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Rememberings

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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

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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

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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

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

References

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  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.