Navigating the past with Terry McMillan's 'I Almost Forgot About You'

A bold, honest novel resonates with readers of all ages.

By Unknown Author Thursday June 9, 2016 10:59 AM EDT

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As hard as it may be, there are benefits to reflecting on your past. Bestselling author Terry McMillan (Mama, Waiting to Exhale, Getting to Happy) challenges readers to do just that in her new offering, I Almost Forgot About You. The novel follows one Dr. Georgia Young, a twice-divorced, 54-year-old optometrist in the California Bay Area. When Georgia, loveless and dissatisfied with her life and career, discovers an old love has passed away, she is struck by her deep regret that she never told the man that she loved him. Georgia develops a burning desire to dig up her past, find old loves, and reconnect. Realizing this, the book launches into the story of how Georgia takes on the task, confronting not only her past, but her present as well — and how these efforts shape her future.

At its core, I Almost Forgot About You is a novel about introspection, reflection, and self-directed growth. McMillan handles these concepts with a striking mix of care and irreverence. As the lives of each character in the novel change dramatically, McMillan doesn’t hesitate to joke about how silly some choices can seem in hindsight. While she acknowledges how those same silly choices can define lives, it all comes with a refreshing levity.

The novel is not without flaw, and two major issues plague it. In the middle of the book, the plot meanders, bloated with subplots, until an event pulls Georgia back into focus. The second issue relates to the ending: After the novel's climax, the plot drifts away from realism and turns into a romantic fantasy, and it all feels a little too fast, and a little too good to be true — sentiments that aren't alleviated by Georgia's pointing it out herself.

Though the ending satisfies, one is left with a lingering sense Georgia's choices, which up until this point drove the plot forward, suddenly stop carrying weight. She works hard to move herself forward and is very suddenly and jerkily carried to the ending by the appearance of a character who within half a chapter evolves from a forgotten footnote to someone critically important. The pacing feels rushed, and that's unfortunate. It caps off an excellent novel with a feeling that things didn't quite play out properly.

There is a uniquely human quality to the novel that exemplifies McMillan's unique blend of insight, wit, and stark honesty, and it’s timeless. A yearning for something new drives the novel’s characters, and while the majority can’t quite explain it, Georgia’s secretary, Marina, voices it best. “I think I need a change,” she says. “I mean seriously. When every day feels the same and the needle just doesn’t move?” She then proceeds to down the better part of a bottle of wine.

Readers become close friends with Georgia as she recounts old flings with a thoughtful nostalgia. As they read on, they will share in her laughter and her concerns, and come to cheer her on as she and those around her run through a tale of life, love, and self-discovery.

Terry McMillan will lead a discussion on the novel. 7 p.m. Thurs., June 9. Buckhead Barnes & Noble on 2290 Peachtree Road N.E.

I Almost Forgot About You by Terry McMillan. Crown. $27.00. 355 pp.