Weekend Reads With Cherie Cooper

When I Forgot by Elina Hirvonen

This short read is an emotional punch to the gut, but it’s also very beautiful.

When I Forgot by Elina Hirvonen is about Anna, whose parents are urging her to visit her brother Joona in hospital. Struggling to work up the courage, Anna retreats to a cafe where her thoughts drift from the present to a past mired in sadness and confusion.

Anna’s relationship with her brother is burdened by enormous guilt. She loves him deeply but struggles to reconcile their unmistakable bond with his extremely unsettling behaviour. Anna’s memories of their life together are interspersed with her boyfriend’s reminiscences of his own traumatic coming of age.

When I Forgot is densely packed with insights about familial and romantic love. For a slim novel, it’s very deep. It’s really about the difficulties of accepting people who can be hugely damaging to those around them.

It might sound bleak, but this story is ultimately hopeful. Hirvonen’s writing style is sparse yet elegant – she’s so good at describing Anna’s point of view that you feel like you’re seeing through her eyes. It’s well worth a read.

Cherie Cooper

Cherie lives, works, and reads in beautiful Tasmania – the green island gem below Australia known for its gorgeous landscape and beautiful wildlife. She holds multiple academic qualifications in English, journalism, and fine art theory, and has worked in writing, editing, and communications roles for more than a decade. Most importantly, she has a deep love for books that began as soon as she learned how to read. Old, new, any genre – for Cherie, reading is about as vital as breathing. She is interested in sharing books that move, excite, and compel, so others can share the joy of a truly great read. While she reads across most genres, her favourite is literary fiction. Particularly anything by Margaret Atwood, Ottessa Moshfegh, Kate Atkinson, Elizabeth Berg, Ann Patchett, and Anne Tyler. Cherie frequents Tasmania’s beautiful boutique book shops as well as scouring secondhand shops for books to add to her extensive home library. Catch up with her on LinkedIn