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Journey through the pages of this heartwarming novel, where hope, friendship and second chances are written in the margins. Perfect for book lovers everywhere and fans of Sally Page's The Keeper of Stories.
For forty-two years, Sally Harrison has been building a library.
Each year, on her daughter's birthday, she adds a new book to her shelves – with a note in the front dedicated to her own greatest work.
But Ella – Sally's only child – fled to Australia twenty-one years ago after a heated exchange, and never looked back. And though Sally still dutifully adds a new paperback to the shelves every time the clock strikes midnight on July 11th, her hopes of her daughter ever thumbing through the pages are starting to dwindle.
Then disaster strikes and Ella is forced to return to the home she once knew.
She is soon to discover that when one chapter ends, another will soon follow.
All you have to do is turn the page…
Is there a book with a special meaning that you would add to Sally and Ella's library? What would you hope they might learn from it?
I would add Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. To learn how to take a breath and contemplate the different stages of one's life - the good, the bad, and the messy parts.
-Laurie_M
Do you use your local library? If so, what services do you take advantage of that your library offers? Why do you think libraries are important?
Love this! "As an aside, there are also many public libraries now that make banned books available to people!"
-Laurie_M
Do you know someone with dementia, or someone with a relative who has the disease? What did you think of the way the author portrayed Sally’s condition?
My husband suffers from multi-infarct dementia. I think the author portrayed the onset of dementia quite well. It creeps up on you. I know I keep examining myself for signs that I, too, am losing my way.
-Dee_Hatcher
Do you prefer books set in real or fictional places? Have you ever been to Greenwich? If you have, do you think it was depicted well?
I have only traveled through books, so I love both real and imaginary places. I love a good space opera, and fantasy is also big with me. I regularly reread the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
-Dee_Hatcher
How did you feel about Sally’s community? Did the community in the book make you think about your own community and your place in it?
I loved the sense of community in Sally's life. She seemed to have wonderful friends.
-Dee_Hatcher
How do you feel about the relationship between Sally and Andrew at the end?
I found it to be bittersweet.
-Dee_Hatcher
Do you think Sally should have told Ella the truth about her father after his death, or even before? Had she known, how do you think it would have changed her relationship with her mother?
I think Sally was waiting for Ella to make the first move, that she didn't know how to begin the discussion about her husband.
-Dee_Hatcher
Why do you think readers gravitate towards books about books?
I love books about books, libraries, and librarians. I can't specify why. I have a whole collection of what-to-read books and I draw on those for lists of books to check out from the library. I just think book lovers are a community unto themselves.
-Dee_Hatcher
Ella drops everything to help out her mother and straighten out her affairs, at first very grudgingly but later enthusiastically. What do you feel caused this change in attitude? How much responsibility should children take for their aging parents?
It surprised me how long it took Ella to realize that her mother was showing signs of dementia. I guess she was blinded by her resentment of the perceived "affair." As to how much responsibility children should take for the aging parents, I just don't know. My daughter has promised to never put u...
-Dee_Hatcher
Have you ever read a novel that changed your view of the world?
My world view changes a little bit with every book I read and I read a lot of books.
-Dee_Hatcher
The question of when we learn to see our parents as individuals, rather than through the lens of being their child, is addressed in the book. Did that resonate with you?
Yes, it did resonate with me. I am in my 80s and have only lately realized that I do not really know who the people who raised me really were and why they behaved the way that they did. I was raised by my mother and her parents and always felt that my mom was as much a child as I was, at least wi...
-Dee_Hatcher
Ella frequently thinks that if she were Queen of the World she would take a specific action. What did you think of this strategy? If you were Queen or King of the World, what change would you make?
I found the "if I were queen of the world" statements one of the few evidences that Ella had a sense of humor. That being said, if I were queen of the world, I would ease worldwide fear and suffering, trying to make humanity more in balance with the nature of our planet.
-Dee_Hatcher
Do you have a favorite supporting character? If so, why do you think you were attracted to them?
I, too, liked the husband. It was great that he was so supportive to his wife and encouraged her to go and resolve the situation with her mother.
-Dee_Hatcher
Pru tells Ella, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” What do you suppose she means? Do you agree?
Yes, I do agree. When we compare ourselves or something we have done to the work of others, someone or something is going to wind up losing value in our estimation. That does kind of dim the glow of achievement.
-Dee_Hatcher
Overall, what did you think of The Memory Library? (no spoilers, please!)
This book was not one of my favorites. I found it to be predictable and a bit trite. I knew going in that the mother-daughter relationship would in some way be resolved, but was not satisfied with the way in which it happened. I did like the idea of building a personal library for a loved one, as...
-Dee_Hatcher
What was your first impression of Ella, and did that change by the end of the book?
I did not like Ella at first. I felt she was very judgmental regarding her mother and couldn't help wondering what her mother had done to cause such animosity. I felt she had grown as a person by the end of the book, but really felt that she took too long to reach any understanding of her mother'...
-Dee_Hatcher
About the The Memory Library by Kate Storey Discussion category
4 posts were merged into an existing topic: /t/overall-what-did-you-think-of-the-memory-library-no-spoilers-please/653/7 Overall, what did you think of The Memory Library? (no spoilers, please!)
-nick
Did you notice a flaw or discrepancy that made you think another shoe was going to drop?
Haha, still have no clue.
-kim.kovacs
If you were to start your own memory library, which would be the first book you choose, and why? Have you considered starting a memory library for someone else since reading the book?
Yes, I like the idea of a Memory Library. I built such a library for my niece, Kate with books I enjoyed I hoped she would enjoy as well. Although I spent countless hours reading books to Kate as did her great grandmother and grandmother, including countless visits to the Library, Kate did not be...
-Lloyde_Newman
How the titles of books are a subtopic of the story
I thought that the books in her memory library were appropriate to the age that Ella would have been on the birthday. Catcher in the Rye was appropriate for a teenager. The choices were great.
-Janice_W
Is there a quote or scene in the novel that stood out for you? Why do you suppose it resonated?
Leisure time is not time wasted. It resonates because the manner in which we spend leisure time provides a valuable and balanced life. Leisure time also causes us to connect and how important that is!
-Beth_B
Reminder messages about participating in the discussion
Hi folks - As most of you know, we moved our book club discussions to a new platform at the end of last year. Well, apparently one of our internal programs didn't transfer properly - the one that keeps track of whether people who've received a book have participated in the discussion. This mornin...
-kim.kovacs
Sally quotes Virginia Woolf to Verity, telling her she needs a room of her own to be successful. What did you think of this advice? Do you have a room of your own, and if so, does it have a special purpose?
It so important to have a room of your own. Life demands so much of women that we too often forget to take time and care of ourselves. In retirement, I now have a Meditation Room of my own!
-Lil_C
What audience would you recommend The Memory Library to? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
I think this book works for all audiences. It's wonderful… and one I will continue to cherish and tell others to read it.
-Sylvia_T
What are your reading this week? (12-19-2024)
THE MEMORY LIBRARY, by Kate Storey – Always love conflicted mother daughter relationships.
-Cindy_R
What are your reading this week? (12-12-2024)
Just finished The Memory Library by Kate Storey. Looking forward to the discussion in January. Just started Where They Last Saw Her by Marcie F. Rendon.
-Dee_Hatcher
What are you reading this week? (11-21-2024)
I started The Beast of the North Woods by Annelise Ryan a couple of days ago, but I'm not too far along. Next up will be The Memory Library by Kate Storey.
-kim.kovacs
"A gorgeous novel that pairs my (and many people's) perennial love for books about books with themes of family – and just how complex they can be." —Platinum
"A lovely story that celebrates books, family and kindness. Touching and beautiful." —Hazel Prior, bestselling author of Away with the Penguins
"The Memory Library is so joyful. Kate Storey writes from the heart and the gut about mistakes and how we can learn from them. Great characters and a truly heartwarming story – I loved it!" —Laura Pearson, author of #1 Kindle bestseller The Last List of Mabel Beaumont
"An utterly gorgeous page turner about the power of books, family and forgiveness." —Phaedra Patrick, The Library of Lost and Found
This information about The Memory Library was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Kate Storey started her career teaching English and Drama, and when she had her family, combined all three to write novels about family drama. Originally from Yorkshire, she now lives in a London suburb with her husband and two teenage daughters, so expects there's plenty more drama to come.
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