Rememberings

Rememberings
First edition
AuthorSinéad O'Connor
LanguageEnglish
GenreMemoir, autobiography
PublisherPenguin Books
Publication date
1 June 2021
Publication placeIreland

Rememberings is a memoir by Sinéad O'Connor published on 1 June 2021 by Sandycove, an imprint of Penguin Books.[1][2]

Background

O'Connor started writing the book in January 2015.[3] In August that year, she underwent hysterectomy, which was followed by a breakdown and long recovery, leaving her "unable to remember anything much that took place before it".[4] She also attributed memory loss to excessive cannabis smoking.[5] O'Connor resumed writing after a few years' break, and the book's release was announced in December 2020.[6] The memoir is dedicated primarily to "all staff and patients at St Patrick's University Hospital, Dublin".

Critical reception

The memoir received favourable reviews. The Independent included it in their Books of the Month list, saying that Rememberings was "a riveting account of modern celebrity and a deeply candid account of her own “trainwreck” life", adding that O'Connor addresses "the grim truths of sex and power in the modern world".[7] The Christian Century opined that "Rememberings reveals her to be a gifted storyteller as well as a tenderhearted contrarian with a knack for poking a finger in the eyes of the powerful".[8] Writing for RTÉ.ie, Sinéad Crowley complimented the book's "beautifully direct style".[9] The book was also described as "uniquely sharp, insightful, (...) funny",[10] "[i]nspiring, liberating, hilarious and fascinating",[11] and as a "hard-fought, self-built monument to someone who did it her way".[12]

Commercial performance

The book debuted at number one on the Irish bestsellers list, selling 2,982 copies in the first week.[13]

References

  1. ^ "2021 in books: what to look forward to this year". The Guardian. 2 January 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  2. ^ Martin Doyle (2 January 2021). "Books to look out for in 2021". The Irish Times. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  3. ^ "Woman's Hour - Sinead O'Connor, Your returning to work manifesto". Woman's Hour. BBC Sounds. 1 June 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  4. ^ Sinéad O'Connor (2021). Rememberings. Sandycove. p. 267. ISBN 978-1-844-88541-1.
  5. ^ Amanda Hess (18 May 2021). "Sinead O'Connor Remembers Things Differently". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  6. ^ "Nothing compares: Sinead O'Connor memoir coming out in June". USA Today. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  7. ^ Martin Chilton. "Books of the Month: From Sinead O'Connor's Rememberings to Lisa Taddeo's Animal". The Independent. Archived from the original on 31 May 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  8. ^ Jessica Mesman (9 September 2021). "Sinéad O'Connor knows exactly who she is". The Christian Century. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  9. ^ Sinéad Crowley (4 June 2021). "Rememberings - Sinead O'Connor's autobiography reviewed". RTÉ.ie. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  10. ^ Chris Norris (19 July 2021). "Sinéad O'Connor: Rememberings". Spin. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  11. ^ Una Mullally (29 May 2021). "Rememberings: A self-portrait of integrity, pain and punchlines". The Irish Times. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  12. ^ Victoria Segal (30 May 2021). "Rememberings by Sinéad O'Connor, review — the Nothing Compares 2 U singer's life". The Times. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  13. ^ "Irish Bestsellers 5th June 2021". Writing.ie. 11 June 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2023.