Don't Forget to Write by Sara Goodman Confino
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Don’t Forget to Write by Sara Goodman Confino is a funny and heartwarming historical fiction story set in the summer of 1960.

Available on Kindle Unlimited with Audible narration included.

My Overview

Twenty-year-old Marilyn Kleinman comes from a conservative Jewish family. She’s spunky, sassy, and full of aspirations for a future as a writer. She’s basically the opposite of what her parents wish she would be. When Marilyn and the rabbi’s son were caught kissing during service at the synagogue, their humiliated parents decide the best way forward is marriage. Marilyn immediately refuses to marry him, so she’s sent off to spend the summer with Ada, her great-aunt in Philadelphia. Ada is a septuagenarian matchmaker, who herself never married, and is known for being strict.

As soon as Marilyn arrives in Philadelphia, she realizes Ada is nothing like what she’d expected. Ada is sassy, vivacious, and lives by her own rules. She also spends summers at the Jersey Shore. So, this turns out to be the summer Marilyn needed in her life … though not what her father had in mind when he sent her to live with Ada. In essence, this is a coming-of-age story in which Marilyn learns to follow her dreams, believe in herself, and value what matters most.

I enjoyed the characters, the setting, and the positive messages throughout. The underlying themes are tolerance, acceptance, and self-actualization. It was interesting to view these as presented through the lens of life in the 1960s. Overall, this is a funny and heartwarming story from beginning to end.

My Recommendation

I read the Kindle edition and listened to the audiobook at times, and recommend either. This is my second book by this author, and I’m looking forward to reading more from her. The witty writing style and character development are what I’ve enjoyed in her stories. Earlier this year I read For the Love of Friends, and enjoyed it as much as this one.

This book reminded me of Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau. If you enjoyed that story, I think you’ll like this one.

Have you read any books by this author?