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5.0 out of 5 stars
Rachel Keener does it again!, March 30, 2010
This review is from: The Memory Thief: A Novel (Paperback)
Back cover description: When Angel sets fire to her childhood home, it isn't the end-it's the beginning. Left with nothing but a few memories in her pocket, Angel escapes into the fields of tobacco, the only place she has ever felt safe. Hidden by those green-gold leaves, she sets her eyes on the mountains and believes someone waits for her there. Angel will do whatever she has to until she finds her. She longs to empty her pockets, hand over the answers to what became of her, and whisper, This is my story. As Angel journeys toward the mountains, Hannah is struggling to tell her own story. The daughter of missionaries who follow the rules of a small and strict religious sect, modesty is prized above all else. Wearing floor length polyester skirts, and never cutting her hair, Hannah is forced to live a separate life from her peers. Until the summer her family moves to James Island, South Carolina. Slowly, Hannah begins to escape the confines of her strict upbringing, and soon makes a choice that will forever change the course of her life. As these two women's paths connect, Hannah's past will prove to mean everything to Angel's future. -------------- My thoughts: Sometimes as an (as of yet unpublished), writer I wonder if all the stories worth telling, have already been told. After reading The Memory Thief, I'm reminded that there are countless unique books waiting to be written, if one just has the imagination to conjure it and the skill to give it the words it deserves. Rachel Keener writes from the heart in a convincing voice whether writing from the perspective of a girl living in heartbreaking poverty, or from the mind of someone going slowly insane. The voices of her characters are authentic, and the world she builds for them to live in feels as real as a memory. Her writing itself is uniquely her own and overflowing with fresh imagery and original analogies you'll want to remember long after putting the book down. I knew from Keener's first book, (The Killing Tree), that she would be a new author to watch, and her second book, The Memory Thief, only reaffirms that.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely wonderful read!, September 18, 2010
This review is from: The Memory Thief: A Novel (Paperback)
What a wonderful surprise it is to select a book, serendipitously, and have it turn out to be a gem. Browsing the new fiction rack at the library recently, the title of this book jumped out at me and said "Pick me! Pick me!" So I did. This is a new to me author. I've never heard of her, never read her debut novel, and never read any reviews of the book before taking it home. I was immediately pulled into the story. Angel and Hannah are such wonderful characters. The book is very well written and the story is sad and haunting. I knew the direction in which the story was heading, but it did not detract one bit from the journey. I did not want to stop reading, nor did I want the book to end. I love Southern fiction, so it was another plus for me that the book is set in the South. I've put Ms. Keener's debut novel on my Wish list and can't wait to see what this very talented writer does next. Can't recommend it highly enough.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Sad, but well-written, April 28, 2010
This review is from: The Memory Thief: A Novel (Paperback)
"The Memory Thief" is a general fiction novel about two (well, actually, three or more) women who have to deal with the results of abusive childhoods. Hannah and her sister grew up with a mother who controlled every aspect of her daughters' lives in the name of her love for Hannah. Angel and her sister grew up with indifferent parents who were usually drunk, physically abusive, had affairs, and encouraged them to steal. The novel was full of pain and disappointment. It did this in a very well-written way, but just don't expect something light or happy. It did have a satisfying ending. The characters were complex and realistic, and they dealt with realistic problems. The world-building was excellent, bringing the story alive in my imagination. The pacing was very good and so was how the author slowly revealed how the two stories (told in alternating chapters) came together at the end. Symbolism was subtly woven into the story. There were some vague references to the "Christian sect" that Hannah's family belonged to and to their attending several churches (where the focus was on how different these people acted than those at her own church). It wasn't "preachy." Sex was vaguely implied. There was some "he cussed" style bad language and a very minor amount of actual cuss words. Overall, I'd recommend this novel as well-written, fairly clean reading. I won this book in a Twitter giveaway by the publisher. Reviewed by Debbie from Genre Reviews
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