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The Memory Library by Kate Storey
3.0

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ARC provided by HarperAudio.

Some stories stay with us forever.

For forty-two years, Sally Harrison has been building a library. Each year, on her daughter’s birthday, she adds a new book to her shelves – with a note in the front dedicated to her own greatest work.

But Ella – Sally’s only child – fled to Australia twenty-one years ago after a heated exchange, and never looked back. And though Sally still dutifully adds a new paperback to the shelves every time the clock strikes midnight on July 11th, her hopes of her daughter ever thumbing through the pages are starting to dwindle.

Then disaster strikes and Ella is forced to return to the home she once knew. She is soon to discover that when one chapter ends, another will soon follow. All you have to do is turn the page.

This book had such a great premise but I do wish I loved it more. I did love the idea of creating a library for a loved one or having someone create one for me. It was a great story of a mother and daughter and how they repair their relationship with a connection through books. This one had such a great message about the importance of family, friends, forgiveness, and community. But the one thing is I just could not connect with Ella. Who would carry a grudge over such a minor thing toward their mother for such a long, long time? And she did seem really childish and annoying at times. Sally, however, really saved the story for me. I just loved the found family and community she built and reading about their stories. Definitely a great idea for a book and I think a lot of people will relate to it. Also, if you are a fan of books about books, I recommend checking this one out.