A time to forget

What happens after we die? And before we're born? At once a mystery and a testament to the profound connection between mother and child, A Time to Forget will make you rethink everything you believe…

What would you do if your four-year-old told you he lived another life, one he wanted to return to? That he wanted his other mother?

Noah is four years old and wants to go home. The problem is: he's already home.

Janie, a single mother, is trying to understand what's happening to her son, Noah, who has never been a normal child. He likes to make up stories and surprise her with random information that someone his age would never know. Janie has always believed Noah was just precocious. But his eccentricities are becoming worrying. One afternoon, his school calls: Noah keeps talking about guns and being underwater until he loses consciousness. Suddenly, Janie can no longer pretend this is all normal. The school suggests Noah undergo a psychiatric evaluation. And the life Janie knew ends for her and her son.

For Jerome Anderson, life was already over. Diagnosed with a serious degenerative disease, his thought as the end approaches is: I'm not finished yet . Once a renowned academic, he put everything aside to pursue his obsession: stories of children who remember past lives. Anderson became a joke among his colleagues, but he never stopped believing that there is something beyond what we can see or understand. He's searching for one last case to corroborate his theory. And with Noah, he thinks he may have found it. The boy may be his last chance at redemption.

Soon, Janie, Noah, and Anderson are knocking on the door of a mother whose son disappeared seven years ago. And when that door opens, all their questions will be answered. But is that what they really want?

“Engaging, skillful, and moving.” - The New York Times Book Review

"An excellent read. Guskin combines a thought-provoking idea with a well-written, compelling story that keeps readers hooked... Fascinating, [this book] will make you think about what really matters and how best to spend the time you have left." - Vancouver Sun

“I loved this book. It's absolutely spectacular, one that leaves you turning the pages, but it also leaves you thinking. It completely changed me—and isn't that why we read it in the first place? A Time to Forget is a book you'll want to tell all your friends about.” - Octavia Spencer, Oscar-winning actress

“Deftly interweaving suspense, family drama, and sharp insights into the workings of the brain, Guskin poses disturbing questions about love and memory, life and death, belief and fact… A Time to Forget offers a wide range of important and nuanced topics capable of stimulating thoughtful conversations.” - Booklist

“ A Time to Forget is a passionate plea to readers to embrace the present moment, to find joy, comfort, and connection in the here and now.” - Bookreporter

“…totally original… You will come away moved by this moving story about motherly love and the unbreakable threads of memory.” - BookPage