This mini essay will be a little different from my others. Remember When begins in an interesting fashion. Actually, it has a few beginnings. In all honesty, the author might drop one, but I like the overall effect she created. The book opens thus:
1) The book description from Amazon. (This is what you see above.)
2) Title page
3) Dedication
4) Prologue
5) “Part One” page
6) Chapter One…
The prologue is reminiscent of the first section. Here’s a little bit of it:
What does the author gain by opening the book the way that she did? When I read through the first few pages, I noticed that I wasn’t getting story, but I did like that she was immersing me not only in the protagonists’ love story, but in a different time and place. (1980s/1990s New Jersey.)
There’s no “right” way to begin a novel. The author could have begun with a scene that takes place in an era-appropriate place. Maybe an arcade? That would have been fine. Instead, I think Ms. Torrest builds author/reader rapport by delaying the opening of the narrative a little. That’s the thing about every choice we make as writers: there are positives and negatives, trade-offs and compromises.
Check out the author’s web site and buy her book!
