Title: Before I forget
Author: Tory Henwood Hoen
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Fiction
Year of Publication: 2025
Date of Publication: December 2, 2025
Pages: 288
ISBN-10: 1250276799
ISBN-13: 9781250276797
Audiobook Narrator: Barrie Kreinik
Summary of Before I forget by Tory Henwood Hoen
Before I Forget follows a 26-year old woman named Cricket Campbell. For the past two years, Cricket has worked for a wellness / self care company in New York City named Actualize and lives with a bunch of roommates in a basement apartment. She feels stuck in life and is dealing with grief from a tragedy that occurred when she was a teenager. Cricket is also battling with the fact that her father has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
At the start of the book, Cricket’s father, named Arthur, was being cared for by her older sister, Nina. But when Nina gets accepted into a Postdoc program that requires her to move abroad, the two sisters come up with a new plan to move their father into a care facility. This plan would require them to sell their childhood home in other cover the costs of the care facility. Initially, the two sisters are on board with the plan but shortly after Cricket returns home to Catwood Pond, where their family’s lake house is located, she makes a decision to become her father’s caretaker instead. She hopes that being back home will help rebuild her relationship with Arthur and give her time to decide on what she would like to do with her life going forward.
As Arthur’s memories fade, Cricket suspects that he may be showing signs of being able to predict the future. Soon after people begin to view him as a kind of oracle and at the same time, being home after staying away for 10 years forces Cricket to face the memories she has spent years avoiding.
This is a book about realities families face, forgiveness, self-discovery, and the difficult decisions that come with caregiving.
Main Plot & Characters
- Cricket Campbell: She is the main character in the story. Cricket is stuck both emotionally and professionally. The choice to care for her father becomes the turning point that pushes her toward healing and growth.
- Arthur: He is Cricket’s father. Arthur is seventy-four years old and is living with Alzheimer’s. Cricket eventually nicknames him “the oracle at Catwood Pond.”
- Nina: She is Cricket’s older sister.
- Seth: He was Cricket’s childhood boyfriend and first love.
- Chloe Zimmerman: She was Cricket’s best friend when she was younger.
- Carl: He is Arthur’s neighbor who owns a cabin close by.
- Greg Seavey: He is Seth’s cousin
- Nils: He is Nina’s boyfriend.
- Dominic: He is Arthur’s cat.
- Paula Garibaldi: She was Cricket’s former dance teacher.
- Olivia, Tasha,and Dylan; They are Cricket’s friends from New York. Cricket was dating Dylan.
- Gemma: She is Cricket’s former boss from New York.
- Inez: An editor from a prominent culture magazine.
- Max: He is Paula’s nephew.
- Jill: She is Seth’s mother.
Writing Style
The story is told from Cricket’s perspective. This is not a long book (only 288 pages) but it is definitely a good read. We really liked the fact that even though this book explores heavy topics like dementia and grief, it is still not told in a way that is overwhelming. Usually, we try not to read books that are heavy back-to-back and we were glad we didn’t have to set this one down based on that concern.
When we first picked up this book, we expected to find a story about dementia and caring for an aging parent. What we ended up reading, gave us a little bit more than we bargained for with the “oracle” angle to the story. We loved that fact.
Cricket and Arthur as characters are likeable. You feel Cricket’s pain but also watch how her hope for the future is rebuilt. Parts of the book felt very real especially when Cricket is thinking about the cots of caring for a parent with dementia and what insurance would and would not cover, and the burden it places on families. It reminded us in a way of how this topic was explored in Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez.
In terms of the world in which the story is built, the author does a great job in making Catwood pond and also the loons, characters in their own way.
Quotes from the Book
“If you visit during mud season, you really mean it.”— One of Arthur’s sayings before he lost some of his memories.
Final Thoughts
Before I Forget feels like a real story and reminds us of what is truly important in life. Cricket’s journey is powerful because it’s not just about caring for her father but also about how she finally faces the past she’s been running from for years. If you enjoy stories about family, healing, and second chances, then it is definitely worth picking up.
Our Rating of This Book
Characters ★★★★⯪ (4.5/5)
Plot ★★★★⯪ (4.5/5)
Writing ★★★★⯪ (4.5/5)
Book Cover ★★★★⯪ (4.5/5)
Audiobook (Narration Only) ★★★★★ (5/5)
Overall ★★★★⯪ (4.5/5)
Have you read this book? What did you think about the story and the characters? Share your thoughts, and until next time, keep turning those pages
Authors
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