LoveReading Says
LoveReading Says
August 2016 NewGen Book of the Month.
Hattie’s life changes forever when she meets the great aunt she never knew she had. Gloria by name, and glorious by nature, this headstrong former actress, who likes a gin sling (or three), is in the early stages of dementia. “Memories are what make us who we are,” Gloria remarks. “Without them we are nobody,” and so she and Hattie embark on an emotional road-trip, retracing significant paths from Gloria’s past. While Gloria battles memory loss and the turmoil that comes from disturbing one’s ghosts, Hattie has her own problems. She’s pregnant by her close friend Reuben. She hasn’t told him, and he’s just got together with a new “hot” French girlfriend…
As Gloria relives and reveals the heartache around own experience of motherhood, there’s a strong sense of time running out for them both. Gloria doesn’t know how long she’ll have her memories, while Hattie has to make a decision about her pregnancy. “You can't be scared of regret,” Gloria advises. “All you can do is make the choice that seems right at the time." And that’s what Hattie does, as Gloria did before her.
This is a beautiful, bittersweet story about family bonds, the cycle of life and love in all its forms. ~ Joanne Owen
Publisher Passion Piece: Non Pratt's Trouble meets Thelma and Louise with a touch of Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey, Clare Furniss' remarkable How Not To Disappear is an emotional rollercoaster of a novel that will make you laugh and break your heart.
Joanne Owen
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How Not to Disappear Synopsis
A secret past. An uncertain future. An unforgettable journey that will reveal them both. A stunning new novel from the bestselling author of The Year of The Rat.
Our memories are what make us who we are. Some are real. Some are made up. But they are the stories that tell us who we are. Without them we are nobody.
Hattie's summer isn't going as planned. Her two best friends have abandoned her: Reuben has run off to Europe to 'find himself and Kat is in Edinburgh with her new girlfriend. Meanwhile Hattie is stuck babysitting her twin siblings and dealing with endless drama around her mum's wedding. Oh, and she's also just discovered that she's pregnant with Reuben's baby...
Then Gloria, Hattie's great-aunt who no one even knew existed, comes crashing into her life. Gloria's fiercely independent, rather too fond of a gin sling and is in the early stages of dementia. Together the two of them set out on a road trip of self-discovery - Gloria to finally confront the secrets of her past before they are erased from her memory forever and Hattie to face the hard choices that will determine her future...
Non Pratt's Trouble meets Thelma and Louise with a touch of Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey, Clare Furniss' remarkable How Not To Disappear is an emotional rollercoaster of a novel that will make you laugh and break your heart.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781471120312 |
| Publication date: |
14th July 2016 |
| Author: |
Clare Furniss |
| Publisher: |
Simon & Schuster Childrens Books an imprint of Simon & Schuster Ltd |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
406 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Young Adult Fiction
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| Recommendations: |
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Press Reviews
Clare Furniss Press Reviews
Emotional, moving and thought provoking, and I loved it. The Sun
This isn't the first YA novel to incorporate dementia as a plot device, but it's gloriously funny, deeply emotional and a triumph. -- Sally Morris Daily Mail
This novel, encompassing violence to women, changing attitudes to unmarried mothers, and many kinds of love, is funny, sharply observed, shocking and wonderful. -- Nicolette Jones The Sunday Times
Hattie and Gloria are such fantastic central characters. What a lovely, lovely book! -- Lisa Williamson, author of The Art of Being Normal
An absolutely gorgeous, heartfelt and incredibly enjoyable follow up to The Year of the Rat ... Clare writes about serious subjects lightly but with real feeling, and conveys family relationships so well. -- Robin Stevens, author of Murder Most Unladylike
I enjoyed the honesty of it and the way in which sadness and joy are presented as two sides of the same coin. I enjoyed the acknowledgement that love doesn't always conquer all ... But mostly I enjoyed the growing relationship between two women, one looking back over a life and one looking towards a life yet to come. Recommended. The Bookbag
A really heartfelt book which has a lot to say about family and its importance. I thoroughly recommend it. -- Kirsty, The Overflowing Library Goodreads
Just as emotional, warm and life-affirming as Clare Furniss debut, The Year of the Rat... subtle but powerful ... How Not to Disappear is another beautiful novel from Clare Furniss. It talks of love, family and the defining nature of memories in a way that is completely pitch-perfect. So Many Books, So Little Time
Author
About Clare Furniss
Clare Furniss studied at Cambridge University and worked for several years in political media relations. She now lives in Bath and is completing an MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University.
More About Clare Furniss
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