The Memory Library by Kate Storey

THE MEMORY LIBRARY by Kate Storey is meant to be a feel good book about a mother, Sally, and daughter, Ella. Sally lives in Greenwich, London and her estranged daughter has lived for over 20 years in Australia. Ella, modeling on her father, is very work-focused and relies on husband Charlie to care for their house and 8-year-old daughter, Willow. When Sally has a fall and needs care, Ella reluctantly heads back to England where over the course of six weeks she learns to more fully appreciate her mother and the values of the people (neighbors, local shopkeepers, library patrons) who care for Sally. I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by Jilly Bond and Imogen Wilde.  I found their voices to be quite soothing and able to vividly evoke Sally’s neighborhood environment as well as the emotions in the conversations with Ella. THE MEMORY LIBRARY seems to have garnered very positive reader response so I think there is a wide audience, especially amongst bibliophiles, but I found it dragged a bit and Ella was not at all a sympathetic character. She was extremely self-centered: “…she didn't like talking. If she was queen of the world, all personal problems would be resolved by leaving them alone and getting on with things. All talking did was allow other people to tell you what they thought you were doing wrong.” Although Ella clearly matured over the course of the story, it was difficult at times to think that she would have changed so dramatically in the relatively short time that she cared for Sally. As a former teacher, Sally modeled life lessons like “check your privilege and remember that who you are is more important than what you have.” It was fun to reflect on the many books referenced throughout the story (e.g., The Alchemist, Persuasion, We All Want Impossible Things, The Life of Pi) and gratifying to see that Ella ultimately realizes that “It was only when she discovered the books and the way Sally had continued her tradition [of gifting one with an inscription to Ella each year] that she'd fully appreciated how loved she was. Through rebuilding the library Ella had learned so much about her mother but also about herself.”