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Forget Me Not Blue
Celia was mad. She must be if she is committed to this asylum, mustn’t she? It is 1888, and Celia is locked away in the Northern Michigan Asylum. Far away from the life she had known before, with only her own doubts to her sanity, and the kindness of a few new acquaintances to guide her. Does she belong here, shut away from the world? Or is she being hidden for a nefarious purpose? In 2011, Eve stumbles upon some strange objects at the bookshop she works in, located in the creepy old asylum. The more she learns about these forgotten possessions, the more she is drawn to the woman who owned them, and the mystery of her life. But will the trail into the past lead Eve anywhere worth going? Or is she fated to the same despair as the woman who left them behind? Forget Me Not Blue is a tale of love, madness, the ghosts that follow us, and the possibilities awaiting.
302 pages, Paperback
Published December 29, 2017
About the author
Alexandria V. Nolan
10 books27 followersALEXANDRIA NOLAN was born and grew up in and around the Michigan's second motor city, Flint. She attended the University of Michigan, earning a Bachelor of Arts in English. After graduation from university in 2008, Alexandria moved to Texas to teach History, English and Writing in the public school system. In the spring of 2013, she left teaching to write full time.
She is the author of "Shears of Fate" a novella, "Wide, Wild, Everywhere" a book of short stories, "Starlight Symphonies of Oak & Glass" A novel of early Michigan, and "The Library of Panopticon" a time-slip fantasy. She maintains a lifestyle blog, Greetings from Nolandia, and is a frequent contributor to various online and print publications. Alexandria is currently working on a historical fantasy, and also the sequel to "Starlight Symphonies".
She resides in Houston, Texas with her husband, Terrence. When she is not writing she is traveling or reading, or reading about traveling.
She is the author of "Shears of Fate" a novella, "Wide, Wild, Everywhere" a book of short stories, "Starlight Symphonies of Oak & Glass" A novel of early Michigan, and "The Library of Panopticon" a time-slip fantasy. She maintains a lifestyle blog, Greetings from Nolandia, and is a frequent contributor to various online and print publications. Alexandria is currently working on a historical fantasy, and also the sequel to "Starlight Symphonies".
She resides in Houston, Texas with her husband, Terrence. When she is not writing she is traveling or reading, or reading about traveling.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 10, 2018
Alexandria Nolan has done it again with her latest novel, Forget Me Not Blue. She delivers a captivating story with interesting characters that span the centuries as she unwinds her mysterious and masterful tale.
Nolan often writes about strong women. In this book, the story revolves around two very strong women. Celia is being held against her will in a mental asylum in Traverse City, Michigan in the late nineteenth century. Eve lives in present day Traverse City and works in a bookstore that is located in the old asylum building. One day she discovers an old notebook that Celia has hidden in the foundation stones. The notebook leads her on an exploration to discover who this mysterious woman was and what happened to her. Through the course of this wonderful story, we watch as both women, trapped in different ways, fight to escape, never giving up despite huge hurdles, until they achieve freedom and success.
Place is often a character in Nolan’s books. In Forget Me Not Blue, she paints a picture of Traverse City, a lovey gem on Michigan’s northwest coast, known for its pristine waters, rolling hills covered with cherry orchards and surrounded by deep, magical forests. The city itself plays a small roll, but the beautiful old asylum building and its beautiful gardens are central to the story. Nolan focuses in on the details of the gardens and the beautiful flowers that are present. She instructs us in the language of flowers (… a Posey could speak all your deepest longings without a single sound) and begins each chapter with a different flower. The Forget Me Nots of the title reflect the character of the two young women. Just as the flowers are impossible to remove once they are rooted in the garden—you cannot pull them all out or stop them from growing—so are the women. Unstoppable and unforgettable.
As always, Nolan is a reader’s writer. Eve has a degree in English and works in a bookstore. Celia is master of letter writing and keeps a journal. Nolan often inserts sentences which confirms her love of the craft of writing and her understanding of her audience:
Sometimes Eve thought that to love reading was a kind of curse. It was a gift too, of course, a simple love of pages to turn and words to consume. But also a kind of black spell, an addiction. There is never satisfaction in reading, instead a bottomless beast that takes in letter after letter, word after word, page and chapter and leather covers. There is never enough. One book finished leads only to the search and consuming of another. Never enough stories or time to read them. A hunger that is never stated, but grows hungrier somehow.
Maybe she missed the books. They were easy to miss. Every one of them a trip somewhere new, a different life, a different opportunity, a different set of eyes to see the world through. That was what books were, a ticket to anywhere and anyone.
Don’t hesitate to dive into this book. The plot is intriguing and as with most of Nolan’s novels, you will find ghosts and magic that we often miss in our real world. You will become immersed in this tale of two strong women fighting for what they want. Like the flower, Forget Me Not Blue is a tale you will not forget.
Nolan often writes about strong women. In this book, the story revolves around two very strong women. Celia is being held against her will in a mental asylum in Traverse City, Michigan in the late nineteenth century. Eve lives in present day Traverse City and works in a bookstore that is located in the old asylum building. One day she discovers an old notebook that Celia has hidden in the foundation stones. The notebook leads her on an exploration to discover who this mysterious woman was and what happened to her. Through the course of this wonderful story, we watch as both women, trapped in different ways, fight to escape, never giving up despite huge hurdles, until they achieve freedom and success.
Place is often a character in Nolan’s books. In Forget Me Not Blue, she paints a picture of Traverse City, a lovey gem on Michigan’s northwest coast, known for its pristine waters, rolling hills covered with cherry orchards and surrounded by deep, magical forests. The city itself plays a small roll, but the beautiful old asylum building and its beautiful gardens are central to the story. Nolan focuses in on the details of the gardens and the beautiful flowers that are present. She instructs us in the language of flowers (… a Posey could speak all your deepest longings without a single sound) and begins each chapter with a different flower. The Forget Me Nots of the title reflect the character of the two young women. Just as the flowers are impossible to remove once they are rooted in the garden—you cannot pull them all out or stop them from growing—so are the women. Unstoppable and unforgettable.
As always, Nolan is a reader’s writer. Eve has a degree in English and works in a bookstore. Celia is master of letter writing and keeps a journal. Nolan often inserts sentences which confirms her love of the craft of writing and her understanding of her audience:
Sometimes Eve thought that to love reading was a kind of curse. It was a gift too, of course, a simple love of pages to turn and words to consume. But also a kind of black spell, an addiction. There is never satisfaction in reading, instead a bottomless beast that takes in letter after letter, word after word, page and chapter and leather covers. There is never enough. One book finished leads only to the search and consuming of another. Never enough stories or time to read them. A hunger that is never stated, but grows hungrier somehow.
Maybe she missed the books. They were easy to miss. Every one of them a trip somewhere new, a different life, a different opportunity, a different set of eyes to see the world through. That was what books were, a ticket to anywhere and anyone.
Don’t hesitate to dive into this book. The plot is intriguing and as with most of Nolan’s novels, you will find ghosts and magic that we often miss in our real world. You will become immersed in this tale of two strong women fighting for what they want. Like the flower, Forget Me Not Blue is a tale you will not forget.
March 18, 2019
Amazing wonderful book!
Omg! I haven’t enjoyed a book as much as I did this book, in a very long time! Excellent excellent read! Great story line kept me burning the midnight oil! Really great characters that you would swear were people in real life. Superb author, can’t wait to read more of her books. Being a Michigander myself I enjoyed the stories location. Can’t wait to seek out the old grounds of the asylum when I enjoy The Traverce City Cherry Festival!
Omg! I haven’t enjoyed a book as much as I did this book, in a very long time! Excellent excellent read! Great story line kept me burning the midnight oil! Really great characters that you would swear were people in real life. Superb author, can’t wait to read more of her books. Being a Michigander myself I enjoyed the stories location. Can’t wait to seek out the old grounds of the asylum when I enjoy The Traverce City Cherry Festival!
September 6, 2020
Great book, great story.. loved it.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews