Memoirs of Forgotten Yesterday by Aaron Grahame

Author Aaron Grahame captures the struggle of chronic illness and the transient nature of memory in Memoirs of Forgotten Yesterday, an emotive long-form reflection on one man’s complicated life.

Bailey is a devoted son and daily visitor to his increasingly forgetful father, Harry, who is often lost in the past, and regularly confused by the present. As his condition worsens, the narrative weaves more sporadically through Harry’s fractured mind, revealing painful and defining moments of the Hargraves family. As Harry cycles through recollections of relationships, difficult betrayals, joyous arrivals, addictions, and disappointments, readers gradually reassemble the pieces of his life, and the messy mural of memory becomes clear.

The unique difficulties of Alzheimer’s Disease – for patients, their families, and caretakers – make it a particularly emotional, frustrating, and painful diagnosis, which Grahame captures with compassion and tact. The complex emotions that Bailey learns to manage will hit home with anyone who has cared for a loved one as their memory fractures and fades. Exploring themes of guilt and mental wellness, along with heartbreak, isolation, and regret, the prose is imbued with weight, even in the more lighthearted passages.

There is certainly room for improvement in technical execution, however; the dialogue frequently feels stilted or forced, while spelling errors (“starred” vs “stared”) suggest a lax editorial process. That said, the bones of this heartwrenching novel are strong, and the pervasive sense of vulnerability will be cathartic for countless readers whose lives have been touched by this disease.