Customer Reviews

The Memory Thief: A Novel

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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Sometimes as an (as of yet unpublished), writer I wonder if all the stories worth telling, have already been told.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.

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.

"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

Synopsis:
Hannah and Angel have lived totally different lives - Hannah was raised in a strict, religious family, and Angel was raised by poor alcoholics. Yet, both women have experienced the pain of a dysfunctional family, and each struggles to find her own identity. Their paths, by rights, should not have intersected, but the world is a small place. When their lives collide, both Hannah and Angel will learn who she is, and how to heal the wounds life inflicts.

Analysis:
This story is a beautiful, painful tale of misguided love, strength, dependence, and courage. It is as much a cautionary tale as it is a weaving of the past and present on lives. Through Hannah, Angel, and even Mrs. Reynolds' stories, the reader is simultaneously warned against secret-keeping and lies, and encouraged to keep fighting, to keep hoping. Without hope, without the will to fight, if we subscribe to the lies we are told and allow the infection to spread and fester, our souls will hide away in self-protection. But, with love, with the truth in the open, the infection heals and the soul can emerge, fragile but ready to soar again.

This story, told from several viewpoints, allows the reader to connect dots throughout the story. Many times, the reasons behind events, feelings, actions and reactions of the characters throughout this book are explained or alluded to simply by switching viewpoints to another character. For instance, throughout the story, the reader may feel antagonistic or judgmental against Mrs. Reynolds, as we should, for she certainly has her faults. Near the end of the book, however, we learn a little about what makes Mrs. Reynolds so strict and, let's face it, a little crazy. It does not, by any means, excuse her behavior; if anything, it adds humanity to the character and perhaps evokes sympathy we might not otherwise feel toward this seemingly callous woman. Interestingly, the author keeps this information to herself until the point at which the lives of the characters have unraveled to the point of near-catastrophe, and the secrets and lies have all but destroyed them.

From the beginning, it is apparent that, although Hannah and Angel have led extremely different lives, with totally different upbringings and families, they have something important in common: neither is allowed to become who she is really meant to become. Both are placed into an ill-fitting mold of someone else's design, and beaten, literally or figuratively, into submission into these molds. Before long, each is convinced that The Mold is The Truth. The discomfort she feels as a result of her subconscious knowledge that something in her life is not as it should be, is pushed to the back of her mind. It resurfaces, as these things always do, with destructive consequences.

Hannah is the linchpin to the story - her journey is the framework; the beginning and end for each character hangs on Hannah's story like vines on lattice. The reader is introduced to a shy, sheltered girl who is teased for being different. Immediately, we identify with her, and feel the fire of righteous indignation as we follow her through decades of a ruined life. We exult in her discovery of a talent, and pray that it will be her saving grace. We cautiously hope that finding true love will be the key to unlocking the cage that holds her true self captive, and as the truth of Hannah's journey comes to light, we sit on the edge of our chairs, waiting for Hannah to see the light herself. For me, Hannah feels like a contemporary; she might be a friend or an acquaintance. I can see myself identifying with her on some level.

Angel is the catalyst of the story. She is the spark that sets change into motion, and when her path finally crosses Hannah's, the effect is explosive. Throughout Angel's tale, we pity the girl's upbringing, cringe at her family's obvious neglect, and worry for her mental and physical safety and well-being. We want to simultaneously shake her, and take her under our wing. We want to smack her parents and call the authorities, and we hope that someone in Angel's life will realize that all is not well at home. When her path takes an unexpected turn, we begin to see how things might work out for Angel, if she would only get out of her own way. In the end, Angel brings out the mother in me - I want to protect her, heal her, show her the way to a better life.
The Memory Thief: A Novel
Keener has created a beautiful tapestry of lives in this story. Her use of language and accents, her descriptions of people and locations, bring the story to life and add richness to the characters. This book is a great book club book, or vacation read. Be ready with the tissues.