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The Woman Who Can't Forget: The Extraordinary Story of Living with the Most Remarkable Memory Known to Science--A Memoir Audiobook
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(2.04) - 538 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Jill Price has the first diagnosed case of a memory condition called "hyperthymestic syndrome" -- the continuous, automatic, autobiographical recall of every day of her life since she was fourteen. Give her any date from that year on, and she can almost instantly tell you what day of the week it was, what she did on that day, and any major world event or cultural happening that took place, as long as she heard about it that day. Her memories are like scenes from home movies, constantly playing in her head, backward and forward, through the years; not only does she make no effort to call her memories to mind, she cannot stop them. The Woman Who Can't Forget is the beautifully written and moving story of Jill's quest to come to terms with her extraordinary memory, living with a condition that no one understood, including her, until the scientific team who studied her finally charted the extraordinary terrain of her abilities. Her fascinating journey speaks volumes about the delicate dance of remembering and forgetting in all of our lives and the many mysteries about how our memories shape us. As we learn of Jill's struggles first to realize how unusual her memory is and then to contend, as she grows up, with the unique challenges of not being able to forget -- remembering both the good times and the bad, the joyous and the devastating, in such vivid and insistent detail -- the way her memory works is contrasted to a wealth of discoveries about the workings of normal human memory and normal human forgetting. Intriguing light is shed on the vital role of what's called "motivated forgetting"; as well as theories about childhood amnesia, the loss of memory for the first two to three years of our lives; the emotional content of memories; and the way in which autobiographical memories are normally crafted into an ever-evolving and empowering life story. Would we want to remember so much more of our lives if we could? Which memories do our minds privilege over others? Do we truly relive the times we remember most vividly, feeling the emotions that coursed through us then? Why do we forget so much, and in what ways do the workings of memory tailor the reality of what's actually happened to us in our lives? In The Woman Who Can't Forget, Jill Price welcomes us into her remarkable life and takes us on a mind-opening voyage into what life would be like if we didn't forget -- a voyage after which no reader will think of the magical role of memory in our lives in the same way again.
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"There's been a lot of criticism about Jill's writing and lack of detailed scientific descriptions. But Jill isn't a professional writer or a scientist. She is simply a woman writing a memoir. With that in mind...I found her story interesting. It got me thinking about my own memory--what I remember and how much I've forgotten. I just didn't realize how much our memories effect our lives."
— Anj (4 out of 5 stars)
The Woman Who Can't Forget Listener Reviews
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" Very interesting story of a woman who literally cannot forget. I found all the info on memory and how it works fascinating. "
— Anne, 1/30/2014 -
" Not only does she have an exceptional memory, she also has some real hoarding issues. What I thought might be a revelatory tale was actually just pitiable and sad. Not recommended. "
— Brooke, 1/14/2014 -
" have you ever thought about what a memory really is? how is it formed? how memories can change and revise themselves? a good read. "
— Donna, 1/2/2014 -
" Fascinating. The kind of book you read so you can explain it to friends at weddings. Well, that's what I just did, but I guess it would work for other occasions, as well...Seriously, it will make you consider the importance of the things we remember--and the things we forget--in making us who we are. "
— Bridget, 12/9/2013 -
" Fascinating, but not interesting enough for me to finish the book. I would have liked the Reader's Digest version. "
— Teresa, 12/8/2013 -
" I was so excited to read about this and I was content with the final outcome. "
— Steve, 12/3/2013 -
" I feel like a story that had the potential to be absolutely fascinating was not well dealt with. A bit egocentric...more the musings of a woman on random events in no particular order that a cohesive text. I was disappointed. "
— bekah, 11/18/2013 -
" includes interesting observations on the role of memory in identity "
— Amy, 11/16/2013 -
" Zzzzz zzzz zzzzzzzz... an interesting phenomenon, but a snore of a book. I'd much rather read the scientific papers on Price than her own repetitive ramblings. "
— Claire, 11/14/2013 -
" What a strange thing is memory. "
— Deanna, 11/12/2013 -
" I was hoping for more science about how memory works. It was mildly interesting, but my pure stubborness is the only reason I finished the book. Jill's malady is probably very disturbing and debilitating to live with, but for the reader it sounds like a lot of self-pity. "
— Linda, 11/3/2013 -
" Very interesting subject matter. "
— Dee, 10/19/2013 -
" It's fascinating....for about 5 minutes. "
— Jody, 11/15/2012 -
" Listened to on CD. I found this book fascinating, I just thought it was a tiny bit dry, but it is totally understandable why once you read it! I wish Jill a wonderful future. "
— Jennifer, 1/10/2012 -
" The idea of the book was interesting but I couldn't finish it. I found it repetitive when it came to her telling you the kinds of things she'd remember... and then it started getting into her life story which frankly i just didn't find all that interesting. Couldn't finish it as much as I tried. "
— Jen, 8/24/2011 -
" I was intrigued to read about Jill Price after coming across an article about her in Psychology Today. At first you think it would be amazing to remember every detail about your life but through Jill's narrative you understand what a blessing it is that memories dim and fade. "
— Amy, 6/15/2011 -
" This was an interesting story. Some parts were rather redundant, but thought provoking, none the less. "
— Chris, 6/2/2011 -
" This would be good as a news feature. It's just not entertaining enough for a book. "
— Koz, 5/9/2011 -
" Started out well, but got less interesting at the 3/4 mark. Remarkable information about her memory. <br/> "
— Sue, 4/5/2011 -
" It really irked me that ever page it seemed like, had to have a few sentences denoting how she remembered everything, and how it worked. It put me to sleep - literally - after the 24th page.... "
— Jen, 3/27/2011 -
" I particularly enjoyed this as I love a true story and probably because I just watched a "house" episode on a woman with hypertheismic memory a few weeks ago. Lots of mixed reviews on this book but it was fascinating how her memory works and a very quick read (one afternoon). "
— Karima, 2/26/2011 -
" have you ever thought about what a memory really is? how is it formed? how memories can change and revise themselves? a good read. "
— Donna, 1/4/2011 -
" I was so excited to read about this and I was content with the final outcome. "
— Steve, 12/29/2010 -
" Note: did not finish this audiobook. "
— Jill, 9/17/2010 -
" Very good book. Nothing Earth shattering but it is very interesting to learn how her memory works. "
— Jonathan, 8/3/2010 -
" The idea of the book was interesting but I couldn't finish it. I found it repetitive when it came to her telling you the kinds of things she'd remember... and then it started getting into her life story which frankly i just didn't find all that interesting. Couldn't finish it as much as I tried. "
— Jen, 7/10/2010
About the Authors
Jill Price is an American woman, from Southern California, who has been diagnosed with hyperthymesia. She was the first person to receive such a diagnosis, and it was her case that inspired research into hyperthymesia.
Bart Davis is an international bestselling author of novels and nonfiction books. He has also written two feature films and a wide range of print articles. Davis lives in New York City.
About Celeste Ciulla
Celeste Ciulla is an accomplished actress and voice-over artist based in New York City. For her stage performances, she has received the 2010 Lunt–Fontanne Fellowship and the Callaway Award. She is also an Earphones Award–winning narrator.