Early dementia is taking the memories of Arthur Pettinger. Maddy, his granddaughter is at a crossroads in her life and needs a stability fir her daughter Esther. Esther and Arthur seem to have this connection without words. Esther is able to figure out little clues of her great-grandfathers past and begs her mcthers old boyfriend, Joe to help locate someone from his past that he needs to find.

Joe & Maddy have unresolved questions and emotions about their relationship which could affect this situation.

The author does such a remarkable job in keeping my interest going with the intrigue and the development of the characters emotional growth.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a great read.

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger is one of those books that offers something for just about every reader: there are elements of domestic drama, such as the family tensions caused by caring responsibilities; scenes of wartime adventure and romance; and a search for a long lost love.

I loved the touching and very natural relationship that develops between Maddy’s daughter, Esther, and her great-grandfather, even if Arthur does occasionally struggle to recall Esther’s name (although he never seems to forget that his favourite biscuits are digestives). It’s a neat echo of the close relationship Maddy remembers having with Arthur herself when she was younger. As it turns out, affection for Arthur is not the only thing Esther has inherited. She also has the same inquisitive nature and independent instincts as her mother.

The book eloquently conveys the challenges of caring for someone with dementia, although Maddy’s sympathetic response and greater understanding of Arthur’s need for routine proves much more successful than that of her half-sister, Hazel, who previously cared for him. (Arthur privately christened Hazel ‘Moaning Minnie’). Although Maddy recognises the role photographs and music can play in provoking what memories are left, she knows it’s only a matter of time before Alzheimer’s claims Arthur completely. I’m sure many readers can empathize with Maddy when she thinks, “It was so cruel, so painful this long goodbye, watching her grandfather slowly disappear in front of her…”.

The author finds imaginative ways to allow the reader inside the mind of Arthur and witness his own frustration at his declining memory. “It was all muddled up in his mind like a heap of spaghetti and he didn’t know where the strands of thought started. They were a jumbled mess of words and images, fragments of memory and snatches of thought – all knotted up together.”

The details of Maddy’s search for Maryse, assisted by investigator and ex-boyfriend, Joe, and the difficult moral dilemmas thrown up along the way, will be familiar to fans of TV programmes such as Heir Hunters or Long Lost Family. Trust me, as the book nears its conclusion, you’ll find yourself in complete agreement with Arthur as he thinks, “He wished he knew how his story ended and what happened to those he loved”.

For me, the ending, although bittersweet, was the perfect conclusion to the story. After all, there’s more than one way to be reunited.

This was an ok read. I never really connected with the characters but it’s still a sweet story of love, family and second chances. Sensitive topics were handled well.

This novel is a poignant tale of lost love and forgotten moments, which will touch your heart. It is a dual timeline book set in 1940s France and the present day. and told from the perspective of Arthur in the 1940s after he is parachuted into occupied France to assist the resistance, Arthur in the present, struggling to put his fragmented memory in place due to his dementia, and Maddy, Arthur’s granddaughter who moves in with him together with her young daughter Esther to help him remain in his home and to provide some stability for him.

I completely fell for Arthur and Maryse in the events that took place in the 1940s. The scene was set so perfectly that I felt completely immersed in the tense position that they were living in.

I found the scenes with Maddy and Arthur in the present very accurate and moving, having personally experienced close relatives with dementia. I loved the patience that both Maddy and Esther had with their ‘Gramps’ but empathised completely with the struggles they had too.

The mystery surrounding the relationship that Arthur had with Maryse was a gently flowing theme throughout the story and I enjoyed the way in which the mystery was unravelled to reach a conclusion that was both joyful and poignant.

This was such a special book in which love is shown in many forms, from the love for parents and grandparents to the love that can be experienced out of the need to be responsible for the protection of others, to the love between couples however smooth or complicated that may be. The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger is a beautiful story that I will not forget.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

WOW. WOW! WOW!! This book totally took control of my heart from the first chapter. Arthur is in his nineties, and is a WW2 veteran. His current caregiver, who is also his granddaughter, cannot handle taking care of him due to the frustrations of his dementia. Soon, Maddie, Arthur's other granddaughter, and Esther, his great granddaughter arrive to start taking over the role of his care. The relationship between Esther and Arthur just took me back to my grandfather and myself. Arthur can remember a girl named Maryse, when snippets of the past seem to sneak their way back in through the dementia. What unfolds is a beautiful love story. This book is on the top of my all time favorite reads. The Nightingale is one that is at the top, but I believe that this may even top that. This book just shows how precious our elderly war veterans are, and just the elderly in general. They have something to give us if we only take the time to receive it. 5++++++ stars! I want more books by this author! I just loved it SO VERY much!!

A really special book that absolutely captivated me.

This is historical romance at its best. It perfectly captures the terrors of the war and doesn't brush over these, whilst also celebrating the small joys that love can bring. Arthur and Maryse are so lovely together, but it is tinged in sorrow as you know that they don't see out their days together. They are going to be torn apart, and you're unsure if they ever re-unite, and this had me crying throughout the book waiting to find out what happened.

Suzanne writes in such a beautiful and poignant way about dementia, about the slipping away of memories and the lost spaces that are created by the disease; it was incredibly sad and moving to read. There is also genuine interest and passion for history and uncovering facts, shown through Joe that made this a really interesting and gripping read.

Full review to appear on my blog soon.

Arthur Pettinger has Alzheimer's. His memory is not what it used to be much of the time and he requires care.

Maddie, his daughter, is summoned by her sister to care for him. As a person who receives care myself, I was very taken aback and quite sad at the blunt email between the sisters concerning Arthur. But I am also a firm believer that only certain types of people can be good family caregivers. This side of the story was realistic though.

Maddie is the best empath of the two sisters, and she has her eleven year old daughter Esther in tow when she goes to Arthur's house.

Esther is worried about her transition to secondary school and is helped by the fact that Maddie leaves the dog with her.

Esther and Arthur get talking and Esther has a LOT of things she wants to know about Arthur an his life.

Author Suzanne Fortin seamlessly blends the "then" and "now" plots of Arthur's present and his past. I found both plots fascinating and learnt a lot about Alzheimer's along the way.

I was really glad that Arthur had Freddie during his war years.

The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger is a novel of friendship, loss regret happiness sadness and is just so beautiful and raw at the same time.

Arthur is the kind of grandfather who is proud of his past and is vulnerable yet loveable.

The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger will pull at the heartstrings of anyone who ever loved visiting their grandfather. Although my grandfather did not have Alzheimer's, this novel made me relive life with him.

The novel is heartfelt yet feel-good despite the sad parts and it is one that I wanted to start again immediately after having finished. I could not help but have empathy for Arthur and I liked Esther a lot. I felt Maddie's regret at not having been there for Arthur as much as she would have liked.

It was a joy to be swept along on this emotional cultural journey through pain and a harsh reality in the quest to find lost love split between the present day and wartime France. The French phrases in the book made it all the more authentic.

I was smiling at some parts and holding back the tears in others. Be prepared to really feel when you have this book!

Thanks to Suzanne Fortin and Aria & Aries for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

5 stars.

I loved this book from the beginning. I immediately felt such empathy for Arthur, struggling with dementia and living with his granddaughter, Hazel, who seems to have reached the end of her patience in her caring role. Arthur is the very picture of a benign old gentleman, a bit confused and totally dependent on the help of others. When I worked in a residential home for the elderly, I easily grew attached to elderly residents like this. However, even in that act of enjoying caring for these men, we’re dismissing so many things about them. We’re almost seeing them like a cute, but battered old teddy bear. I would forget that they were once young like me (I was 20) and that they’d had aspirations for their lives: careers to embark on, love affairs to pursue, and the world to see. That is until war came along and those plans were ripped up to be replaced with roles in the forces, defending Europe against the steady rise of Hitler and his Nazi party. The sacrifices made by men and women at this time shouldn’t be underestimated. They gave up that time where I had the luxury of starting to know myself, to forge an adult identity. I soon realised that the people I was caring for had once been young like I was with all of the same experiences and feelings I did. They’d felt passion, excitement, love, and all the things that bring enjoyment to life. Their old, often broken body, was merely a shell and once I understood this proper connections started to form with residents. I would encourage memory boxes, and displays up around the home showing the resident’s lives so that all carer’s could see and start relating as one human to another instead of carer and patient.

I felt the author captured the confusion and distress of dementia incredibly well. Once his other granddaughter Maddy moves in to look after him along with her daughter, Esther, life does settle into a better pattern for Arthur and he is more relaxed. In the chapters told from Arthur’s point of view, the way he relates to the world is so moving. The author describes the sensation of knowing something, such as his great-granddaughter’s name, but being unable to reach it. Arthur knows the knowledge is there, he just can’t remember where he put it. The frustration of this must be enormous, but with the love and understanding he receives from Maddy and Esther, these absences of knowledge don’t bother him so much. He can let them go in the knowledge the information will return, possibly because he’s being treated with patience and respect. The description of ‘sundowning’ was brilliant, referring to the distressing symptom of increased confusion towards nightfall with insomnia and often pacing up and down as the differences between night and day seem to disappear. The symptom Arthur is finding most distressing is the loss of distinction between different times:

‘He knew his name was Arthur Pettinger and he was ninety-six years old. He also knew he was in his bedroom because on the door was a picture of himself with his name written underneath. Tomorrow, he might not know any of this. Yesterday, he was twenty years old and loading bales of hay onto the back of his father’s tractor.’

Often he’s unsure about who is looking after him, but he knows they do it with such love. Just as he experiences stages of his own life simultaneously, he can experience people in the same way:

‘Maddy Pettinger. Of course, dear, sweet Maddy – his granddaughter. He could see her when she was a small child, maybe about five or six. She was wearing a blue pinafore dress and her hair was in bunches with blue ribbon. A warmth filled his heart’.

The distress seems to come as he remembers a particular woman called Maryse who he met in France when in a mission with Special Operations. There is something about this mission that will not leave his memory and since it must have been very traumatic and emotional that’s not surprising, what is surprising to Maddy is that a woman she has never heard of holds such a huge part of her grandfather’s heart and memory. However, for Arthur, Maryse might have been with him just yesterday and all the feelings still remain, as strong as they were fifty or sixty years before. He can simultaneously be deep in conversation with Maryse only to find her disappeared, and this is the cause of his distress. He is losing her and experiencing deep grief. Over and over again. His way of describing his illness is one of the most apt I’ve ever read. Here he describes how memories and ideas become difficult to extract from the mess in his head. It’s all:

‘muddled up in his mind like a heap of spaghetti and he didn’t know where the strands of thought started. They were a jumbled mess of words and images, fragments of memory and snatches of thought – all knotted up together’.

The sections where we travel back and see the full account of Arthur’s mission into France during WW2 are powerful and moving. It’s not hard to see how feelings were amplified, by the danger they were facing on a daily basis. If you don’t know whether you’ll be alive tomorrow, you want to be sure those you love know you love them. The growing feelings between Maryse and Arthur are plain to see and I was devastated by the scenes where they ended up separated. It’s hard to know whether Arthur’s dementia is stirring up emotions for a love affair unfinished, whether Maryse was left in danger, or if things were finished and he doesn’t remember. This is the worry that granddaughter Maddy has. Her daughter Esther’s normal cooking channel goes viral when she asks for help finding Maryse, but Maddy is struggling over how to handle it. She’s even more cross when Esther approaches her ex-boyfriend Joe to do the investigation. Joe works as an historical investigator so in Esther’s mind he’s the right man to call, but she doesn’t understand the emotions involved. Maddy was broken hearted when their relationship ended, will she be able to lean on him now to help her grandfather? Even if she does, will she be making things worse for Arthur - what if they are too late and Maryse has already passed away?

The resolution, when it came, was not what I expected and actually made me cry. Not just for these two lovers, but for the many individual losses that happen during wartime as people become scattered from those they love. Often making huge sacrifices to keep them safe, such as those made by parents in the novel. It showed me how hard it can be to fully understand what a person with dementia is going through and the significance of what they are saying. Are they distressed because they’ve left something unresolved, or because it’s unresolved in that moment and later they’ll remember again. There is a comfort for family members in realising deep down there’s recognition; they may not be experiencing you in the now, but they might be with your four year old self instead. My grandma, who had dementia for the last two years of her life, once said to me: ‘I can’t go to bed there’s a little girl hanging on my legs’. In the next second she looked at me quite sharply and added: ‘is it you?’ I think it probably was, but a toddler me, back in the early 1970s. She’d made the connection in that moment and in a way knew exactly who I was. For Arthur there are moments when he’s still there, at the farmhouse with Maryse, sitting and talking in the woods, slowly falling in love. I hoped that when he did pass away, that he could live in those moments forever.

This review has been on the blog tour this weekend,

Not even Alzheimer's could make Arthur forget his true love.

The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger is a beautiful story of ever-lasting love, heroism, and living the best life one possibly can, even when one's mind is assaulted by Alzheimer's.

Arthur's memories were a blur, but he still felt a never-ending love for Maryse and a deep fear for the children's future.

He knew he had to go back, but his old man's mind kept playing tricks on him. Past and present mingled in his consciousness, and sometimes fog covered it all.

When his great-granddaughter Esther came to live with him, they instantly bonded, and perusing old pictures with her took his thoughts more and more to the past and the woman he loved.

The story is bittersweet but very inspiring. It was hard to witness Arthur's struggles with his mind and body, but the love and patience of his family were a balm to the soul.

The side characters were adorable—the kind of people one wants around in their time of need.

Romance permeates the whole narrative, and although I shed a few tears, there was a satisfying happy ending.

What I loved most about this story is how serious subjects were explored in a light and optimistic manner. Despite all the sadness, my heart was full of love and peace when I turned the last page.

The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger was my first book by this author but will not be my last.

Great read!

Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

*This review will be posted on https://lureviewsbooks.com on 03/08/2021*

An enticing tale of past and present.

Arthur Pettinger is getting on in years and doesn't always know the names of those in his everyday life, but he can't forget the ones from his past. When his granddaughter and her daughter move in to look after him, it's Maddy's chance for a fresh start to get her life together, and Esther just loves spending time with Gramps. When Arthur ponders over a woman he met many years ago, Maryse, Esther includes an appeal for information on her Youtube channel and before they know it, it's gone viral. Maddy needs help in tracking down this missing woman in the hope it will bring a sense of peace to Arthur, and the only person she knows with the requisite skills is Joe - her ex. Travelling to France to places where the French Resistance operated, can the find the answers they seek?

This is a tale which pulled me in from the very start and I think it explained dementia in an honest and understandable manner. Travelling from the present day back to the early forties in France, the story behind the story comes out bit by bit and there is always something new to consider. It is a wonderful story, written with understanding in a gentle, loving way and comes across almost as a true story. I imagine it's very near to the situation many found themselves in during the war. The author has done this tale justice and it makes for a memorable read. I'm happy to recommend this one, especially to anyone aware of a dementia sufferer and those who enjoy wartime novels, and give it 4.5*.

Arthur is ninety-six, and his memory is failing. His granddaughter Maddy comes to live with him as he is unable to cope alone. Her young daughter bonds with Arthur, but he is troubled by something in his past. Maddy is lonely and is resistant when a past lover is drawn back into her life. She wants to stop Arthur from fretting about his past, and maybe Joe is the man to help her?

This dual timeline story follows Arthur back to WW2, where he worked with the French resistance and met the love of his life. This part of the story is atmospheric and full of courageous acts and danger. The other timeline shows Maddy and Esther's compassion towards Arthur, and there a realistic mix of despair and humour coupled with frustration and patience. The author captures Arthur's confusion and fear about his memory loss. Maddy and Joe get a second chance at happiness as they try to find the missing pieces of Arthur's life.

Heartbreak, hope, loss and love define this engaging story. Although the ending made me cry, it left me feeling uplifted.

I received a copy of this book from Aria Fiction via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger

This book has absolutely blown me away.
The story is a beautiful and touching ode to the endurance of the heart and the strength of love throughout a life time. The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger is a heartfelt and moving story, I felt every word and I definitely sobbed at the end!
The symmetry between the past and present was beautifully done as we follow Arthur Pettinger in occupied France and his granddaughter,Maddy’s search to uncover the secrets that were left there before they are forgotten.
The characters and their relationships were endearing and thoughtfully portrayed, particularly the compassionate portrayal of Arthur’s dementia.
The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger is a story that will stay with me for a long time and reminds me to treasure my loved ones and the memories that we make.
I can not recommend this book enough and cannot wait to read more from Suzanne Fortin again in the future!

Arthur Pettinger is in his nineties and can’t remember too much about his daily life, but the one person he does remember is Maryse, the beautiful young woman he met and fell in love with in France in 1944 when he was sent there as a young British soldier.

This timeslip moves from the present day soon after Arthur’s granddaughter, Maddy and her eleven-year-old daughter, Esther move into his home to look after him back to 1944 when Arthur lands in Occupied France. Maddy is single and determined to stay that way having suffered a difficult break-up with Joe, the one that got away.

When Maddy and Esther discover how Arthur frets at night looking for someone and worrying that he had let them down, Esther decides to help him find whoever it is and puts a video about Arthur and the woman he’s looking for onto YouTube. The video goes viral and soon Maddy realises that she needs to help put Arthur’s mind at rest and track down the woman he loved and lost once and for all. The best-placed person to help her is Joe and together they do their best to track down the woman from Arthur’s past.

This sensitively written story depicts the gentle relationship between Arthur and his great-granddaughter beautifully. Told from Arthur’s point of view and also Maddy’s this thought-provoking and heart-wrenching story kept me up late at night desperately wanting to discover what happened between Arthur and Maryse. I have to admit that I read the last part of this book with my tears blurring the words. It made me wonder how many others experienced the same love and enforced separation that Arthur and his beloved Maryse endured during those war years and the very many secrets that others must have been kept.

Thanks to Aria and NetGalley for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was completely overwhelmed by this book - it has everything! Old and new romances, intrigue, danger, suspense, loss, the pain of parting, a close-knit family who also have their own rifts and troubles. All of these elements are woven together in a story that spans generations and brings to life wartime England and France in a way that is both heart-warming and heart-breaking.
The author has done her research so well that the historical elements flow perfectly and the modern day images of France blend in seamlessly. I particularly loved the English village setting, as Hemingford Grey is one of my personal favourite places; a lovely surprise!
The deep and sometimes painful emotions explored in this novel are tenderly dealt with. Dementia, the loss of the person once known and the love that remains are subjects we will probably all have to deal with at some point. The story brings a warm sense of hope and is moving and joyful in equal measures. A triumph.

I adored everything about this book. I was captivated by Arthur’s story from the beginning and my heart broke for him and his daily challenges with dementia. Maddy and Esther were such lovely characters and I loved the support and kindness they showed him as his granddaughter and great granddaughter and live in carers.

The flashes of the past added an incredible layer of depth to this novel and made me fall truly in love. Exploring Arthur’s time during World War Two, and his love affair with Maryse was a joy and was so moving. I felt both plot lines were so well fleshed out and I loved the slow uncovering of the mystery.

I became so attached to this story and these characters as I read it, and by the end I had tears streaming down my face. This novel was just beautiful and so captivating. I loved every second of reading it, and my heart was broken and pieced back together by this wonderful, timeless story of love, life and missed opportunities.
Please read this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Aria & Aries for this E-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Arthur Pettinger is 93 and has Alzheimers. His granddaughter Maddie and great granddaughter Esther come to live with him and take care of him. Sometimes, on a good day he has memories of his time in France during WW2. He speaks of a beautiful woman named Maryse. Esther thinks it would be wonderful if they could find out more about Maryse. Is she still alive? Maybe Gramps could see her one more time. And that is how a most beautiful love story unfolds.....

I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger

Arthur is losing most of his memories but some keep niggling away at him, especially those relating to his time in France during WW2. His grandaughter Maddy and great-grandaughter Esther move in with him and try to help solve the mystery of what really happened. No one expects the beautiful love story they uncover.

I have no words to convey just how WONDERFUL this book is! It has everything - a fabulous cast of characters, a mystery that keeps you turning the pages long after you should have gone to sleep, a story that moves effortlessly between now and WW2 France, and at the heart of it all is love in so many beautiful forms. Absolutely one of my favourite books - VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher and the author <3

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

This story is set in a dual timeline. It alternates between the present and the WWII era in France.

Arthur has Alzheimer’s., so his granddaughter Maddy and her daughter Esther move in to help him.

Soon Arthur and Esther become close, starting to look through old pictures from WWII, which, of course, theirs questions that Esther asks, making Arthur remember events from the war and Maryse, who was the lost love of his life.

Another fabulous book - which is historical fiction with a bit of romance,

Recommend it.

This is a wonderful timeslip novel that really tugs at your heart strings, dealing with true love, as well as the confusion of Alzheimer’s and the impact this illness has on both the sufferer and those around them. Arthur Pettinger is ninety-something and fading away, and his memory comes and goes. There are secrets in his past which surface, insistent and recurring, and he needs closure – if only he could remember the whole story! When his grand-daughter Maddy comes to live with him and look after him, she and her eleven-year old daughter Esther begin to try and make sense of Arthur’s ramblings. This leads them to uncover the poignant tale of Arthur’s love affair with a French resistance woman during World War II, and they are racing against time to find out exactly what happened. Their discoveries lead Maddy to reevaluate her own life – she’s been struggling with issues of trust, love and second chances. But her grandfather’s story teaches her that when life gives us a gift we have to grab it with both hands and never look back with regrets, whatever happens because we only live once. This story has great depths of emotion, highs and lows, and I found it utterly gripping!

A love story in multiple forms, that has absolutely floored me. The various ways love was depicted throughout this book was beautiful, heartwarming and ranged from the simple love of a Mother and child, of forbidden love, lost love and complicated true love.

The story is provided via three perspectives: Maddy in the present day, Arthur in the 1940s and Arthur in the present day struggling with dementia and not fully understanding the world he finds himself in.
Having experienced living with and caring for someone with dementia, Fortins accounts were poignant and accurate; the depiction of what the person with dementia experiences, are especially insightful and tug on the heartstrings. Arthurs memories and secrets are brought into the modern era when a video of him goes viral.
As Arthurs granddaughter and great-grandaughter search for answers about Arthurs past, we find ourselves in war time France, with a story of love, danger and lost chances.
I was hooked from the start, the emotion created took me on a journey that broke my heart and then put it together again.
Great characters, wonderful story and brilliantly written.