GENEVIEVE KINGSTON & KERRY BENEFIELD

SANTA ROSA --

Copperfield’s Books proudly welcomes Santa Rosa native Genevieve Kingston to Montgomery Village in celebration of her extraordinary memoir - Did I Ever Tell You?

Genevievewill be joined in conversation byKerry Benefield,columnist and senior reporter for The Press Democrat.

Join us for a reading and warm discussion followed by an audience Q&A and book signing.

This event is free and open to the public, Eventbrite registration recommended for seating.

A true story of a mother’s love, kept alive through gifts, letters, and time.

“An unforgettable memoir about the power of love.” —Good Morning America

When Genevieve (Gwen) Kingston lost her mother at age eleven, she was left with more than memories. Her mother had prepared a chest filled with handwritten letters and carefully chosen gifts—for the birthdays and major life milestones they wouldn’t get to share.

As Did I Ever Tell You? begins, only three packages remain: for Gwen’s engagement, marriage, and first baby. Their unopened presence sparks a quiet, powerful reflection—not just on the gifts, but on the woman who gave them. What follows is more than a coming-of-age story. It’s a deeply personal journey through grief, memory, and lasting connection. Each gift opens a new window into Gwen’s life—and into the legacy her mother left behind.

Beautifully written and thoughtfully told, Did I Ever Tell You? speaks to anyone who has faced loss, navigated change, or found strength in the memory of someone they love. In the spirit of Crying in H Mart and The Last Lecture, this “unforgettable” (Good Morning America) memoir reminds us how we carry those we’ve loved with us—always.

Author:

Genevieve Kingston is an author and playwright based in Brooklyn, New York. She holds an MFA in Acting from Brown University and BAs in Theater and Linguistics from UC Berkeley. Her viral essay “She Put Her Unspent Love in a Cardboard Box” appeared in the New York Times Modern Love column in 2021, and her 2024 memoir, Did I Ever Tell You?, was a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice and has been translated into 16 languages, worldwide. For more information, please visit her website at https://www.genevievekingston.com.

Kerry Benefield is a columnist and senior reporter with The Press Democrat. Since joining her hometown newspaper in 2003, she has covered politics, breaking news, education and sports. In 2021, she began writing a human interest column on Sonoma County people, places and institutions that make our communities tick, while also reporting longer stories about education, medical aid in dying and the fentanyl crisis. She was a member of The Press Democrat team that covered the 2017 wildfires and won a Pulitzer Prize.

Reviews:

"This debut memoir tells a daughter’s story of grief and a mother’s devotion... Two decades after her mother’s passing, Kingston is left with three remaining boxes—engagement, marriage, and first baby—and a lifetime of memories to unpack." —Oprah Daily, 'Most Anticipated Books of 2024'

“Gwen Kingston’s dying mother left her gifts that would carry her through age 30. In so doing, Gwen could mete out doses of her late mother throughout her young adulthood, clinging to her mother’s memory and voice, and feeling her love, all of which she chronicles in this wonderful memoir." —Katie Couric Media, '26 Books for Every Mom on Your List'

"In her debut memoir, UC Berkeley alum Genevieve Kingston expands on her Modern Love essay about a series of gifts that her late mother left behind in anticipation of birthdays and milestones that she'd never witness." --San Francisco Chronicle

" Did I Ever Tell You? is compelling and heartbreaking, and reminded me how beautiful humans can be when life breaks them open. Gwen's mother, during her own most difficult time, executes an act of miraculous love for her children that has a scope and power that will take your breath away. Don't miss this gorgeous memoir." --Ann Napolitano, New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful and Dear Edward