Toward Amnesia

Rating:
Summary: A well-told story of self-discovery
Review: A young marine biologist is rattled by the break up with her lover of 5 years. In a state of confusion and disbelief about how they now feel about each other, she finds herself driving by her former lover's new home, wondering what her new life is like. She finally realizes that this is not going to help her situation, and after reading an article about a woman who disappeared for three weeks only to reappear in Florida, hundreds of miles from her home, she decides to disappear also, to remove every trace of her former life and to discover her true self.

This novel traces her path along the roads and highways of eastern North America, starting in North Carolina and settling on a remote island off the coast of Canada. Along the way, she discovers herslef through musings about relationships, her missing-in-action father, animals and nature -- especially about the mysterious catamount, a large mountain cat, which is on the verge of extinction and rekindles feelings about her own life's path.

It's a very moving story about self-discovery. Sarah Van Arsdale's style is poetic, very clear and detailed, making it quite enjoyable to read. I really liked the main character and how she handled herself in very realistic terms.

Rating:
Summary: absorbing
Review: I don't usually like love stories, romance, etc, but this isn't a love story in the truest sense of the word. It's about loss, identity and reinventing yourself. Van Arsdale is also a poet and includes sensous and in-depth details.

Rating:
Summary: Creating a new life out of loss
Review: I enjoyed this book. It was very easy to read and I got caught up in what the main character was trying to do- leave her loss and old life behind and create a new life (one without her old lover). In the process, she heals herself and finds herself again.