Books That Play with Memory
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
It’s national Forget-Me-Not Day and, naturally, we’re thinking about all of our favorite books that play with the theme of memory. We love a plot that hinges on memory, whether the protagonist is rediscovering key memories, remembering their life through an obscured lens, or just plain forgetful. So read on! But remember: things aren’t always what they seem.
Siri, Who Am I? by Sam Tschida
After waking up from a coma with short-term amnesia, a millennial named Mia must piece together her entire identity using the only thing she still has left: her iPhone. This humorous look at the performance of social media and the assumptions we make is delightful. It’s the perfect adventure story for social media sceptics and aspiring influencers alike. Siri, Who Am I? isn’t out until January 2021, but you’ll want to preorder it now. Otherwise, you might forget!
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The Giver by Lois Lowry
At first glance, Jonas lives in a utopia. Everyone has a place in the world – and they all seem content. But when Jonas is given his role as The Receiver to The Giver, he realizes just how much his world has hidden, and how many painful memories he’s now responsible for. It’s possible that you’ve already read The Giver – so many middle schools assign it as required reading – but now is a wonderful time to revisit this dystopian young adult novel.
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We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Cadence Sinclair Eastman knows that her family’s private island summers are more than meets the eye. For one thing, she has no memories from two summers ago. She knows that she struck her head in the water, but everything else is…murky, at best. So, when Johnny, Gat, and Mirren – who call themselves the “Liars” – reunite two summers later, all they want is for Cadence to remember what happened that summer. And the way this novel explores the concept of memory is fascinating.
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The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
We can’t talk about memory without bringing up Tennessee Williams’ memory play The Glass Menagerie. This semi-autobiographical play, told through the memory of Tom Wingfield, explores the life of Tom, his sister Laura, and his overbearing mother Amanda – who’s singularly focused on finding a gentleman caller for Laura. Every story we engage with is filtered through a point of view, but The Glass Menagerie reminds us every step of the way, challenging the point of view of memory. And it’s masterful.
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Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
Lotto and Mathilde are gorgeous, madly in love, and destined for greatness. For Lotto, that greatness is artistic. He’s a fantastic playwright with an incredible career. And Mathilde’s greatness is to support Lotto’s artistic brilliance, no matter what. Fates and Furies plays with the fickle nature of memory – and the way every story always has at least two sides. We don’t want to give anything away, but the way Lauren Groff filters Lotto and Mathilde’s story through memory is mind blowing.
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