Forget Me Not

In this prequel to 2016’s Blackbird Summer, set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, romance blooms between two members of the magically gifted community that’s spread around the United States. Eighteen-year-old Evelyn Cadeau is a free spirit with the gift of vigor, essential to the success of her family’s Mississippi farm and her father’s health. Rex Somersby, a clean-cut, polite young man from Missouri, has the gift of perfect memory. When Evelyn and Rex are matched by their families, they never expect to find a quiet chemistry or a genuine connection. By the time Rex is drafted into the army and sent off to Vietnam, they can’t imagine life apart. However, when Rex comes home, he is deeply damaged by memories he can’t escape, and the two must rebuild their relationship by overcoming these traumas. Slow-burning and leisurely, this romance captures the charm of small towns and the tension of the late 1960s, allowing its leads to come together at their own pace. Shotwell depicts Rex’s PTSD with subtlety and compassion, resulting in a tender story about the healing power of love. (Sept.)