Guest Review - The Memory Book by Rowan Coleman

Guest Review by Sarah Pritchard

What They Say:

The name of your first-born. The face of your lover. Your age. Your address...

What would happen if your memory of these began to fade?

Is it possible to rebuild your life? Raise a family? Fall in love again?

When Claire starts to write her Memory Book, she already knows that this scrapbook of mementoes will soon be all her daughters and husband have of her. But how can she hold on to the past when her future is slipping through her fingers...?

Original, heartwarming and uplifting, The Memory Book is perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes. 

What Sarah Says:

This was such a wonderful story to read emotional in parts whilst uplifting too.  I found myself getting emotional and needing the tissues to hand in parts so be warned!

The story is about a lady called Claire who suffers with Alzheimer’s disease which not only addresses the issue and the character suffering from it but includes the view points of other members of the family.  I loved this format and found it lovely to be able to read about how the disease affects other members of the family not just the main character that lives with it.  The author tackles a difficult subject matter that has been highlighted in the news earlier this year and does so with such sensitivity, emotion and understanding that it completely captivated me.  I struggled to put the book down and was sad when it ended but happy with how it ended.

I loved reading about the relationship Claire has with her daughters especially with her youngest daughter Esther and I hope I can have that kind of relationship with my children when I have them.  I love the whole idea of a memory book and not just for people with such a debilitating disease but for families to do together to record their memories together.  It has inspired me to want to start doing something like this for myself.

It deals with the issues not only relating to Alzheimer’s disease but also other issues that families deal with on a day to day basis. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and think it is one that will strike a chord with many other people.  

I can not recommend this book highly enough to everyone!  It is a truly heartfelt amazing story and one I am sure lots of people will enjoy and understand in a personal way!

About The Author

Rowan Coleman lives with her husband, and five children in a very full house 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 the opposite directions. When she gets the chance, Rowan enjoys sleeping, sitting and loves watching films; she is also attempting to learn how to bake.

Rowan would like to live every day as if she were starring in a musical, although her daughter no longer allows her to sing in public. 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 lead 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. Rowan does not have time for ironing.

Thanks for your fab review Sarah.