When Claire begins to write her Memory
Book she already knows that
this scrapbook of mementos will soon be all her daughters and husband have left
of her. But how can she hold on to the past when her future is slipping through
her fingers?
Initially, this book begins with a
familiar premise. Claire has a successful career as a teacher, she is married
to the man of her dreams and has two beautiful daughters. Whilst this sounds
like the outline for any number of chick lit novels this book is far from what
it initially seems.
Claire has been diagnosed with early onset
Alzheimer ’s disease and as we witness her mental demise alongside the effect
that his devastating disease has on her family I found I became completely immersed
in the characters and how they were dealing with the multitude of issues caused by the disease.
Indeed, it is the multiple narratives that
run through this book that allows us to empathise with each of the characters.
The majority of the narration is provided by Claire herself but alongside this there
are chapters written from the point of view of her daughter, mother and
husband. For me, this was what made this book stand out from the rest as we are
able to witness the gradual demise of Claire's understanding of any given
situation and compare it with the actual events as told in the chapters
narrated by her family.
I learned much about this disease by
reading this book. I am thankful that I have not had any family or friends who
have suffered from this disease so I found this book informative.
I do not want to give the impression that
this is a depressing book because it really isn't. Clearly, it is a difficult
theme that the book deals with but there are times when we can see the humour
in the situation particularly when we see the effect her illness has on her
relationship with her young daughter, Esther.
Ms Coleman treats her novel with great sensitivity. She is an
intelligent author who can couple sadness and light heartedness together
seamlessly and, therefore, enable the reader to understand the heartbreak and
hope that the novel conveys.
I highly recommend this compelling novel and I am looking forward
to reading more of Rowan Coleman’s work.
ISBN: 978 0091953119
Publisher: Ebury Press
Price (based on Amazon.co.uk) £3.85
ISBN: 978 0091953119
Publisher: Ebury Press
Price (based on Amazon.co.uk) £3.85
About the Author:
Rowan Coleman lives with her husband and five children in Hertfordshire. She juggles writing novels with raising her family
which includes a very lively set of toddler twins whose main hobby is going in opposite directions. When she gets the chance, Rowan enjoys sleeping,
sitting and loves watching films; she is also attempting to learn how to bake.
Despite being dyslexic, Rowan loves writing, and The Memory Book is her eleventh novel. Others include The Accidental Mother, Lessons in Laughing Out Loud and the award-winning Dearest Rose, a novel which led Rowan to become an active supporter of domestic abuse charity Refuge, donating 100% of royalties from the ebook publication of her novella, Woman Walks Into a Bar, to the charity.
Despite being dyslexic, Rowan loves writing, and The Memory Book is her eleventh novel. Others include The Accidental Mother, Lessons in Laughing Out Loud and the award-winning Dearest Rose, a novel which led Rowan to become an active supporter of domestic abuse charity Refuge, donating 100% of royalties from the ebook publication of her novella, Woman Walks Into a Bar, to the charity.
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