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"Book worm" 2009-11-22By
Marlene Frye (Minneapolis, MN)
Remember The Time is an amazing story to a real situation. It is about a woman having found her soul mate and the soul mate being a man that was famous beyond measure. Fate kept stepping in for them and allowing moments to arise for them to keep their relationship going. I do not see this novel as being written by a Michael Jackson fan, but as of a woman who has lost and is making proper use of her grieving time by writing letters to her love. I can't imagine how difficult it may have been to sit down and complete this wonderful novel. At the end it made me want to cry because it was TRUELY the end of a story, a decade, an era, a life. Sometimes we read novels and once we reach the end we have a sequel to look forward to and in this case I became emotional because when I read the last letter it was truly The End. Theresa has fine a fine job with getting me to feel the weighted emotion in this book. Remember The Time is greatly written with humor, love, truth, inspiration and courage!
"Very Emotional Read" 2009-11-21By
C. M. Daley (Boston, MA)
Ever since I read J. Randy Tarraborrelli's almost 900 page biography about Michael Jackson (The Magic and the Madness), I've been fascinated with his brief mention of Theresa Gonsalves, a Michael fan beginning at age 12 - just a regular kid from a working class family in Boston who decided she was going to write to Michael every day for years -- and DID. Theresa also decided that somehow, some way, she was going to meet Michael and talk to him in person by her 16th birthday in 1974 -- and she did that too! She and Michael eventually developed an easy, touching friendship that lasted for the better part of the next 30 years!! "Remember the Time" gives a sweet, emotional, humorous, astonishing, and sometimes sad view into that friendship. Most importantly, it gives a view of Michael Jackson that few people have ever gotten to see. In reality, Michael was so much more than just a singing/dancing superstar. He was just a human being - a son, a brother, a friend, a father - a boy with a great sense of silliness and a man who yearned (as we all do) to be loved - in all the ways that humans can be loved.
The book is large size - 8.5 x 11 -- and large print. It is just 80 pages (I read it in about 45 minutes) and is made up of a series of letters that Theresa writes to Michael in the afterlife. The content of the letters recalls her memories of him, how they met, the way their friendship developed, the years they lost touch and eventually reconnected from time to time, etc. I enjoyed it for its utter simplicity and the view of Michael from a "regular" person's perspective. I also remain fascinated with the young Theresa's unyielding determination to make her dream of meeting Michael come true. Most of us can relate to being obsessed with an actor or a singer when we were young teens -- having their posters on our wall, listening to their songs, watching their movies, and daydreaming about them. But Theresa takes it a step further. Theresa used her "love" for Michael the child superstar to help distract her from the difficulties of everyday life and to keep her focused on what she believed was a worthwhile goal. It worked. Her talent for writing interesting letters and writing consistently (every day for years even though she never got much more than the standard fan club form letter response) eventually caught Michael's attention and made him want to meet her almost as much as she wanted to meet him. She said she always had a feeling Michael was reading her letters and that that's what gave her the motivation to keep writing. And lo and behold Michael was reading -- and so was La Toya and Katherine and many other members of the Jackson family! And when Michael and Theresa did finally meet, Theresa had the chance to appreciate Michael the human being as opposed to Michael the image.
This little book is no grand psychological analysis of either Michael or Theresa. It's language is simplistic and real - almost like a casual speaking voice. It's not a story about some secret, torrid 30 year affair. It's not an MJ groupie seeking attention by claiming to have given birth to his children (although T does claim that a piece of of her own personal life inspired Michael to write Billie Jean). It's nothing like that at all. It's just a brief, touching story about real people and the unlikely bond they forged given their disparate life circumstances. It's about having a dream and doing whatever it takes to make it come true, no matter how much others may doubt you, no matter how many times you get discouraged. It's about love and loyalty and laughter and true friendship. It's about the strange, unexpected roads that life sometimes takes us down, and how fate sometimes brings you full circle. It's about feeling connected to someone for a lifetime, even though you may not see them physically. It's about the positive impact that one human being can have on another.
If you're an MJ fan, or even if you're just a fan of unlikely dreams coming true, I recommend that you pick this one up. It's a quick read, and Gonsalves tells the story with humor and heart and honesty and good taste. She feels comfortable too, revealing a couple of things about her relationship with Michael that she kept personal for decades. And she doesn't do it as a way to seek attention or exploit her friend -- she just tells the truth as she lived it -- and she comes across as believable. Theresa was never some screaming maniacal fan. She always treated Michael like an ordinary person, which is a big part of the reason he seems to have been so fond of her.
One of the best things about this little gem is that you come away from it feeling like Michael would have approved of its contents. And according to Theresa, he'd probably have told her, "make sure they're going to pay you." Whatever she gets paid, she'll also give a good portion of the proceeds from this book to charity - as she knows her friend would have wanted. Bottom line? Theresa's letters to Michael in the afterlife will likely make him smile as much as her real life letters to him did when they were both kids. And they'll put a smile on your face too. :)
"Michael-mania continues..." 2009-11-18By
Shannon Stewart (Metro Atlanta)
I was a little skeptical about this book. I was like, all of these people coming out of the woodwork now that Michael Jackson, the greatest entertainer of all time passed. I have to be honest, after reading this book, which I did in one sitting, my mind changed. I can't help but be a little jealous, but I was born in the 80s so how can I be, lol. Ms. Gonsalves shares her personal memories, pictures, and letters with us. She did not have to do that because that is so private, but she did. It seems like people only want to remember Michael for the unflattering things that happened in his short, but amazing life, but this book is so different from that. Michael was just a regular guy with a big heart. This book is amazing. I guess one could call her a groupie, but she was more than that because she wasnt writing him telling him how she wanted to screw his brains out, she was writing him like she already knew him, like they were friends before they even met. my mother always told me about the greatness that was Michael Jackson when she was alive and this book just proves to me what I already felt in my heart was true about him. Its a good read, pick it up! I hope Michael is getting the peace he never got on earth.
"Goosebumbs and tears" 2009-11-18By
Sophia (San Jose, CA)
Goosebumps every other page. Like the kind you get when you see something wonderful or like benevolence, something rare. I don't know I think its because we all love Michael Jackson, but could never get close enough for much. But this takes you there, not as Theresa Gonsalves, but with her. Its awesome. And you can read it through or just pick a page every once in a while.
This is not just some coffee table book. Its one you read when you want to feel inspired. Not only do you feel like the book has taken you to another place, but what makes the goosebumps is that it is a real place. - non-fiction.
I became a fan of Theresa's books with Man in the Woods - so cool.
This one is the one - its the deal breaker. If you don't get this book you will be so sorry. If you get this book you will be glad you did. Its so great - just wait til you hear / read what happened.
"A good read! A sweet beginning! An interesting journey!" 2009-11-16By
belletoujours (USA)
When a old friend loaned this book to me, she said that the book's author was said to be the real-life inspiration for Michael Jacksons' hit song "Billie Jean". Immediately, my heart started to skip beats, and my friend thought it wise to fill me in on a little of the story about the "lucky" girl in Michael's life. Some have even dubbed her MJ's first girlfriend.
At 12-years old, a little girl from Boston became a zealot of young Michael and apparently touched him with the magic of her "words". In November 1974, at fifteen years old, she flew alone across the country to Las Vegas to meet Michael, and to celebrate her sweet 16th birthday with his family! Michael himself had turned 16 years old only 3 months earlier in August!
This little 80-page book is a must for MJ fans. It is dedicated to "anyone who dares to dream big!" Ms. Gonsalves shares with us her story of her personal relationship with Michael through a series of letters to Michael, her "scarecrow":
"It is time I tell [the story] my way. Michael and I met because of my letter writing...this book is a series of letters to him in the "after life" that takes you on a journey through our personal memories that we shared."
"With you, I share my photos, my journals, my thoughts, our intimacies, just as I did with him."
"So, I invite you to come along with Michael and me to remember the time!"
An interesting look...I recommend this book.
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