Once We Forget

by Elise Geither

As Momma descends into the darkness of dementia, Rose is suddenly obsessed with forgotten images from a distant past ... and a young girl with golden hair. Who was Lily?

Something terrible must have happened.

But what if the memory is forever lost?

160 pages, Paperback

Published May 21, 2026

About the author

Elise Geither, PhD, is a career educator and.has worked in higher education as a teacher and administrator for over 30 years supporting students in academics. Geither is also a playwright and poet. Her plays have been produced throughout the US and her poetry and short stories appear in literary journals.

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Hidden Shelf Publishing for providing an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.

Once We Forget by Elise Geither is a moving exploration of how memory enriches our lives, recedes into deep forgotten places, or is lost altogether, potentially never to surface again.

The story follows Rose and her mother’s partner, Henry, as they navigate the increasingly evident changes dementia takes on her mother’s mind and body. Simultaneously, Rose grapples with holes in her own memories: she cannot remember anything before the age of nine. Why is this? And, who is this mysterious blonde girl Lily that begins haunting her dreams?

Through vivid, fragmented narration, Geither masterfully captures depicts how the world almost stands still for dementia patients and their caregivers. They spend their days either fighting to stay afloat or desperately grasping at remaining memories to maintain a connection to the past. As Geither beautifully writes: “We don’t know what becomes of the words. We only know they go away. And there is a soft white page left where they used to be, like a book being erased page by page.”

The secondary plotline—Rose’s quest to uncover memories of a potential sister—unfolds through minor revelations. However, I craved deeper exploration and stronger narrative milestones. The story misses ripe opportunities to expand this mystery, such as the weekend Rose watches Jolie, her stay at a haunted cabin, or the moment she receives her mother’s journal. The revelation came instead in a memory that was finally poured out in full. This left me unsatisfied and still with questions. Utilizing her mother’s journal or diving deeper into her stay with Aunt Grace—the exact day her memories stopped—could have fully realized this subplot's potential.

Despite wanting a more fulfilling resolution to Rose’s arc, I am grateful to have read this book. It is deeply sorrowful, yet it offers a healing space for anyone navigating cognitive decline with a loved one. The raw emotions on the page make it incredibly easy to connect with, and fans of literary fiction will deeply appreciate Geither's craft.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is it poetry or a novel?

We follow Rose, A daughter to a mother suffering from dementia.

This book will make you think. It pauses at the dark recesses of your mind, the strings of memory

Is it worse to not remember? or To live with the memory?

This was an unexpected story and a thought booking tail put you in a place of rose, questioning her own memory, and the sense of reality in regards to Lily, as well as her care over her mother and her dementia

Writing is very beautiful and has great one liners. This book will make you think, question, and reflect. The story has a heartfelt relationship dynamic between mother and daughter, as well as the backdrop of a monotonous job. What does it really matter when your mom is suffering from dementia?

Thank you to NetGalley for this review copy and exchange for my honest opinion.

[Tiffany Kasper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Once We Forget is a beautifully written story about a woman navigating the heartbreaking experience of losing her mother to dementia. One of the things I appreciated most was how the novel explored the grief that begins long before a loved one is physically gone. There was something incredibly moving about watching the main character grapple with losing pieces of her mother while still trying to hold onto the relationship they shared.
At times, I found myself a little confused by the frequent shifts between the past and present. It’s possible that my own mental exhaustion after a long work week played a role, but there were moments when I had to stop and reorient myself in the timeline.

Despite that, this was an emotional and impactful read. The writing is beautiful, the themes are poignant, and the story offers a thoughtful look at memory, family, and anticipatory grief.

[Jim Bradford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book. Geither is one of those authors who combines her talent for poetry with narratives that are both deeply personal and yet fully relatable. The result is a style that is beautiful and poignant and sincere and unpretentious in its simplicity and directness. This particular novel was heavy, in subject matter, but felt like a love letter to some of the hardest parts of the human experience.