Did I Ever Tell You?
A Memoir
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4.6 • 10 Ratings
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
The most “profound” (Booklist, starred review) memoir you will ever read about the power of love.
Did I Ever Tell You? reads like a novel but is an unforgettable true story.
Genevieve (Gwen) Kingston was just eleven years old when her mother passed away, leaving behind a chest filled with gifts and letters to celebrate the milestones of Gwen’s life and each of her birthdays until age thirty.
When Did I Ever Tell You? opens, just three packages remain: engagement, marriage, and first baby. Tracing Gwen’s coming-of-age, the book reveals a treasure hunt, with each gift and letter unveiling more about her mother, her family, and—ultimately—herself.
This transformative memoir is a moving coming-of age story and an “extraordinary testament to the power of love over death” (Sarah Ruhl, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of Smile). Like Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner and The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, Did I Ever Tell You? is a life-changing story that “has a scope and power that will take your breath away” (Ann Napolitano, New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful and Dear Edward).
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In this poignant memoir, author and actor Genevieve Kingston shares how her mother continued to shape her life with love—even after her death. Kingston was just a toddler when her mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She would miraculously survive until Kingston was 11, but knowing that she’d lose her battle with the disease eventually, Kingston’s mom left behind a legacy of love in the form of messages and keepsakes that would be given to her children at key moments throughout their lives. Kingston’s writing is so rapturously poetic, we were mesmerized by her words from the beginning as she recounts her earliest memories. As the years go by and her journey through loss begins, it’s incredibly moving to learn how the journals, videos, and small gifts left behind by Kingston’s beloved mom helped her grapple with her grief and depression. This read is a brilliant portrait of how some bonds can overcome any obstacle, including death.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Actor and playwright Kingston delivers a knockout debut about coming to terms with her mother's death. When Kingston was seven years old, her mother, Kristina, revealed that her once-manageable cancer had become terminal. Four years later, Kristina died, leaving behind a chest of letters and gifts for Kingston to open on birthdays and other milestones, including her first period and her high school graduation. Those missives taught the teenager things about Kristina she'd never known, including her professional achievements and family history, and kept Kingston feeling that "my mother anticipated what I needed before I knew it myself." When, shortly after Kingston left for college, tragedy struck her family again, she clung to her mother's letters harder than ever, relying on them and her surviving relatives to make it to graduation. Kingston shares many memorable moments, including how she tried to forestall her parents from sharing news of her mother's diagnosis by cracking jokes, without allowing the proceedings to become maudlin. This gorgeous, openhearted meditation on grief and family deserves a wide readership.
