Who Is Bobbie-Mae?

by CC Legault

Do our memories define who we are?Twenty-five-year-old Bobbie-Mae wakes up alone in a hospital room. Her first visitor is a man she doesn’t recognize, who claims to be her husband Simon. In the aftermath of a life-threatening car accident, there is complete darkness in her recall. Even though she tries desperately to remember, there are simply too many gaps.

Unsure whether her memories will ever return, Bobbie-Mae starts to read her old journals. Reading about her life in her own words will, she hopes, reveal who she was so that she can regain her sense of self.

Will she be able to process the grief for her father whose death she cannot remember?

Will she be able to fall in love again with a man she once loved?


Thought-provoking and poignant, Who Is Bobbie-Mae? explores inner truths, unshared secrets, and what it means to live a life that is truly your own.


Readers who enjoyed The Midnight Library (Matt Haig) and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine (Gail Honeyman) will be enthralled by WHO IS BOBBIE-MAE?, a heartwarming and introspective novel about a woman piecing together the truths, secrets, and unresolved grief that make up a life she can no longer remember living.

Albom's emotional depth meets Coupland's raw realism.

205 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 12, 2023

Reviews

[Vikki Mount · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chasing lost memories

As someone who kept a diary from the age of 18 to the age of 33, I thoroughly enjoyed Bobbie Mae’s journey of trying to recover lost memories after a nasty car accident snatched four years of her life away.

Here was an independent young lady who didn’t believe in marriage, waking up after a brain injury only to discover she now had a husband named Simon, a man she doesn’t even recall meeting. Now she has to work out what attracted her to this stranger, and she wonders if she could ever love him again. All she has to work with are her old journals and Simon’s memories of their relationship.

If you are expecting a mystery where something more sinister is going on, then this story isn’t that. It is more of a heartfelt exploration of what it would be like to have years of your life wiped from your memory.

CC Legault did a fabulous job helping the reader enter feisty young Bobbie Mae’s mind, and we can feel her frustration as she tries to reclaim what she has lost.

[Michał Biarda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting at least some action, but it was mainly a journal. Pretty well written, but still "just" journal. One could really feel Bobbie-Mae's feelings, because the author did a great job of describing them, but some nice dialogues, twists, or mysteries would add much more value to the book, in my opinion.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book of the year and it’s a 5⭐️

I totally related to this book on a personal level. I felt seen in this book. I cried a lot. It was cathartic.

If you like books about discovering oneself, especially through tragedy, this is a perfect one for you!

A great debut novel by CC Legault 😉

[Christine Choptovy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received of copy of the novel from Voracious Readers Only. This is a mystery/romance novel. Bobbie-Mae wakes up in the hospital, not knowing exactly how she got there or why her head hurt so badly. A nurse explains that she's been in a serious car accident but Bobbie-Mae has no memory of what happened. She does ask for the nurse to contact her father and her sister, Nellie. What she does remember is that she lives with her sister in a North Bay, ON apartment, attends Nipissing University as a student and that her mom passed away from cancer. What she doesn't understand is why she's wearing a wedding ring. Her husband, Simon, shows up at the hospital because he's listed as her next of kin. She rebukes him because she has absolutely no recollection of ever being married, let alone knowing who Simon is. She tells Simon to leave because she doesn't want him anywhere near her. When Nellie shows up at the hospital, she has to explain that Simon is indeed Bobbie-Mae's husband. Even more astonishing is that Bobbie-May believes she's only 21 years old when the reality is that she's 25 years old. She graduated university and she works as a temporary school teacher. Her father passed away and she has no memory of this. All of her test results are normal, including a CT scan of her brain. The book deals with how Bobbie-Mae deals with her memory loss. It's not a bad book but based on experience, there's a lot more involved with brain injuries, including the necessary physiotherapy and brain training exercises. That's why I gave it a 3* rating.

[B O O K I S H x E S C A P E · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not my cup of tea, but huge credit to the author for taking the leap and putting in effort to produce a book on such a deep topic.

I do think it could have done a bit better to hold attention if there was more of a mystery or thriller element to the story, but if that wasn’t the author’s goal then it makes sense it wasn’t included.

I kept hoping for more and maybe that is just a me problem.

The story itself was very sad. Losing part of your life in the blink of an eye must be the hardest, most painful thing, for anyone who has experienced it to go through. Losing memories of deep losses and life defining experiences and moments, and the impacts that would have on one’s identity were well touched on. I wanted to be emotional and empathetic with the depth of Bobbie-Mae’s experience, but something held me back and I think, for me, it was the characters themselves who made it really difficult to get that emotional response. Maybe this was intentional. But the characters did feel very superficial and almost child-like in their mannerisms and interactions, it just made it difficult for me to relate or resonate with the story at all, unfortunately.

I will definitely read more from this author, but this story just didn’t hit the way I expected it would.

[Jordan Coley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

We’ll start with the positives.
Interesting premise.
It ended when it should have.

The negatives.
it fell a little flat for me. It drug on in some places and Bobbie-Mae just really pissed me off. I know that what happened to her was very traumatic but she was very self absorbed and over the top emotional.

I really hate her relationships too. Simon and she are horrible together. The breaking up and getting back together and breaking up and getting back together. Ugh. Getting married just cause you’re pregnant?? No. The whole accident happened because she was on her way to her sisters house after telling him it was over. Don’t stay with him sis.
Otis was just giving me very manipulative vibes but she still let him leave her? No maam.
And what she did to Joe was just mean.

Nellie is “the best sister ever” but she spends most of her time with Cody? I don’t think so.

I just don’t find anyone likable.

[barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Thank you CC Legault for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.**

This was an easy quick read about a woman who woke up in the hospital after a car accident with no memory of the past 4 years of her life - including her entire relationship and marriage to her husband Simon.

While I really enjoyed the premise of this book, I felt that some of the dialogue fell flat, and, at times, the story dragged on. It was more about her reliving/remembering her past through journals than it was about how she was coping with the aftermath of the accident, so a large portion of the book is read as if you're reading through her old journals. (Which if you've never read through your own journals/diaries from high school, can feel very awkward. This part of the book was no exception.)

With that being said, it was a very cute story, and you really feel what Bobbie-Mae was feeling through all of this. It was good for a lighthearted read about a girl rediscovering herself.

[Rayo Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank the author for granting me this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

This is a story about finding yourself again. What would you do if you forgot the last 4 years of your life? Would you try all means to remember what has happened in your past, or would you try and move on with your life?

Bobbie-Mae has just woken up in the hospital with a ring in her hand and she doesn't even know how she got there. It took some time to really like our MC, but when I got to know her, she was really a character.

I loved how Bobbie handled her condition and how her sister and Simon supported her through it all.

This is a very easy, fast, and light read. Thank you to the author once again for providing this book as an ARC.

[Coleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book through VRO in exchange for an honest review. I liked the premise and the fact that the author is Canadian. The story was a quick read and although I finished it, I did not find it compelling. Perhaps the third person narrator made it hard for me to feel engaged in the story or the fact that I am not a 25 year old woman. Some of the story felt trite. Bobbie- Mae talks about not being a grownup, and someone who can barely look after herself. Really at 25? She spent a lot of time dancing to music. Maybe I just didn’t understand it. . .

[Amy Hepp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who is Bobbie-Mae? pulls at the heartstrings. Bobbie Mae wakes up in the hospital from a car accident and doesn’t remember the last four years of her life. Her husband is crushed when she moves in with her sister to process the changes in her new life. Bobbie-Mae uses her journals to attempt to revive her memories. The back and forth between the present day and the journals pieces together Bobbie-Mae’s life for the reader. A gentle, thought provoking story. I look forward to more from this author.

[Susan Reimer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bobbi-Mae awakens after a car accident missing every memory of the last four years of her life including the man she is now married to. As past and present collide, she finds help in her old journals. With her sister’s unconditional love, she begins to get to know the husband she can’t remember. In order to face her future, she has to make peace with the past and somehow begin again. Readers will relate to Bobbi-Mae’s emotional journey of grief and loss to a second chance at love.
My thanks to the author for a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

What part do our memories play in our self-conception? Can relationships be reestablished when their history is lost? This novel offers an insightful exploration of these questions. The author brings us into the world of Bobbie-Mae as she rediscovers herself after a life-changing accident. The book is very well written and thought-provoking. A very enjoyable read. I received a free copy of this book.

[Samantha Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who Is Bobbie-Mae is a quick read about a woman’s struggle to find her identity after a brain injury. The author tells half of the story through Bobbie-Mae’s journals which is an interesting way to show the reader how Bobbie-Mae develops as a character while growing up but also how she develops as a character in the story. The relationship with her sister reads very authentically and was my favorite part of the story. A fun and quick read.

[Squid Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting, but in a good way. This is a very gentle book, there’s no huge waves and crashes. You are simply following her journey on what happened and who she is. Poignant in places and makes you think about who you are.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lyndsay Fiorentino · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story follows a young woman who has amnesia after an accident. I enjoyed following Bobbie Mae as she finds herself again after her accident. Nice, light, easy read.
I was given a complimentary copy of the book from the author via voracious readers only.

[Uma Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following a terrible accident, Bobbie-Mae wakes in hospital with no memory.
Initially, this is a story of loss, suspicion and grief. With the unyielding love and support of her sister, Bobbie-Mae begins to move forward, accept what happened and regain trust in others.

[Kasey Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

It’s not a cliffhanger but neither does it feel complete. An interesting premise and an intriguing writing style kept me turning the pages. Worth the read.

[Jess Brazeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

CC Legault does a very good job at keeping the reader interested. A unique writing style! I’m definitely looking forward to reading more material from this author. Nicely done.

[Melanie Legault · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good read that is a sweet story of family, memory, identity, and love. I really liked it. A bit of suspense and mystery as well.

[Debbie Pyette]

This book is full of passion. One girls journey to find herself after suffering partial amnesia. It is heartfelt and genuine.

[Emma Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the themes in this book. A very deep and emotional read. Highly recommended!

[Tom Leverett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting account of a woman who lost memory of the most recent five-year period including her marriage - does she want a "husband" she doesn't even recognize? I liked the way she was imperfect, more spontaneous than her sister, clearly having made a few mistakes. I didn't quite buy the fact that you could forget an entire husband. I also felt the edges could have been tighter. Like talking to a young teenager, it was entertaining yet still opened some questions, made you wonder.

[Lisa M Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I often remark that I am drawn to books about growth, change and characters overcoming difficulties. I just finished reading Who Is Bobbie-Rae by fellow author CC Legault. It is a story about a girl who wakes up in the hospital after a car accident without any memories of the last 4 years of her life. So much has happened in that time… life changing moments that she can’t even begin to process. With only her sister to help her, (and a man who she feels as if she has just met) she starts the journey to try and piece together her past, by reading journals. I really enjoyed this interesting book and was very impressed with how talented this author was at conveying Bobbie-Rae’s emotions—trying to imagine what it would be like to be put in such a unique and, in many ways, heartbreaking position. I highly recommend checking it out for yourself!

[Karyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like a tele-novela in a novella: easy, engaging, pleasant.

Bobbie-Mae regains consciousness after an accident, but loves essentially the last 5 years of her memory. Who can give her a reliable account - her journal, her family. A great premise, very relatable likeable characters who as a reader we understand.

What let the book down was the wooden at times writing, not enough for me not to want to read it, but this had the potential to be brilliant.

More than 3 stars, but not at 4.

Thanks to Book Sirens and the author C.C. Legault for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

[Lori Costello · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author did a good job of making me feel the frustrations Bobbie-Mae must have been feeling. I do wish there were more twists but overall I did enjoy this book.