Weight of Memory

by Kristina Brune

Lara Kemp's brother is dead. She's a wife and a mother but she's lost in her grief and far too many days she finds herself curled up on her closet floor, unable to function. She's miserable and worst of all, she's lost all her memories of her brother and can only remember him through the stories other people share. When Lara comes close to taking her own life, she and her husband take steps to get her the help she needs. They go on a much-needed visit to Lara's aunt in the small town of Grafton, Illinois, on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River. In search of something—anything—to help her overcome the pain and get back to her normal, unremarkable life, Lara stumbles upon an old book in an antique shop. The book tells the story of a woman from a wealthy family in the 19th century, whose brother died in a fishing accident. Lara finds comfort in the book and her life slowly begins to return to a new normal. Months later, she reads the book again, but this time, the book is different. Lara thinks the book has changed. It appears to be small changes at first, and Lara chalks it up to just misremembering. But as she reads on, the story takes a dark, sinister turn and is nothing like the story she read the first time. Soon, the terrifying things happening in the book begin to mirror the strange happenings in Lara's own life. With her husband and almost everyone around her convinced her experiences are a byproduct of her stress and grief, Lara is convinced it's real. Based on what happened in the book, Lara begins to hope it might hold the secret to recovering her memories of her brother, so she sets out to find out more. Lara discovers that the story is real and that she and the women in her family are connected to the book in ways she never could have guessed. Refusing to back down in the face of the increasingly terrifying things happening around her, Lara enlists the help of her Aunt Maisie and her friend Maryn, along with Amabel, a mysterious

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Adult

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 30, 2021

About the author

Kristina Brune has loved books for as long as she can remember and has put her passion for words to work as a copywriter and editor. She has worked with businesses and entrepreneurs around the world, including digital influencers, small businesses, Fortune 500 companies, and one of the largest investor-owned utilities in the Midwest. Her work has been published in Forbes, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, Inc.com, and various other publications. Kristina lives outside of St. Louis, Missouri with her husband, two kids, and two dogs. When she's not busy being her kid's personal shuttle to hockey, baseball, softball, and rehearsals, she always has her nose in a book and is eagerly awaiting the arrival of her laundry fairy. Weight of Memory is her first novel. 

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When we first meet Lara, she is reeling from the loss of her brother, her best friend. She is nearly drowning in her grief and seeking any relief that she can find before she inadvertently destroys her relationships with her family and friends. She discovers an old book in an antique store that is written by a woman who also lost her brother, and she finds herself immediately drawn to the book. When Lara reads it for the first time, it brings her some solace and the healing that she has been struggling to find. However, when she starts to read the book a second time, she finds that the story itself has changed. It seems darker, creepier. What’s even more frightening is that the book is starting to reflect strange things that are happening in Lara’s own life. From there, Lara has to find a path to figure out what’s happening with the book and what’s happening in her own life. With the help of her aunt and a friend, who harbor their own secrets, Lara is discovering things she never thought possible about the connection between this world and the next.

I’ll admit that at times, I had difficulty falling asleep because I was a little scared (don’t worry, I frighten easily.) But what really kept me up late at night was my desire to keep reading. I had trouble putting it down! I’ve continued to think about this book after finishing it as well. It’s at once relatable, heartbreaking, delightfully mysterious, and more than a little bit witchy. Ultimately, it is a beautiful story of healing, and I think it will resonate with anyone who has suffered the loss of a loved one.

[Maddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all. Wow. I couldn’t put this down! This book pulled so hard at my emotions. There is a huge, overwhelming description of grief throughout and I think if you have struggled with the loss of someone close that should definitely be a trigger warning before reading. However, I also think it could be a help as it clearly gives the message of “you are not alone”.

The first part of the book is a lot of character building which made my heart go out to our main character Lara. She is so inundated with her grief it’s hard to read without wanting to reach out and hug her! And then spookiness starts.

The spookiness is the sort of scares that make you shiver a little- not a lot of detail; but it’s not needed. Wow. I was creeped out for sure!

I really really really loved the journey this story took, I didn’t want to stop reading it and I thought it was the perfect mix of spooky, emotional, witchy and twisty. I urge fans of this genre to read it!

[Sandy Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every once in awhile, a book comes along that you just can’t put down. This is one of those books. It is heart wrenching in a lot of ways and will speak to anyone who has lost someone close and that insatiable desire to communicate just one more time.

The characters are grounded and real and so relatable too so the introduction of some witchiness is both surprising and wonderful. It is also a bit scary but in a manageable sort of way. I needed to finish it so I could get on with my life! 😀

Being from the area where it takes place was fun too. I enjoyed the St. Louis references and Grafton, Illinois is one of my favorite places.

[Bearded Reader - Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.0) This book started like a quiet grief novel and ended somewhere between “therapist’s office” and “witchy fever dream.” I mean that as a compliment. Weight of Memory gave me all the emotional unraveling I crave in a contemporary character study, but then casually tossed in haunted objects, secret histories, and a plot twist that whispered, "Are you sure you want the truth?"

Lara, our heartbroken and beautifully messy protagonist, is grieving the loss of her brother Ben and struggling to get the validation she needs from literally anyone. Her grief doesn’t show up in neat stages, it leaks into her job, her marriage, and her sense of self. And just when you think you're reading a story of inner healing and slow personal growth, Brune hits us with a supernatural subplot, adding layers of mystery and suspense without losing the emotional core.

For a debut novel, Brune really nails the balance between grounded storytelling and eerie atmosphere. This book has a heart, and a throughline, that reaches out a hand to connect with a reader who has experienced loss. If you like your grief novels with a side of ghostly intrigue and a little bit of emotional catharsis, this one’s worth the read.

[Melody Mohesky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not typically a reader of suspenseful books or books about loss but this one has changed me. Weight of Memory, by Kristina Brune, is about Lara's journey with grief over the loss of her brother, Ben, and how tightly that grief takes ahold of us and to what extent we'd go through to find comfort and peace when we experience such a loss. The characters are described so thoughtfully that it made me feel like I really got to know them all. Grief is a heavy emotion and I felt Lara's emotions while reading this book. I wanted to reach out and give her a big hug and tell her that everything will be OK! Once the characters are introduced you start to get into the suspenseful part of the book where Lara finds a book in a bookstore about someone whose lost a sibling. She connects with the idea of the story and upon first read, it comforts her. Upon second read though, strange things start to happen. The tale is so cleverly crafted and told that I just wanted to keep reading to find out what happens next! While this book clearly gives the message of how one deals with grief, I found it to be comforting as it touched so many emotions for me. It was well written and came full circle. To quote a line from the book "The weight of our memory, rather than crushing us, cocoons us like a blanket and will see us through." It is this that helps you find peace in any loss. Can't wait to read what Brune writes next!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger warnings for deaths of loved ones and suicidal thoughts and attempts.

This book is not what I expected. I recieved this as a gift in a round about way and had no expectations going in.

We lost a friend of our family to suicide about 4 years ago and it has been difficult to move on. I didn't expect this book, a fantasy, to stir up feelings and emotions about all of this. It was exactly what I needed at this time in my life.

A mystery. Witches. Coven sisterhood. This book is really everything. I'd give it more stars if I could.

[AdventureIN.Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though it was haunting I enjoyed this book! It had me questioning the bumps in the night! What an eerie thriller.

Grief is such a powerful emotion. It can really just grab you and hold you down. This book takes those wants to have just one more moment with lost ones to a whole new level. I found myself looking over my shoulder and making sure the lights were on.

It took me a bit to get use to the change of characters and who I was following but once I did the pages melted away! I was sucked in!

This book centers around Lara, she just lost her brother and she wants nothing more then just one more moment with him. Will she get her closure or will she forever be haunted by this loss?

In short :
Did I like it ? yes!
Would I recommend it? Most def.
Would I read more by this author? Absolutely!

[Erika Rice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm always looking for a good ghost story, and this book delivered!

[Ang · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was too good to put down! This novel yanked at my feelings like crazy. Grief is described in great, overwhelming detail throughout. It speaks to anybody who has lost a loved one and longs to talk with them just once more. It is painful in many ways. I adored the direction this tale went in; I didn't want to put the book down. I recommend it to those who like this genre!

[Julia Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a Giveaway win for me! I could not put it down. The emotion of the characters woven into a great story was captivating.

[Glitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weight of Memory is a book punching far above its weight class.⁣
⁣
This debut novel from Kristina Brune came onto my radar a couple months ago and I preordered a copy. By chance, Kristina reached out a few weeks later and asked if I’d be interested in a copy of the eARC in exchange for a review and I said absolutely! That being said, my review is my own honest opinion. ⁣
⁣
Weight of Memory tells the tale of Lara, who’s struggling with the tragic death of her brother Ben. One day she encounters a book in an antique shop. Reading it makes her feel understood and comforts her...only...when she rereads it the second time...it’s different. Bizarre things start happening to her, that she cannot explain. Things even her husband doesn’t seem to believe. Is she losing her mind or is this book haunted? Finding the truth could change her life forever.⁣
⁣
I think it’s good to set this expectation up front. This book is heavy! It’s sad. Lara’s pain is palpable and for anyone that’s dealt with serious loss or is very empathic, it’s a rough read in that respect. Be prepared for that. If you can handle that, I think you are in for a FANTASTIC reward though. Brune weaves a haunting tale of Lara’s journey for healing and truth. It unravels itself in a slow and teasing manner, building tension and getting creepier as it goes. The pacing can be a tad slow at times but it’s steady and I never found it boring. There are some REAL eerie scenes, especially towards the latter half and by the end I absolutely could not put this down!⁣
⁣
Also, I have to give Kristina a shoutout for her handling of modern witchcraft. It’s very clear that she did her research! For once it wasn’t jam packed with eye roll inducing tropes. Of course there were fantastical elements (it’s fiction after all). But a lot of what she portrayed isn’t actually that far off from how I’d hope witches and covens would be characterized and I had to shout out that positive rep because it was awesome <3⁣
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I could go on a lot longer about this book but...ya know...IG...so if you’re in the mood for a slow-burn domestic, supernatural horror with witches, check this one out when it releases tomorrow!⁣
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🪡 🪡 🪡 🪡 🪡/5

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

What are the lengths you would go to recapture time with a loved one after they’ve died? That’s the question that kept haunting me long after I’d read Weight of Memory – and the question protagonist Lara has to face, head on, while struggling with the crushing grief of losing her brother Ben. The only things keeping Lara from submitting to her anguish are intense therapy, a new friendship, and her shared past with Ben. So when her memories begin to fade, Lara must do everything in her power to retrieve them. In her quest to regain them, Lara unknowingly uncovers a deadly artifact of the occult, blurring the boundary between life and death and putting her marriage, her young daughter, and even her life right in the path of irrevocable harm. This pulse-pounding, deeply poignant novel tries to reconcile the devastating finality of death with the desperate need of the living to hold onto what they’ve lost.

I was so lucky to get a chance to read an advance copy of this book and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who loves a slow-burning thriller, who loves gorgeous prose and well-drawn characters... or who has ever lost someone they love.

[Amanda Hixson · Rating 3 out of 5]

📖 Book Review 📖

Weight of Memory
By: Kristina Brune
Genre: Grief, Supernatural Thriller, Fantasy
⭐⭐⭐/ 5 Stars

"When I laugh with my husband or cuddle with my daughter, I am feeling the weight of them, smelling their skin, and taking in the lines and curves of their faces that I love so deeply. These are the things we think we need to cling to. But what I’m really taking in is the power of our connection—the love that ties us together and the weight of our shared experiences.

The weight of our memory, rather than crushing us, cocoons us like a blanket and will see us through"

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒂 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒊𝒕? Our story opens with young woman shut in her bedroom closet. Lara Kemp is reeling from the loss of her brother, her best friend. She is desperate for some kind of relief for this pain. Worst of all, the only thing she has left of him—her memories—have disappeared.

Lara stumbles over an old book in an antique store in the small town her aunt lives. Lara is astonished to see that the writer a 19th century woman who has experienced the same grief Lara has. The loss of her brother. Lara decides to get the book. At first, she is comforted by the pages she reads that is until she reads it again…

This time it's dark and sinister. Soon the things that Lara reads in the book start to happen to Lara. Lara heads back to her aunt's town to find out more about the woman in this book. However, she soon learns that others have been watching her and know about this powerful book too. Lara will eventually have to choose between doing what is safe or holding out so she can get what she's always wanted.

A compelling story about loss, grief, hope and surviving. I enjoyed this story a lot, however there we some parts that we slow in the beginning of the story. There was a lot of sadness, grief and talk about death at the beginning that kind of got me a bit down. The story however picks up quite quickly and then it's just a page turner. I wasn't too fond of the epilogue because there's a bit of a confusing part. I found out later it was meant to be intended to be taken as good. But I didn't get that from the book. All in all a fairly good debut novel and I look forward to reading more from Kristina in the future.

𝐖𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐁𝐲: 𝐊𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐁𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐤𝐞.
𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐧 @𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐳𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐫 @𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟑𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏

[Heather Connolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to start by saying I adored this book. It hit a lot of my likes: suspense, a touch of history, strong female character. I could go on but want to avoid any spoilers.

I especially love that the setting is local to St. Louis. As a St. Louis native and current resident, it’s always a treat to read about the area, it’s fun to hear about local attractions and think “hey, I love that place too.”

I originally picked up this book after a recommendation from my sister, who went to college and is still friends with the author. I have to say, keep the books coming.

I love to read in bed while trying to fall asleep. The book was, at times, a bit too creepy for this. I’m not a huge fan of scary things, but love suspense. The creepy factor got my heart racing a bit too much to wind down with in bed. This also meant that it took me longer to read than normal, since I only read before bed during the work week. But once a weekend came around I wasn’t able to put the book down.

If I had one tiny complaint, and it’s the reason for the 4 star rating, there are a few too many typos. However, I think the fault for this lies with the editing, and is not a reflection on the author. Otherwise, this book is in the same category as the Gillian Flynn Midwest mysteries are for me.

[Andi Finnell (spookybooknerd4ever) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay y'all, this is a good book and well written but it just was not for me. You know what they say, no one reads the same book. It's about Lara who has lost her brother and cannot move on. She finds a book at an antique store about a woman who has also lost her brother. It brings her comfort and she slowly starts to get her life back. But later on she decides to read the book again. Only this time it's different. Bad things are happening in the book and then they start to happen in Lara's life. Now, I thought I was really going to enjoy this book. But I did not. I had a really hard time getting into it. There was so much grief in it that it totally turned me off and really depressed me. It just kept going. And it wasn't creepy enough for me. Some people are going to love this book though. 🖤🖤🖤

[Deedra · Rating 4 out of 5]

audible:This was a fantastic book! I cried A woman loses her brother,it is not seen as important as losing a parent or child,there are no groups to help grief of a sibling.She finds a book that really helps ,so she re reads it to find out it is not the same the second time around.It is a book that now mirrors her life with the life of a nineteenth centuary family.Now she needs even more help.Nikki Zakocs was a fine narrator.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Crystal Carrigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a bit different than what I usually read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! The main character struggles with grief over the death of her brother. While trying to deal with this the best she can, she happens upon a book in an antique store. What happens next will keep you entranced! In the end, she gets the healing she needs. Very well written by an author that is local to where I live, which made it even more fun to read as nearby places were used as the settings.

[Ronni Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Brune did such a great job weaving this wonderful story together. It's tough to put together layers of different times in history, but this novel knocked it out of the park.

[Sammi Dyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weight of Memory by Kristina Brunke was a fantastic ghost story that was a gripping page turning emotional roller coaster ride. Hands down a fun read. I highly recommend this book and look forward to what is next from this author.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I can't give it five stars, no one can :)

[Lester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written.
I really connected with Lara felt like she was a real person

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book, but way too slow!

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be on everyone’s to read list!!

First of all, let me just say this book is amazing! It is filled with believable, relatable characters who have such an intriguing story to tell. The book has many layers and when the mystery and suspense really begin to unfold it delivers! It personally takes quite a bit to scare me but this book did just that and in a way that left me eager to keep reading. I HAD to know the answers. Many feelings were stirred up inside of me. Completely aside of the simple enjoyment of a book that is a “page turner” it had a part that taught a lesson on loss that hit so close to home, I had to stop and just process it for a bit. This book has something to offer for everyone, people who have felt the pains of loss or even people who know someone who has. It’s a story of a family that is relatable. It speaks for friendship and trust alongside self discovery all while telling a story you can’t wait to finish, yet do not want it to end because of how beautifully and compelling it is told. This is a must read! Five stars are not nearly enough.

[Kirsten Craig (TheSpineOfMotherhood) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕖𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕞𝕖𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕪, 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕟 𝕔𝕣𝕦𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕦𝕤, 𝕔𝕠𝕔𝕠𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝕦𝕤 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕒 𝕓𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕜𝕖𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕦𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙.”

*As always, you can find the book synopsis in my bio links!

Weight of Memory is a book about loss, family, growth, healing and magic. Within the first two pages I was already feeling deeply connected to the main character Lara, who is grieving the loss of her brother Ben. It reached out to me with the very relevant topic of how to navigate loss as a parent. I truly appreciate the way Brune described and conveyed the myriad of feelings associated with grief. It is also really important to acknowledge that Brune included some normalizing of therapy without the usual mental health stereotypes and cliches.
The magical aspects of the story were unique, refreshing and well developed. I am a big fan of books about magic, witchcraft or anything similar. It was nice to read about these themes from a fresh perspective.
This book had a little bit of everything for me: magic, pain, love, history, self acceptance, wonder and darkness. I feel less alone in the world after reading it and I know others who read it will feel the same.
“If Lara learned anything, it was that there’s no moving on after a tragic loss. There’s moving through, and changing your path, but no moving on.”

Many thanks to the author, Kristina Brune for allowing me to read and review this advanced copy of her book.
I highly recommend this book for lovers of fantasy and magic but also for anyone struggling with their own journey through grief.