In Remind Me Again What Happened, Claire, a globetrotting journalist in her thirties, contracts a virus that wipes out wide swaths of her memory. Who are we to ourselves, and what remains of a self, without our memories? In Claire’s case, the infection also compromises her motor coordination and leaves her with near-daily seizures, making her suddenly dependent on her husband. Recuperating back in Vermont, where her husband works as a reporter for a local newspaper, Claire tries, with the help of their longtime mutual friend, Rachel, to piece together who she used to be ... If there’s a fault in the book, it’s that because of the confessional narration, there is much explanation in place of action or subplot ... That said, the book is carried by excellent psychological insights, such as this depiction of the dynamics of unrequited love.
In an intricate dance between three characters, Luloff explores memory and its importance in forming identity. Claire, Charlie, and Rachel have been indispensable to each other for years. But the relationship is knocked askew when Claire, a journalist on assignment in India, contracts Japanese B encephalitis, experiencing high fevers, seizures, central-nervous-system damage, and a 'smudge' where her memories, from late teens to the present, are supposed to be ... From Luloff, this is a thought-provoking exploration of love, relationships, and the role of the past in defining the present.
While on assignment in the remote area of Tamil Nadu, Claire gets bitten by a mosquito causing her to suffer from high fevers, seizures, and damage to her central nervous system. Diagnosed as having Japanese encephalitis and lucky to be alive Claire is transported to a Florida hospital ... Charlie rushes to her side and though very ill, she retains no memory of her recent past—her childhood and the time before Vermont are attainable, but with her and Charlie's lives together, she is blocked. The doctors report this is not unusual, but Claire must be kept quiet and on medication with the hope she will regain her lost months and years ... Rachel leaves her editing position to help Claire recover in Vermont. Tension abounds as well as mistrust and resentment as the three try to find some sort of semblance of normalcy to their lives ... The ever-changing twists and turns with the juxtaposition of three lives seeped in history, secrets, and frustrations blend together to create a story of how easily life can change. Emotion runs rampant, yet the enjoyment of this novel is slowed down by a lot of in-depth backstory offering inconsequential information.
