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Memory Box Trilogy #1
Chasing Memories - First in the Memory Box Trilogy
Steven and Laura Thompson have the ideal marriage, and the birth of Annie only strengthens their bond. Life is perfect, as if they have forever, until everything changes in an instant with one man's careless decision - to drive while intoxicated - and the resulting accident leaves Laura a widow. Now a single mother, Laura struggles to move on with her life but two years later, an unimaginable tragedy strikes again. While shoveling her elderly neighbor's snowy walk, a careening car slides into her on an icy patch on the street, and leaves Laura with no memory of either Steven or Annie! Laura grapples to make sense of the missing pieces of her past, living in the present with a daughter she can't remember, a friend she doesn't know but must learn to trust, and a future filled with uncertainties. A beautiful memory box, handcrafted by her elderly neighbor and given to her at Christmas, is filled with precious mementos in the hopes she will one day remember. As Laura instinctively fights for survival, her eventual surrender to a God of love brings hope, healing and a new wholeness to her shattered life.
- GenresChristian Fiction
ebook
First published January 23, 2006
182 people want to read
About the author
Cindy Bauer
14 books136 followersCindy Bauer grew up in Davenport, Iowa. She graduated from Assumption High School in 1975, married her husband in 1976, and after moving to Arizona, Oklahoma, and Colorado, currently lives in a rural area outside a small lake town in Missouri where the hunting & fishing is good, the air is fresh and clean, and the woods provide peace, quiet, and a never-ending view of wildlife in their natural habitats.
She's the author of Chasing Memories, Shades of Blue and Crystal Clear, an inspirational mystery trilogy, which she most recently republished into one book, The Memory Box.
She's the author of Chasing Memories, Shades of Blue and Crystal Clear, an inspirational mystery trilogy, which she most recently republished into one book, The Memory Box.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 4, 2009
'Chasing Memories' is the first in the series of three books by the Inspirational author, Cindy Bauer. The trilogy follows the life of Laura, a young widow with a small daughter. Thare are a few main characters to meet in 'Chasing Memories', apart from Laura and her daughter Annie, including their neighbours, Mr & Mrs Parker; and Susan, Annie's Nanny. All these characters play an important role in the story. The book focuses on the everyday lives of the characters and we follow them through their daily tasks. The book literally does make you feel like you are a fly on the wall in Laura's life, as almost every activity from the moment she gets out of bed in the morning to when she goes back to bed in the evening, from brushing her teeth to eating her dinner, is described in some detail especially at the beginning of the book. At first, I thought that we were being given a little too much of this mundane information, but as you read through the book and the story progresses, you do realise that these mundane tasks that Laura once perfomed very easily are all things that she could never really take for granted ever again...
After the death of her husband, Laura is trying hard to put her life back together when she suffers an accident and loses her memory. When she wakes up in the hospital she doesn't remember who she is and doesn't recognise her own daughter. In fact, her whole life up the point of the accident is a mystery to her. She is helped by her friends and family to piece together parts of her life and is given a gift at Christmas, a 'memory-box', in which she can place important photos and personal items from her past and perhaps use them to jog her memory. We follow Laura through the story as she almost loses hope that she will ever regain her memory and almost loses her faith in God. However, the book contains some truly inspirational fiction as it describes the ways that Laura is blessed despite the tragedies which seem to meet her at every turn. There are seemingly no end of tragic events for Laura and her child to deal with. At one point Laura realises that 'life actually really is a continuous process, with an abundance of opportunities to start over' and in the context of the book and Laura's life, the author has done well to illustrate this point.
I am sure this book will provide inspiration and also guidance to people who may be facing the reality of loss in their lives. As the author states so succinctly in the book: If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
In the second half of the book the pace picks up and the ending is surprising, so that the book quickly turns into a compulsive read.
The novel ends with an epilogue to entice the reader to read the next in the series, and hints at things to come... I am looking forward to finding out what happens next.
After the death of her husband, Laura is trying hard to put her life back together when she suffers an accident and loses her memory. When she wakes up in the hospital she doesn't remember who she is and doesn't recognise her own daughter. In fact, her whole life up the point of the accident is a mystery to her. She is helped by her friends and family to piece together parts of her life and is given a gift at Christmas, a 'memory-box', in which she can place important photos and personal items from her past and perhaps use them to jog her memory. We follow Laura through the story as she almost loses hope that she will ever regain her memory and almost loses her faith in God. However, the book contains some truly inspirational fiction as it describes the ways that Laura is blessed despite the tragedies which seem to meet her at every turn. There are seemingly no end of tragic events for Laura and her child to deal with. At one point Laura realises that 'life actually really is a continuous process, with an abundance of opportunities to start over' and in the context of the book and Laura's life, the author has done well to illustrate this point.
I am sure this book will provide inspiration and also guidance to people who may be facing the reality of loss in their lives. As the author states so succinctly in the book: If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
In the second half of the book the pace picks up and the ending is surprising, so that the book quickly turns into a compulsive read.
The novel ends with an epilogue to entice the reader to read the next in the series, and hints at things to come... I am looking forward to finding out what happens next.
April 5, 2008
Reviewed for BookPleasures...
I am pleasantly surprised after reading Chasing Memories, by Cindy Bauer. Born in Iowa, Cindy now resides in Missouri with her husband. She thanks her husband, Robert, and sister, Debra for their continued support. Chasing Memories is her first title.
The book is supposedly the first in a trilogy and takes place in a small town called Hampton in Missouri. The book opens with a prologue and closes with an epilogue of Laura in her elder years. The storyline follows Laura Thompson, a thirty year old widow, through some very difficult times in her life. Just when Laura and her daughter, Annie were moving on after the death of Steven, another tragedy is thrown at them when a freak accident causes Laura to lose her memory. With the help of her friends, Susan and Mildred, Laura attempts to regain control of a life she doesn’t remember, and restore normalcy to her daughter.
That I am aware of, the second book in this trilogy, Shades of Blue, follows Laura’s friend, Susan shortly after Chasing Memories ends. I am unclear where the third books goes, but after reading the epilogue, I’m hoping it’s back to Laura and the budding relationship with Dr. MacKenzie, or following her daughter, Annie after she’s grown.
It is my understanding that the author is seeking a new publisher for this book and is working on a re-write, so the very few minor criticisms I have might be moot. I found a few errors in the editing process. Overall, there were few, and it did not distract me or discourage me from reading. The first few chapters seemed a bit methodical in a way that we were just obtaining day-to-day rituals and not necessarily knowing inner feelings or personality of the characters. This quickly dissolved around the fourth chapter.
Aside from that, I found this to be an enjoyable and bittersweet read. Cindy Bauer was able to extract characters on paper and into our hearts. One tragedy after another, there were no dead spots and, I am amazed at how emotional I was at times while reading. She was able to relay the despair of losing a husband, the uncertainties of parenthood, the necessity of friendship, the fear of amnesia, and the power of faith and prayer. I am very much looking forward to the other 2 books in this trilogy. Cindy Bauer is a true gem in the inspirational fiction genre, and I see nothing but great things for her writing career.
I am pleasantly surprised after reading Chasing Memories, by Cindy Bauer. Born in Iowa, Cindy now resides in Missouri with her husband. She thanks her husband, Robert, and sister, Debra for their continued support. Chasing Memories is her first title.
The book is supposedly the first in a trilogy and takes place in a small town called Hampton in Missouri. The book opens with a prologue and closes with an epilogue of Laura in her elder years. The storyline follows Laura Thompson, a thirty year old widow, through some very difficult times in her life. Just when Laura and her daughter, Annie were moving on after the death of Steven, another tragedy is thrown at them when a freak accident causes Laura to lose her memory. With the help of her friends, Susan and Mildred, Laura attempts to regain control of a life she doesn’t remember, and restore normalcy to her daughter.
That I am aware of, the second book in this trilogy, Shades of Blue, follows Laura’s friend, Susan shortly after Chasing Memories ends. I am unclear where the third books goes, but after reading the epilogue, I’m hoping it’s back to Laura and the budding relationship with Dr. MacKenzie, or following her daughter, Annie after she’s grown.
It is my understanding that the author is seeking a new publisher for this book and is working on a re-write, so the very few minor criticisms I have might be moot. I found a few errors in the editing process. Overall, there were few, and it did not distract me or discourage me from reading. The first few chapters seemed a bit methodical in a way that we were just obtaining day-to-day rituals and not necessarily knowing inner feelings or personality of the characters. This quickly dissolved around the fourth chapter.
Aside from that, I found this to be an enjoyable and bittersweet read. Cindy Bauer was able to extract characters on paper and into our hearts. One tragedy after another, there were no dead spots and, I am amazed at how emotional I was at times while reading. She was able to relay the despair of losing a husband, the uncertainties of parenthood, the necessity of friendship, the fear of amnesia, and the power of faith and prayer. I am very much looking forward to the other 2 books in this trilogy. Cindy Bauer is a true gem in the inspirational fiction genre, and I see nothing but great things for her writing career.
April 27, 2009
Wonderful book! Cindy outdid herself in her fantastic first of her trilogy box books! A must read!
June 8, 2009
Wasn't my kind of book, but I would never discourage someone else from trying it out. The writing was okay, so it may fit many others.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews