Though The Insistence of Memory was published several years ago, it was recently submitted to Independent Book Review where it earned a starred review! I’m thrilled with Erica Ball’s thoughtful review and hope it encourages more readers to check out The Insistence of Memory.
You can read the full review below or on Independent Book Review’s listing (here). If you check out the review on IBR’s site, you can also leave a comment or like the review. Word of mouth is just as important as great reviews. If you’ve enjoyed The Insistence of Memory (or my other books!), please tell your friends!
Independent Book Review – Starred Review
A brilliant look at the nature of memories, how they shape our lives, and how they are shaped by our lives
In The Insistence of Memory, twenty-something widow Joanne is suddenly faced with the possibility of viewing a handful of her recently-deceased husband Jeff’s memories, due to a machine he secretly invented.
Though she can’t begin to understand how this machine works—it seems no one can—the fact remains that it does. Now, in addition to grieving the loss of her husband and the father of their twin girls, she has to decide whether she wants to see the recordings of his memories and what she is supposed to do with this potentially world-changing technology.
Bringing along her life-long best friend Eleanor, Joanne tries to navigate a world in which such things are possible. They have to face questions like what sorts of changes accessing recorded memories could have on society and what could happen if this technology gets into the hands of those who would exploit it for money or personal gain.
As they get help studying the machine and Jeff’s notes, they begin to realize just how complicated memories are. They learn how memories are made and how they are filtered through each person’s experiences. How there might not be such a thing as objective fact when it comes to memories and how easily they can be meddled with. They begin to wonder how much they can rely on the memories of others or even their own. To make matters worse, Joanne and Eleanor have a secret, something they went through when they were much younger and have kept a secret to this day.
Watching Joanne navigate all this is like watching a car crash in slow motion. It is obvious she knows something bad is coming her way, and that once it arrives life will never be the same.
All the characters are realistically flawed, with some, like Joanne, being more sympathetic than others. Joanne is thoughtful, kind, and tuned in to those around her. This is in stark contrast to other characters, like Eleanor’s husband, who are obviously too occupied with their own desires and emotions to spare much attention to anything or anyone else. This difference makes the rotating point of view all the more compelling and explores how different people might have vastly different reactions to such a startling invention.
Though featuring futuristic technology, this book reads as a speculative fiction very friendly to the general reader rather than a hard sci-fi reader. It is centered on the characters, their relationships, their pasts, and their inner lives. It doesn’t involve overly technical language or concepts, just a welcome level of real science of how memories are formed and how they can be affected by time and subsequent experiences.
As such, it’s a fascinating study on the interplay of memory and grief and how they both seep into our associations with objects and places. These physical things then carry echoes of our past that can be triggered without warning. It’s about how all of this informs the stories we tell ourselves and each other about who we are and how we got to where we are in our lives. It shows that unresolved trauma will never leave on its own and will always demand a reckoning, sometimes in the most unexpected ways. The Insistence of Memory is the unforgettable story of just what it takes to break free of the past and the memories that can tie us down.