Don't Forget to Write: A Novel

Don’t Forget to Write is a 2023 romance novel by American author Sara Goodman Confino. Confino has written several novels in the romance and literary fiction genres, the most famous of which is 2022’s She’s Up to No Good. In Don’t Forget to Write, Confino explores a summer in the life of Marilyn Kleinman, a young Jewish woman who is sent to live with her great-aunt, a matchmaker, after she causes a scandal. The book explores romance, Marilyn’s desire for independence, and the life paths open to women in 1960. Don’t Forget to Write received mostly positive reviews.

This guide refers to the 2023 Lake Union Publishing e-book edition.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide discuss racism, anti-gay bias, miscarriage, and death. They also briefly mention the Holocaust.

Plot Summary

Twenty-year-old Marilyn Kleinman attends synagogue with her parents during her summer break after her first year of college. It is 1960. Partway through the service, she and Daniel Schwartz, the rabbi’s son, sneak out and meet in the rabbi’s office. They kiss but end up falling through a stained-glass window in front of the whole congregation. The Kleinmans and the Schwartzes are extremely embarrassed. They try to pressure Daniel and Marilyn into marrying to mitigate the scandal, but Marilyn refuses.