The Forgetters
Stories
Greg Sarris’s short story collection The Forgetters is a triumphant testament to the power of storytelling.
Answer Woman and Question Woman sit perched on a fence rail atop Sonoma Mountain. Answer Woman remembers all the stories but cannot think of them unless prompted to by Question Woman, who cannot remember a single story herself. Together, they share the stories of the Forgetters, the people who left the mountain long ago and have since lost the stories that contain the wisdom they need to live in harmony with one another and the earth.
Suitable for people of all ages, these folktales contain timeless lessons delivered in all their complexity and startling beauty by a colorful cast of characters. In one story, a young boy opens a hole in the sky. In another, a perceptive migrant worker encounters a trio of shapeshifting storytellers eager to share their wisdom and gifts. Transformation is a recurring theme: characters learn from animals how to take on new perspectives, expanding their limited worldviews.
An elegant story cycle, The Forgetters includes tales both contemporary and timeless that serve as a reminder that all pasts, presents, and futures are intimately interconnected.
Reviewed by
Bella Moses
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