Before I Go to Sleep

Before I Go to Sleep
By S.J. Watson
Harper, 2011. 360 pgs. Fiction.

Each morning Christine Lucas wakes up not knowing who or where she is. Her short term memories are erased each night when she sleeps. Her husband, Ben, must explain to her not only who he is but how she got to be middle aged. This amnesia is the result of a mysterious accident that occurred nearly 20 years before.

Christine begins to see a doctor without her husband’s knowledge. Ben has given up all hope of her ever recovering. At the encouragement of Dr. Nash she starts a journal to write down the memories she does have so when she forgets them again, she will be able to read about them. Dr. Nash must call Christine every morning to tell her about the journal and where it is hidden. When Christine opens the journal she is terrified to discover she has written “Don't trust Ben” on the first page of the notebook. Ben has been lying to her about some things. He claims they have never had children, but Christine has written down a memory of her little baby boy. A boy that Ben says has grown up and died in Afghanistan. Is Ben just trying to spare her feelings? Can Christine’s own memories even be trusted?

How can anyone function when they can't even trust themselves? In this debut psychological thriller, Watson has presented a well-written and fascinating look into how we use memory to identity ourselves and understand our lives. This book has plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end.

AJ