The Sweetness of Forgetting … recommendation of novel by Kristin Harmel

I’m sitting in my loft office, overlooking the frozen wetland behind my property as I write this note. It’s been a brutally cold week to ten days but today the temperature has risen to minus 6 … celsius … almost balmy!

I thought today I would do something a bit different and recommend another author’s book: a book that touched me deeply. And no, she’s not a friend, not even someone I’ve met. Just another author of historical fiction whose work I appreciate.

One of the greatest strengths of Kristin Harmel’s novel, The Sweetness of Forgetting, is its emotional sincerity. I love Harmel’s writing, but this one touched me more deeply than any of her others, and if I’m being honest, it touched me more deeply than anything I’ve read in recent history. When I read the author’s note afterward, I realized that part of the reason was that, just like my novels, some of Harmel’s inspiration for this novel came from her personal family history.

At the centre of the novel is a woman searching for answers—about her family, her identity, and the secrets tucked carefully into the history she only thought she knew. I believe her personal connection to the story allowed her to create a quietly powerful novel that explores themes of how grief, love and memory shape a life, while truth is a healing force.

The novel is beautifully constructed, with a dual timeline that allows the slow release of secrets from the past to explain deeply ingrained assumptions of the present.

There is a reflective beauty to Harmel’s writing. She can make even small details feel meaningful when woven into the tapestry of a life. It’s the kind of book that invites you to slow down and consider how your family history might be affecting your actions in today’s whirlwind world.

The story itself is full of mystery, history, and the importance of intergenerational bonds. It touches on modern-day issues of divorce, single parenting, aging, and dementia while taking you back to the past horrors of World War II and the choices people had to make to survive.

The Sweetness of Forgetting is historical fiction at its best! This is a story that lingers long after the final page—a reminder that truths concealed for years can put a spotlight on the future.

Thank you, Kristin Harmel, for sharing a truly memorable story

If you read, or have read, this novel hit reply and let me know how it affected you!

You can check out my books at www.mariegage.ca