I Almost Forgot About You (McMillan)

I Almost Forgot About You 
Terry McMillan, 2016
Crown/Archetype
368 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781101902578


Summary
The inspiring story of a woman who shakes things up in her life to find greater meaning.

In I Almost Forgot About You, Dr. Georgia Young's wonderful life—great friends, family, and successful career—aren't enough to keep her from feeling stuck and restless.

When she decides to make some major changes in her life, including quitting her job as an optometrist and moving house, she finds herself on a wild journey that may or may not include a second chance at love. Georgia’s bravery reminds us that it’s never too late to become the person you want to be, and that taking chances, with your life and your heart, are always worthwhile.
 
Big-hearted, genuine, and very universal, I Almost Forgot About You shows what can happen when you face your fears, take a chance, and open yourself up to life, love, and the possibility of a new direction. It’s everything you’ve always loved about Terry McMillan. (From the publisher.)

Author Bio
• Birth—October 18, 1951
• Where—Port Huron, Michigan, USA
• Education—B.A., University of California, Berkeley
• Awards— Essence Award for Excellence in Literature
• Currently—lives in northern California


Terry McMillan is an American author. Her interest in books comes from working at a library when she was sixteen. She received her BA in journalism in 1986 at University of California, Berkeley. Her work is characterized by relatable female protagonists.

Her first book, Mama, was published in 1987. She achieved national attention in 1992 with her third novel, Waiting to Exhale, which remained on the New York Times bestseller list for many months. In 1995, Forest Whitaker turned it into a film starring Whitney Houston.

Another of McMillan's novels, her 1998 novel How Stella Got Her Groove Back, was also made into a movie. Disappearing Acts (2012) was subsequently produced as a direct-to-cable feature, starring Wesley Snipes and Sanaa Lathan.

McMillan also published the best seller A Day Late and a Dollar Short in 2002 and The Interruption of Everything in 2005. Getting to Happy, the long-awaited sequel to Waiting to Exhale, was published in 2010. In 2013, she published Who Asked You?, an intimate look at the burdens and blessings of family, and in 2016, I Almost Forgot About You, a look at mid-life crises.

Personal
McMillan married Jamaican Jonathan Plummer in 1998; she was in her late 40s and he in his early 20s. He was the inspiration for the love interest of the main character in her novel How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Her life did not follow the movie when, in December 2004, Plummer told McMillan that he was gay; in March 2005, she filed for divorce. The divorce was settled for an undisclosed amount. In March 2007, McMillan sued Plummer and his lawyer for $40 million, citing an intentional strategy to embarrass and humiliate her during the divorce proceedings; McMillan eventually won a judgment of intentional infliction of emotional distress, but had withdrawn the suit before the case went to trial; Plummer was never ordered to pay the intended amount. On September 27, 2010, the two sat together with talk show host Oprah Winfrey to discuss their post-divorce relationship and partial reconciliation; both acknowledged that he fulfilled the role of boyfriend and husband before his coming-out, although McMillan stated that "he's not my BFF." McMillan has a son Solomon and lives outside San Francisco, California. (Adapted from Wikiipedia. Retrieved 6/12/2016)

Visit the author's website.

Book Reviews
After almost three decades of success and celebrity, McMillan still knows how to please…. Self-discovery, second chances and the importance of family are thematic hallmarks of McMillan’s novels, as is the rich and colorful dialogue that make her books so much fun to read. I Almost Forgot About You checks all the boxes.... By novel’s end, you’ll realize what a clever title McMillan has chosen. Georgia’s choices will have readers of a certain age looking at their own lives and agreeing with her that sometimes you know in your heart it’s time for a change.
Washington Post


McMillan is funny and frank about men, women and sex. Her summaries of Georgia’s marriages and major love connections—"this is what he gave me"—are powerful and poetic.
USA Today


McMillan paints relationships in joyous primary colors; her novel brims with sexy repartee, caustic humor, and a fluent, assured prose that shines a bright light on her memorable characters. Her very best since Waiting to Exhale.
O Magazine


Reading a Terry McMillan book feels like catching up with an old friend... Displaying a range of emotions, I Almost Forgot About You is a book that is important for readers of every age. Before reading this novel, the "you" in the title may be up for discussion, but in the end, it’s clear McMillan wants readers to look within to find the answers they needed all along.
Ebony


[A] rambunctious showcase of the bestselling author’s keen ear for language, clear eye for the give-and-take of sex, love, and commitment, and heartfelt faith in happy endings.... There’s no better guide than McMillan for this excursion through early-, middle-, and old-age crises.
Publishers Weekly


(Starred review.) McMillan has written an engaging novel with an appealing cast of women.... This near-perfect choice for women’s book club discussions will prompt arguments of what makes a guy too good to be true.
Library Journal


In her signature mode, McMillan has a casual, conversational style that makes her determined female lead warmly engaging and relatable. With humor and a feel-good tone, McMillan reminds readers that it is never too late for love or new possibilities.
Booklist


The reader finds herself torn between gritting her teeth at how right McMillan gets the relationships between best friends, ex-spouses, ex-lovers, parents and children and putting the book down to laugh out loud. Run, don't walk and pick up this exuberant summer read.
BookPage


Here is McMillan's trademark style in full, feisty effect: strong, complicated female characters, energetic prose, and an entertaining, seductive narrative. A heartwarming story that reminds us of the pure joy of believing in love.
Kirkus Reviews

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