Review: Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness by Alexandra Fuller
Title: Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness
Author: Fuller, Alexandra
Length: 256 pages
Genre: Non-Fiction, Biography
Publisher / Year: Penguin Press / 2011
Source: SantaThing through LibraryThing 
Rating: 4/5
Why I Read It: It was a gift! Plus it sounded really interesting.
Date Read: 06/08/12
I enjoyed but didn’t love Fuller’s first memoir, Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight because I was a little put off (as I always am) at her descriptions of others. Some of them seemed a bit harsh and I wondered how her family, in particular, would take it. In this book, we see that her mother especially did not actually take it very well. In this book Fuller rectifies things by writing a memoir of her mother, and explaining much of why her mother may come across the way that she does.
Nicola Fuller is an amazing woman and in this book we see why this is so. The chapters in the book alternate between present day and her past, slowly going through much of what made her who she is. This included growing up in Kenya, her time in England, business failures, the death of children, and more. Written in a very conversational style, we get to see the interaction between the members of the family (including the jabs Nicole now makes about the ‘horrid book’ Alexandra Fuller might write).
While Fuller’s first book seems, in my memory, to be more of an adventure tale, this one is more like sifting through memories. Some of the memories are sad (many actually), others are happy or adventurous, but together we see how a family came together and how one woman learned to live through everything that happened in her life and continue to thrive despite all odds. Another interesting aspect was the ways in which the family disagreed over certain events and the ways that memory worked for all of them – it was neat to see this played out in a memoir and discussed.
I definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys memoirs, family stories, reading about extraordinary women, or who like reading about other places, cultures, and lives.
Sounds like the book for me – I love memoirs!
I hope you enjoy it Kathy!
I love a good memoir, I’ll have to look for hers. Whenever I read a memoir I wonder about the people that are discussed. How will they take it? Will they ever talk to the author again? I would think it would be hard to write a memoir while certain people in your life are still alive!
The Relentless Reader
Yes, that is what I am often thinking about too – and it often turns me off of some books Therelentlessreader.
I enjoy memoirs too. This one does sound like an interesting one. I have not read her before.
I recommend this one first before her other Sheila!
I liked Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs, but was put off by the second one I read, Scribbling the Cat. I didn’t find her very likable in that one and figured I’d skip this one.
Oh I didn’t read it softdrink. I liked this one much more than Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs sooo… not sure what to say
This has been on my radar since last year . I guess I’d better move it up the list!
I hope you enjoy it Debbie.
I have both of her memoirs on my reading list. They’re sitting on the pile of “Books I Want to Read Right Away!” pile, but I don’t seem to get to them. Clearly, I should.
That pile just never seems to decrease does it Kim?
I always wonder what family members think of such one-sided stories. I guess we get one idea of their reactions with this one!
I can appreciate memoirs even if I’m not a huge fan of the genre in general. I’m not certain I would want to read this one but appreciate your comments about it.
Yes, it was nice seeing the reaction to her first book in this one Michelle!
It seems to be a pattern for so many authors, both fiction as well as non fiction that they alienate and are deemed to invade the privacy those around them with their writing. i even know a family that this happened to in a way that was thankfully relatively mild. Even if true, exposing folks dirty and even clean laundry can be so problematic!
It is interesting that Fuller actually wrote a book intended to put some of it right!
Yes, it just seems… disrespectful sometimes Brian! Nice here that she tried to put it right yes!
Though I read avidly, I hardly read any memoir. This sounds really interesting and might be agood place to start shoudl I lay hands on it. Thanks for sharing
I recommend it readinpleasure!