spite of that. 5y
Megabooks @wanderinglynn Thank you. And thank you for all you do for BFC. It‘s one of the few things keeping me from sinking deeper. 💙💙 5y
Megabooks @KathyWheeler Thanks for the positivity. I need it! 💕💕 5y
Crazeedi My mother always told me go to sleep, it'll be better in the morning. She was right. I hope she was right for you too. ((Hugs))❤ 5y
Sungirl79 Rough days are the worst! Tomorrow is a new day! Feel better soon!! 🤗 5y
JacqMac I hope tomorrow is a better day. 💕 5y
Cinfhen Oh no!!! I‘m sorry ~ hope a new day brings new found joy xx 5y
Megabooks @Crazeedi Thank you! I find the most peace late at night, so I‘ll probably be up a few more hours. 💗💗 I hope tomorrow is better, though. 5y
Megabooks @Sungirl79 Thank you so much. 💕💕 5y
Megabooks @JacqMac Thanks, dear! 💙💙 5y
Megabooks @Cinfhen Thank you, friend. 💗🤗💗 5y
TheEllieMo Sounds like it was a tough day - hope today is better! 5y
Andrew65 Well done on your time which is absolutely awesome given everything. 👏👏👏👏🙌, sending positive thoughts and hoping today is better for you. 😊😍💕 5y
BookwormAHN Hugs 💕 5y
Megabooks @TheEllieMo It was. And thank you! 💕💕 5y
Megabooks @Andrew65 Thank you for the positive thoughts! 💜🤗 It was a good weekend of reading. 👍🏻 (edited) 5y
Megabooks @BookwormAHN Thanks 💗💕 5y
rockpools Sending hugs 🤗 and best wishes 💐. Hope today is brighter for you. So pleased you‘ve found a book you‘re enjoying though. 📚 5y
alisiakae That sounds tough. Way to go for hanging in there. Hope today is a better day! I‘m always here to listen if you need it. 5y
Megabooks @RachelO Thank you! So far, I‘m feeling better this morning. I hope I‘m able to get some things done today! 💜💜 5y
Megabooks @4thhouseontheleft Thank you so much, Alisia! I really appreciate you being here. 💜😘 5y
Reviewsbylola 😔♥️😔♥️ 5y
Megabooks @Reviewsbylola 💗💗💗 Thanks. 5y
66 likes1 stack add38 comments
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Megabooks
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This is up soon on #Audible. #TheHomecoming #StarTrekSummerJune

Kate returns home to Ohio to care for her elderly parents in this follow up memoir to her excellent Born with Teeth. I love her voice as well. #audiobook

Ruthiella I really enjoy memoir in audio read by the author. I need to add this and her previous book to my listening queue!😀 5y
Megabooks @Ruthiella Definitely! I love her voice! 5y
71 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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catiewithac
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Mehso-so

Kate Mulgrew of Star Trek Voyager and Orange is the New Black fame shares her experiences with her parents‘ deaths in this memoir. Mulgrew is a capable writer; her voice is very authentic. I don‘t think I would have picked this book unless Page 1 had sent it to me. On the one hand, her parents‘ deaths from cancer and Alzheimer‘s are relatable, but most of us aren‘t actresses with bicoastal addresses. I loved Mulgrew‘s Mexican housekeeper Lucy!

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ReadingEnvy
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Pickpick

I didn't read Kate Mulgrew's earlier memoir but this is really much more about her parents, particularly the ends of their lives and how she and her siblings were present for those long and painful periods of deterioration and change.
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Mulgrew is perceptive but really only talks about herself in relation to everyone else.. maybe that's life in a giant family. It's a nice comparison of stoic midwesterners and their New York City actress daughter.

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BrainyHeroine
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On this Memorial Day weekend I am learning how to forget...🖤

Ubookquitous Loved her first memoire, and am looking forward to this one. The audiobook was narrated by her so... 5y
34 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Megabooks
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#RememberMe #StarTrekSummerMay

This book, by none other than Voyager‘s Captain Janeway, comes out on Tuesday. I loved her first book, Born with Teeth, so much, I preordered her new one from #Audible.

It deals with, in part, caring for her mother who has Alzheimer‘s Disease. I‘m excited to learn more about her and her family.

SkeletonKey Can‘t wait, I loved listening to her first memoir. 5y
SW-T Two books for my TBR! 5y
See All 9 Comments
Megabooks @SW-T Great!! 😁👍🏻 5y
Vikz I've been hearing good things about this. I must look into reading it. 5y
Megabooks @Vikz She is an excellent narrator. She does Joe Hill‘s books as well. I highly recommend going audio! 5y
Megabooks @tournevis I thought you might be interested in this book! 5y
tournevis @Megabooks Love love love Mulgrew! Hate hate hate autobiographies. I'm a historians, those are a pain to use and I just can't read them for fun. 5y
Megabooks @tournevis That‘s how I feel about animals. I generally don‘t read books about them. No Marley & Me, no All Creatures Great and Small, etc. 5y
79 likes3 stack adds9 comments
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readinginthedark
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Got out of the house and ran a few errands with the babe tonight! I finished early and had some time to sit in the car reading while waiting for my husband and oldest to finish with Cub Scouts. Youngest slept the whole time.

GingerAntics 💙💙💙 5y
48 likes1 comment
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readinginthedark
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Started this ARC last night and breezed through the first 100 pages, which is fast for me. So far, this is a really interesting reflection from Mulgrew on her parents, family, and childhood. It reminds me a little of Then Again by Diane Keaton--not because their lives were the same, but because the style of writing forms its own kind of subgenre in the family memoir vein. Looking forward to the rest of this book!

Prairiegirl_reading She‘s such a great audio narrator I think I‘ll get this on audio. I didn‘t know she was coming out with a new one. 😄 5y
Djspens My husband went to school with Kate, I will have to order this! 5y
readinginthedark @Prairiegirl_reading Ooh, I bet this is great on audio! I still need to read Born with Teeth; maybe I'll read that one in another medium. This one was from Netgalley, so I only have it on my Nook. 5y
readinginthedark @Djspens How fun! It would be interesting to compare how her life seemed from the outside versus the inside. 5y
46 likes2 stack adds4 comments