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The Memory Book
Phoebe Lange has it all--a Master's Degree, an adoring fiancé, and a future with unlimited possibilities--but something is missing. Orphaned at age five and raised by her grandmother, Phoebe longs for a past and a sense of connectedness, but it is not until she stumbles upon a scrapbook dating back to the 1920's that she discovers a terrible secret about her family's history which triggers an identity crisis. Phoebe becomes obsessed with the mysterious ancestor, also named Phoebe Lange, whom she is convinced is the key to answering the questions that have plagued her. But the answers may not be what she has in mind.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
6 people are currently reading
452 people want to read
About the author
Penelope J. Stokes
44 books181 followersIt’s often been debated whether a person’s destiny lies in genetics or environment, but either way, I suppose I was destined to be a fiction writer. A Baby Boomer with an English teacher and a social worker for parents, I grew up being challenged to develop my imagination, and to seek out for myself the meaning and significance of life. I learned early both the magic and mystery of stories and the importance of people–their dreams, their hopes, their longings, their struggles.
From the age of four, when I first learned to read and discovered that words had incredible power, I dreamed of being a writer. But the fulfillment of that dream was a long time in coming. Ten years of university study, culminating in a Ph.D. in Renaissance Literature, led me to a career as a college professor. I loved teaching, loved the students and the challenge and the interaction, but the longing for full-time expression of my creativity never died. Finally, after twelve years of college teaching, I left the classroom and turned my energy toward my life’s passion–writing fiction.
In the process, I discovered another passion–the magnificent grandeur of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Western North Carolina.
I was raised in Mississippi, and as a child I remember family vacations to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I loved the undulating layers of blue and purple and green, the rushing streams coming down over the rocks, the cool glades and misty mornings. And now I live here—in the shadow of the Blue Ridge near DuPont Forest, where rare and remarkable white squirrels chatter wisdom to me from the trees outside my office window.
White squirrel in TamaracBut scenery can only take you so far. Fiction is about people. Not just what happens to them, but about what happens in them–the spiritual, emotional, and psychological passages that lead people to an understanding of their inner selves, and of one another. That’s what I like to write about: the heart, the mind, the soul. Authenticity of character and profound spiritual transformation. I want to draw my readers into a different kind of world–one marked by purpose, significance, and hope. Most importantly, hope.
Some readers have criticized me for dealing with uncomfortable subjects in my fiction–subjects which do not lend themselves to easy answers. The truth is, there are no easy answers in life. There are not even any easy questions. Over the years I’ve come to the conclusion that our character is determined not so much by the certainties we cling to, but by the uncertainties we are courageous enough to face.
At the end of the day, only a few things in life really matter: Love. Insight. Growth. Grace. When we’re committed to going deeper, to following the unknown path, our journey can lead us to an understanding of our own our inner being, to a connection with a power that is both within us and beyond us. And that understanding, that connection, gives meaning and purpose to our days.
From the age of four, when I first learned to read and discovered that words had incredible power, I dreamed of being a writer. But the fulfillment of that dream was a long time in coming. Ten years of university study, culminating in a Ph.D. in Renaissance Literature, led me to a career as a college professor. I loved teaching, loved the students and the challenge and the interaction, but the longing for full-time expression of my creativity never died. Finally, after twelve years of college teaching, I left the classroom and turned my energy toward my life’s passion–writing fiction.
In the process, I discovered another passion–the magnificent grandeur of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Western North Carolina.
I was raised in Mississippi, and as a child I remember family vacations to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I loved the undulating layers of blue and purple and green, the rushing streams coming down over the rocks, the cool glades and misty mornings. And now I live here—in the shadow of the Blue Ridge near DuPont Forest, where rare and remarkable white squirrels chatter wisdom to me from the trees outside my office window.
White squirrel in TamaracBut scenery can only take you so far. Fiction is about people. Not just what happens to them, but about what happens in them–the spiritual, emotional, and psychological passages that lead people to an understanding of their inner selves, and of one another. That’s what I like to write about: the heart, the mind, the soul. Authenticity of character and profound spiritual transformation. I want to draw my readers into a different kind of world–one marked by purpose, significance, and hope. Most importantly, hope.
Some readers have criticized me for dealing with uncomfortable subjects in my fiction–subjects which do not lend themselves to easy answers. The truth is, there are no easy answers in life. There are not even any easy questions. Over the years I’ve come to the conclusion that our character is determined not so much by the certainties we cling to, but by the uncertainties we are courageous enough to face.
At the end of the day, only a few things in life really matter: Love. Insight. Growth. Grace. When we’re committed to going deeper, to following the unknown path, our journey can lead us to an understanding of our own our inner being, to a connection with a power that is both within us and beyond us. And that understanding, that connection, gives meaning and purpose to our days.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
December 11, 2012
Meh. I didn't realize this was Christian fiction and that affects my opinion. This is definitely not a genre I'm interested in.
The plot had a lot of potential, but the main character seemed too preoccupied with everything else. Do I love Jake? Will he still love me when he finds out my "terrible secret"? She should probably get tested for narcolepsy too; nearly every chapter ends with some form of "Spent and exhausted, Phoebe took a nap/looked out the window."
So much potential wasted. Why didn't she try to hunt down Jonathan Barksdale? Newspaper clippings? Death certificates? What happened to Gram? In the beginning of the book she's a smart, witty old lady with stories to tell. In the last chapter I felt like she morphed into Rose from Golden Girls. Just smiling with a vacant look on her face.
The entire resolution of the "terrible secret" was underwhelming to say the least. One sentence and everything is hunkydory, barring a minor temper tantrum (seriously Phoebe? Are you 12? Supposedly you've grown so much as a person and you're all "I want to be alone!")
Too much romance, too much spiritualism taking away from the main story. Not my type of book at all. Hardcore Christians would probably enjoy this.
The plot had a lot of potential, but the main character seemed too preoccupied with everything else. Do I love Jake? Will he still love me when he finds out my "terrible secret"? She should probably get tested for narcolepsy too; nearly every chapter ends with some form of "Spent and exhausted, Phoebe took a nap/looked out the window."
So much potential wasted. Why didn't she try to hunt down Jonathan Barksdale? Newspaper clippings? Death certificates? What happened to Gram? In the beginning of the book she's a smart, witty old lady with stories to tell. In the last chapter I felt like she morphed into Rose from Golden Girls. Just smiling with a vacant look on her face.
The entire resolution of the "terrible secret" was underwhelming to say the least. One sentence and everything is hunkydory, barring a minor temper tantrum (seriously Phoebe? Are you 12? Supposedly you've grown so much as a person and you're all "I want to be alone!")
Too much romance, too much spiritualism taking away from the main story. Not my type of book at all. Hardcore Christians would probably enjoy this.
September 24, 2015
Phoebe Lange was an orphan at the age of 5, and was raised by her Grandmother. After graduating from college she goes home to visit her Grandmother who wasn't able to attend because she wasn't feeling well. Arriving at her home, where a strange women answers the door, Phoebe finds her grandmother is worse than she let on. Her grandmother tells her the truth about why she is an orphan and the truth sends Phoebe on a journey to find out what led up to the loss of her parents. As sits and contemplates the truth she has just discovered, the cat knocks some books off a shelf in the library. One of the books is very old and upon closer inspection she discovers that it belonged to another Phoebe Lange. Taking the Memory Book to her grandmother, Phoebe finds out who this other Phoebe was her Great Aunt. By looking into this other Phoebe's past will the Phoebe in the present figure out what her place is and why she feels so alone.
I loved this story. The author weaves a story that envelopes the past and present in a way that flows well and develops the story even more.
I loved this story. The author weaves a story that envelopes the past and present in a way that flows well and develops the story even more.
June 18, 2009
Interesting story. A woman has an ugly family secret that has affected her and her relationships all her life. She goes back home and finds "the memory book" of a relative that starts her on a journey of a lifetime. My favorite line from the book is "I learned that the past is the key to the future. We cannot escape who we are, but we can change. With God's help and each other's support, we can inaugurate new patterns----patterns of love and trust and commitment, patterns of healing and forgiveness". A quick book worth reading.
October 22, 2007
Passage From Book:
There were some problems you just didn't talk out. You buried them, ignored them. And if they clawed their way to the light again, you simply threw more dirt on top and walking away.
There were some problems you just didn't talk out. You buried them, ignored them. And if they clawed their way to the light again, you simply threw more dirt on top and walking away.
April 15, 2009
Heartwarming, interesting, and quick to read.
March 2, 2019
"The Memory Book" was okay; hence, my two star rating.
If the whole of the book had been "Part 2", pages 129 - 207, I would have rated it a 4.
The beginning of "The Memory Book" tries hard but fails to deliver. As writers we're told, and trained, to allow or readers to see through the eyes of our characters to transport them into the pages of the books we write. However, for me, "Part 1" houses too much of the descriptive which causes the book to unfold slowly. My attention waned.
Also, in "Part 1" a family secret is revealed that should have caused more reactiveness than what it did. It should've rocked the boat so much that it flipped over and had the main characters on the verge of drowning! Instead, due to one main character's illness, what could have been immense was lackluster at best.
The modern day Phoebe I felt little patience for. Her troubles big and yet far from insurmountable. I had trouble identifying with why she would feel so fearful to speak the truth of her life. Her story was hers but, she hadn't been the cause; nor, did she seem the type that would carry the sins of her father forward. The biggest hurdle for her to break through was that of vunerability.
Part of the disconnect for me could be that I'm reading from the perspective of being a 40 year old woman with a wealth of life's experiences under my belt. Perhaps, a reader in their late teens/early (to mid) 20's would fare much better within the whole of this book's contents? Would find more areas of relatable concerns and be able to feel for the modern day Phoebe more so than what I found myself capable of?
As I wrote earlier, "Part 2", the story of Phoebe's Great-Aunt has my heart. It was fast-paced. I was completely drawn in. I was hoping for the same miracles as the main characters. The miracles of new starts, distance from danger, the ability to change history and outcomes from bittersweet and sad to beautiful. If all I had read in "The Memory Book" had been the story of the Great-Aunt, her brother Lewis, their father, and Jonathan I wouldn't have been able to put this book down! "Part 2" is alive with emotion and breaks my heart as it concludes.
If you've ever been witness to abuse, or the victim of it, "Part 2" will hit home for you too.
Unfortunately, the ending of "Part 2" left me with questions that the book never answers: Did Jonathan die? If not, did he still try to honor his word by removing Lewis from his father's home to care for him as his own? If so, how was it that Lewis still ended up being raised by his father?
I know "Part 2" was set in 1927; however, couldn't truth still set Lewis free if Phoebe's friends, after her death, intervened? And, if Phoebe's father was the cause of the "accident" that took her life, and even if Lewis was the only one to survive to live to tell about it, how was Phoebe's dad not thrown in jail for his drunken rage and actions?
Despite the loose ends of "Part 2's" conclusion it was well vetted. If only the whole of this book had been as thouroughly assessed as "Part 2" it would be far more than just an okay read. As it stands, the rest of "The Memory Book" layers were either too neat, too predictable, or left me wanting... Not wanting to read more but wanting all of "Part 1" and "Part 3" to be presented differently.
This is probably my harshest review to date. I suppose it's because "Part 2" made me passionate, engaged my 5 senses; I was there, within the book's pages. What a let down to not have those feelings for all of the characters, and storylines, presented from page 1 through 292.
I've been left feeling "blah" and deflated. Almost without the wherewithall to pick up another book, to go on another adventure; of course, I did say, "Almost." 😉
If the whole of the book had been "Part 2", pages 129 - 207, I would have rated it a 4.
The beginning of "The Memory Book" tries hard but fails to deliver. As writers we're told, and trained, to allow or readers to see through the eyes of our characters to transport them into the pages of the books we write. However, for me, "Part 1" houses too much of the descriptive which causes the book to unfold slowly. My attention waned.
Also, in "Part 1" a family secret is revealed that should have caused more reactiveness than what it did. It should've rocked the boat so much that it flipped over and had the main characters on the verge of drowning! Instead, due to one main character's illness, what could have been immense was lackluster at best.
The modern day Phoebe I felt little patience for. Her troubles big and yet far from insurmountable. I had trouble identifying with why she would feel so fearful to speak the truth of her life. Her story was hers but, she hadn't been the cause; nor, did she seem the type that would carry the sins of her father forward. The biggest hurdle for her to break through was that of vunerability.
Part of the disconnect for me could be that I'm reading from the perspective of being a 40 year old woman with a wealth of life's experiences under my belt. Perhaps, a reader in their late teens/early (to mid) 20's would fare much better within the whole of this book's contents? Would find more areas of relatable concerns and be able to feel for the modern day Phoebe more so than what I found myself capable of?
As I wrote earlier, "Part 2", the story of Phoebe's Great-Aunt has my heart. It was fast-paced. I was completely drawn in. I was hoping for the same miracles as the main characters. The miracles of new starts, distance from danger, the ability to change history and outcomes from bittersweet and sad to beautiful. If all I had read in "The Memory Book" had been the story of the Great-Aunt, her brother Lewis, their father, and Jonathan I wouldn't have been able to put this book down! "Part 2" is alive with emotion and breaks my heart as it concludes.
If you've ever been witness to abuse, or the victim of it, "Part 2" will hit home for you too.
Unfortunately, the ending of "Part 2" left me with questions that the book never answers: Did Jonathan die? If not, did he still try to honor his word by removing Lewis from his father's home to care for him as his own? If so, how was it that Lewis still ended up being raised by his father?
I know "Part 2" was set in 1927; however, couldn't truth still set Lewis free if Phoebe's friends, after her death, intervened? And, if Phoebe's father was the cause of the "accident" that took her life, and even if Lewis was the only one to survive to live to tell about it, how was Phoebe's dad not thrown in jail for his drunken rage and actions?
Despite the loose ends of "Part 2's" conclusion it was well vetted. If only the whole of this book had been as thouroughly assessed as "Part 2" it would be far more than just an okay read. As it stands, the rest of "The Memory Book" layers were either too neat, too predictable, or left me wanting... Not wanting to read more but wanting all of "Part 1" and "Part 3" to be presented differently.
This is probably my harshest review to date. I suppose it's because "Part 2" made me passionate, engaged my 5 senses; I was there, within the book's pages. What a let down to not have those feelings for all of the characters, and storylines, presented from page 1 through 292.
I've been left feeling "blah" and deflated. Almost without the wherewithall to pick up another book, to go on another adventure; of course, I did say, "Almost." 😉
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2019
I definitely judged this book by its cover when I bought it. The cover (and title) were extremely eye catching to me. I had no idea it was a Christian novel. Not that I minded, I’m Christian, just haven’t read one in years. I can definitely see some readers not believing Phoebe’s story if they don’t believe in God. This book did not take me long to read and it definitely held my interest. It was a very unique premise, well written and I felt believable. The reason being is my brother was in a horrific accident years ago and after he woke up from his coma he explained to our parents that he had a very realistic and visual dream. It was not a religious “I saw God” dream. The dream was actually about him and friends bowling, but he said it had more of a “real feeling” than normal nightly dreams. This is exactly how Phoebe tells her story and why I could believe Phoebe’s explanation. I definitely recommend this book to Christians and others with a belief of a greater power.
January 9, 2023
The dust jacket mentioned “Crossings”, & I looked it up, & once I found out that was religious (Christian) it colored my attitude toward what I was reading. Probably unfairly; I wish I hadn’t looked that up until after I finished it. The story struck me at one point as being a Hallmark Channel movie in print. Maybe Hallmark plus some religious channel, but the religious part wasn’t overbearing. In fact, I thought it was fairly subtle. I thought the dream sequence was actually the most interesting. And heartbreaking. To see her abusive grandpa Lewis as a sweet, loving—& abused—little boy. To see the tragedies brought on by pathological grief & alcoholism & abuse, passed on both by genes & repeating models of bad behavior. Alcohol is responsible for so much evil perpetrated in this world; and all addictions are tragic.
May 22, 2024
I really liked this book! I love historical fiction & I especially love "time travel". Not that there was necessarily time travel... but yet there kind of was. You just have to read it to see what I'm talking about.
I do genealogy, so the story focusing around the main character's great aunt & namesake interested me. I also believe that "the sins of thy father" do really come back to impact future generations.
The only part of the book that I didn't especially love is the ending. I thought it was wrapped up too quickly & didn't go into enough detail. Maybe I liked the book so much I wanted more. Anyway, I highly recommend this book!
I do genealogy, so the story focusing around the main character's great aunt & namesake interested me. I also believe that "the sins of thy father" do really come back to impact future generations.
The only part of the book that I didn't especially love is the ending. I thought it was wrapped up too quickly & didn't go into enough detail. Maybe I liked the book so much I wanted more. Anyway, I highly recommend this book!
March 25, 2017
Phoebe Lange has it all--a Master's Degree, an adoring fiancé, and a future with unlimited possibilities--but something is missing. Orphaned at age five and raised by her grandmother, Phoebe longs for a past and a sense of connectedness, but it is not until she stumbles upon a scrapbook dating back to the 1920's that she discovers a terrible secret about her family's history which triggers an identity crisis. Phoebe becomes obsessed with the mysterious ancestor, also named Phoebe Lange, whom she is convinced is the key to answering the questions that have plagued her. But the answers may not be what she has in mind.
May 11, 2023
It was okay. I didn’t realize it was a Christian book, or I honestly wouldn’t have picked it up because I’m not religious. But like I said, it was okay. Part 2 was the best, and it honestly could have been a better book itself without parts 1 and 3. I’m also irritated that phoebe never tried to look for Jonathan. Even though it was a long time ago, she may have been able to find him or close relatives.
November 4, 2017
This is a story about forgiveness-not only of others but mostly about forgiving yourself. It does have a mystical aspect which I did enjoy. I also liked how it demonstrates that we cannot run from our past. We need to embrace and learn from it. This book also touches on why God lets bad things happen to innocent people. It was beautifully written even though the ending did lack a bit.
December 27, 2019
For some reason, every five pages or so there was a cliche or two that bothered me. The premise was nice, but I think the story could have been better. Also, I could have done without the extra story that was included in this edition.
February 9, 2019
I didn't know this Author wrote Christian faith books, but not strongly religious in my opinion,. I still enjoyed all her books I have read.
January 1, 2020
Had a lot of thought provoking storylines in it and can’t wait to discuss it with the book club in January. I will definitely want to read more of her books.
February 11, 2021
I enjoyed this story. It was an easy read but most enjoyable. Might be a bit too religious for some.
May 2, 2022
The premise intrigued me, but I was disappointed when I realized it was Christian fiction. I finished the book but won’t read anything else by this author.
April 2, 2023
What a great story. I will be reading more by this author.
March 9, 2024
Very good read. Not what I expected, but that's the fun of exploring new authors.
June 12, 2024
Story of forgiving oneself as the past speaks to the truth.
August 12, 2024
Pretty good story
October 31, 2025
Good book. It had an interesting premise and I enjoyed finding out what happened.
July 1, 2017
It has a an interesting storyline if you are an avid mystery lover- what reader doesn't get sucked in with a hidden book and a family full of secrets? I was aware this book had a Christian/Faith based aspect when mentions of Jake came up, or his faith, or Phoebe's lack there of- however, was really disappointed that the ending was less a "didn't see it coming" ending to this great mystery, but rather, a faith based fuzzy feeling. I felt like the ending dragged out far too long for me to keep interest and found myself scanning the last chapter, rather than reading it meticulously.
This is a good read for someone who is faith based and enjoys a good mystery- or even, perhaps, someone questioning their own faith and needs a spark of hope. However, those who are not as into faith based books- it get's a little churchy which can be a turn off. This story ending I felt was washed up and the author spent less time making an ending that stunned and kept you wanting more.
This is a good read for someone who is faith based and enjoys a good mystery- or even, perhaps, someone questioning their own faith and needs a spark of hope. However, those who are not as into faith based books- it get's a little churchy which can be a turn off. This story ending I felt was washed up and the author spent less time making an ending that stunned and kept you wanting more.
February 26, 2023
This quote tickled me: "Lordy me and gracious be!
What a mountain of mayhem this has turned out to be."
What a mountain of mayhem this has turned out to be."
August 10, 2010
This is the second book I've read from Penelope Stokes, the first being The Blue Bottle Club which I quite enjoyed. I found The Memory Book a little less interesting but still, it was a nice, easy read.
The main character is a young woman called Phoebe who returns to her grandmother's house, where she grew up, when her grandmother becomes ill. Her mother was murdered when Phoebe was 5 years old, but Phoebe has only a shadowy memory of seeing her mother laying on the floor surrounded by blood and a large male form standing over her.
She carries a lot of emotional baggage into all her relationships as an adult, including her engagement to the man she loves. As the story unfolds she finds a book with old family photos and mementos and eventually she also finds the journal of her grandfather's sister, also called Phoebe. She gains insight into her family history and is able to resolve the issues that kept her from fully entering into close relationships.
The part of the story that most held my attention is the section in which Phoebe has an accident and lies unconscious in bed for several days. She has a dream in which she has awakened in 1927 as the other Phoebe at 18 years old, looking after her 6 year old brother, Lewis(her grandfather), and living with their abusive father. The story gets a little far-fetched at that point with Phoebe making conscious decisions and being aware of herself as having gone back in time. Her "beau" from that era has the same initials as her current fiance, and she has two close female friends, also the same as she has in the present. After she wakes up as herself again, she uses lessons she has learned from her experiences in the past to help change her life in the here and now. She keeps talking about it as being more than a dream, but I don't quite see what we are meant to think happened to her.
I found it overwritten and a little melodramatic in spots. We are told several times early in the book about how Phoebe feels, but for me there are too many words used to make the point. I would rather an author let me figure it out for myself through the characters words and actions. Otherwise I am always aware that I am reading lines someone has written and never get to the point where I can fall into the story and forget it is a book. I really think this one would have benefited from more editing.
I found the characters stereotypical and not terribly interesting, and the ending predictable. There are a couple of surprises toward the end of the book that add interest, but all in all it lacks complexity. A subplot or two would have made a huge difference.
I know this genre is very popular and I am probably expecting too much of it. In fact there are times when it's exactly what I'm looking for, especially if I've been reading a lot of serious stuff that I need a break from. That last sentence sounds terrible but I'm too tired to rearrange the words. I'd give this book a 6 out of 10 and recommend it for anyone who likes light Christian fiction.
The main character is a young woman called Phoebe who returns to her grandmother's house, where she grew up, when her grandmother becomes ill. Her mother was murdered when Phoebe was 5 years old, but Phoebe has only a shadowy memory of seeing her mother laying on the floor surrounded by blood and a large male form standing over her.
She carries a lot of emotional baggage into all her relationships as an adult, including her engagement to the man she loves. As the story unfolds she finds a book with old family photos and mementos and eventually she also finds the journal of her grandfather's sister, also called Phoebe. She gains insight into her family history and is able to resolve the issues that kept her from fully entering into close relationships.
The part of the story that most held my attention is the section in which Phoebe has an accident and lies unconscious in bed for several days. She has a dream in which she has awakened in 1927 as the other Phoebe at 18 years old, looking after her 6 year old brother, Lewis(her grandfather), and living with their abusive father. The story gets a little far-fetched at that point with Phoebe making conscious decisions and being aware of herself as having gone back in time. Her "beau" from that era has the same initials as her current fiance, and she has two close female friends, also the same as she has in the present. After she wakes up as herself again, she uses lessons she has learned from her experiences in the past to help change her life in the here and now. She keeps talking about it as being more than a dream, but I don't quite see what we are meant to think happened to her.
I found it overwritten and a little melodramatic in spots. We are told several times early in the book about how Phoebe feels, but for me there are too many words used to make the point. I would rather an author let me figure it out for myself through the characters words and actions. Otherwise I am always aware that I am reading lines someone has written and never get to the point where I can fall into the story and forget it is a book. I really think this one would have benefited from more editing.
I found the characters stereotypical and not terribly interesting, and the ending predictable. There are a couple of surprises toward the end of the book that add interest, but all in all it lacks complexity. A subplot or two would have made a huge difference.
I know this genre is very popular and I am probably expecting too much of it. In fact there are times when it's exactly what I'm looking for, especially if I've been reading a lot of serious stuff that I need a break from. That last sentence sounds terrible but I'm too tired to rearrange the words. I'd give this book a 6 out of 10 and recommend it for anyone who likes light Christian fiction.
February 19, 2017
Contrived.
June 18, 2012
Phoebe Lange was just a little girl when her mother was murdered in there home. Phoebe remembers standing in the kitchen, her mama hurt and bleeding on the floor and a man with ice blue eye's staring at her. Her grandmother took her in and raised her in the old family home. When Phoebe's Grandmother gets sick, she comes home from college to help care for her and finds out that her father, whom she always has been told was dead, is too soon be released from prison for the murder of her mother. Talk about a reality that will shake a person's faith to the core! As Phoebe is questioning everything she is and knows, she runs across and old Memory book that belonged to her great-aunt who just happened to have the same name as Phoebe herself. Wanting to know more about her great-aunt and why the memory book ended so abrubtly, Phoebe digs in. In a dream, (or was it?), Phoebe is transported back in time and spends some time as her great-aunt. There, she is able to answer some questions about her family and her faith in God. Can the past redeem the future, and the future redeem the past?
I really enjoyed this book, until the very last chapter or two. It was about a young woman struggling with her faith and with who she is; learning to trust in the people and the God who love her. I felt that the last couple of chapters were written as if I was sitting in church, listening to a sermon and it was a bit to much and heavy for the story. All in all a good read.
I really enjoyed this book, until the very last chapter or two. It was about a young woman struggling with her faith and with who she is; learning to trust in the people and the God who love her. I felt that the last couple of chapters were written as if I was sitting in church, listening to a sermon and it was a bit to much and heavy for the story. All in all a good read.
February 18, 2020
Phoebe never really recovered after the premature death of her mother twenty years ago. Now, even with her loving grandmother, best friends, and fiancé, Phoebe feels alone and unable to trust. When she discovers an old scrapbook from another Phoebe who was a teenager back in the 1920s, it may hold some answers in The Memory Book by author Penelope J. Stokes.
I first read this novel around two decades ago. It's kind of a darker read than I remember, though it's not too depressing like other contemporary fiction I find full of dry gloom—especially stories focused on women, including other Christian novels.
This story has mysterious and fantastical/slipstream elements that are quite interesting. And because I only remembered a fraction of the plot, I could read it with a sense of suspense all over again and was even in for some surprises.
Now, I do feel certain chunks of the story are on the nose, and others are repetitive. Also, while I'm sure much concerning Phoebe's crisis of faith is realistic, I personally find the angle to be a tired one for ChristFic. It makes me wonder what many people are being taught to base their faith on in the first place. But that's a whole real-life discussion I won't get into.
While it wasn't a happy-go-lucky kind of stroll, this walk down memory lane held my attention, and I ultimately found it to be touching.
I first read this novel around two decades ago. It's kind of a darker read than I remember, though it's not too depressing like other contemporary fiction I find full of dry gloom—especially stories focused on women, including other Christian novels.
This story has mysterious and fantastical/slipstream elements that are quite interesting. And because I only remembered a fraction of the plot, I could read it with a sense of suspense all over again and was even in for some surprises.
Now, I do feel certain chunks of the story are on the nose, and others are repetitive. Also, while I'm sure much concerning Phoebe's crisis of faith is realistic, I personally find the angle to be a tired one for ChristFic. It makes me wonder what many people are being taught to base their faith on in the first place. But that's a whole real-life discussion I won't get into.
While it wasn't a happy-go-lucky kind of stroll, this walk down memory lane held my attention, and I ultimately found it to be touching.
March 15, 2013
Unfortunately I wasn't entirely happy with this book. The concept was fantastic, and it had so much potential but I don't feel it was written very well.
I found it very difficult to feel any sympathy for Phoebe Lange. I felt as though she was just sulking and feeling sorry for herself most of the time and although she is meant to have gone through a lot it just seemed like she was a little to whiny.
I also feel that the last few chapters were just too rushed. There was a huge build up and within the a few pages the story was just rapped up and finished with. I thought there should have been more information on her Father's case and perhaps a little more about who could have been the actual murderer.
Other than that, I did enjoy it. Just not as much as I thought I would.
I found it very difficult to feel any sympathy for Phoebe Lange. I felt as though she was just sulking and feeling sorry for herself most of the time and although she is meant to have gone through a lot it just seemed like she was a little to whiny.
I also feel that the last few chapters were just too rushed. There was a huge build up and within the a few pages the story was just rapped up and finished with. I thought there should have been more information on her Father's case and perhaps a little more about who could have been the actual murderer.
Other than that, I did enjoy it. Just not as much as I thought I would.
July 21, 2012
Meh. I felt very little empathy for the protagonist. She keeps people at arms length but not entirely sure why. Instead of introspection she seems to actively not want to think about it and instead puts it aside until she finds a memory book of an ancestor with the same name. This happens to coincide with the moment she finds out that she was a witness to her mother's murder and her father who was incarcerated for the crime is shortly being released. I felt like though she in the end showed a lot of growth there wasn't much to endear me to her. Instead of coming across as an independent woman as I am sure the author was hoping to do, she just came across as selfish and self-involved.
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