Memories and the Past Quotes in I Know This Much is True

This is perhaps the most succinct way of saying that you should study the past to avoid making the same mistakes. Dr. Patel encourages Dominick to read his grandfather's memoirs and learn from those past mistakes in order to become a better person in the present.

Some old people have the reverse problem: They're still physically able, but their memory fails them. Domenico is lucky his memory stayed strong, because he procrastinated so much writing his memoirs.

There are quite a few revelations of the past in this book, and Prosperine's story is a revelation within a revelation, and her past, too, can explain a lot of Dominick's family history to him. It's a good thing Domenico includes her story.