Forget Me Not

The title of the novel, Forget Me Not, invokes the flower of the same name, which is deeply associated with Natalie Campbell, as well as suggesting the importance of remembering lost loved ones. Early on, Claire fights with remembering her sister, whose clear image she chases continually in dreams. Since Claire was only 11 when Natalie died at 18, Claire’s memories are fuzzy. However, Claire wants to make sure Natalie is not forgotten and even becomes a journalist to show that girls like Natalie are “much more than their final moments. That the days they lived deserve just as much attention as the day that they died” (39). As a journalist, Claire hopes to “make sure lost girls are never forgotten” (318). This emphasis on remembrance makes the forget-me-not flower a key symbol for Natalie within the narrative.

A small blue wildflower, the forget-me-not is a symbol of love and remembrance. They are often given as a sign of loyalty and as a vow to hold someone close even across distance or through hardship. As a child, Claire finds a “spray of small flowers […] a burst of blue petals with yellow suns in the center” (42) in Natalie’s pocket, which seem to her a clue to some secret about who Natalie was seeing the summer she disappeared.