I will forever cherish this book. Despite the sad themes throughout this book, it is like getting a big bear hug. I also felt it was like looking into a mirror and being able to see myself and it truly made me reflect and appreciate who I am as a person and reminded me to make time for those I love and cherish.

The story is centred around Ella and her strained and distant relationship with her mother, Sally. It's so much more than that, but I recommend you read this book spoiler free.

I absolutely adored the sense of community within these pages. It was refreshing to read it was all based in London where we expect hustle bustle, not knowing your neighbours and not speaking to people in our streets. Originally from down south, I know we get communities like this, but it's a common misconception that places like London aren't.

The bookish references made this even more special. I loved Ella's Library - [ read the book to find out more ].

When Ella says, " If I was Queen of the world... " I grinned every time because I've said this phrase so many times, and I can imagine most people have. I saw myself in Ella, and as scary as that was, I've definitely opened my eyes to my own self.

I cannot recommend this book enough I think I'll be going on about it for a long time to come and I think its the ideal book to kick off 2024 when we're all in the process of reflection and making changes.

A huge thankyou to netgalley & Avon Publishing for giving me the pleasure of reading this book.

Sally's daughter Ella moved to Australia 21 yrs ago. She found something out about her mother's life just after the death of her father. She refused to listen to what her mum had to say and instead fled to the other side of the world.
When her mum,Sally has a fall Ella is persuaded by her husband that she has to do the right thing and fly home to England and take care of her.
Slowly Ella finds out about her mum's life and how much she means to other people and through that what she used to mean to her.
A story of a mother's love and what she would do to protect her child and what she gives up to protect her child. There is forgiveness and redemption and finding out that everything is not always as it seems.
A lovely cast of neighbours and friends are alongside the two main characters of Sally and Ella and make this book an enjoyable read.
I did shed some tears near the end and that shows what a good story it was.

"The Memory Library" is really heartwarming read. It centres around the strained relationship between Ella and her mother, Sally. For 42 years, Sally has been building a library, adding a new book with a personal note to her daughter each year on her birthday. However, following a heated argument, Ella moved to Australia and has never returned. Despite this, Sally continues to add a new book to the library every year, hoping that Ella will someday read them.

When Sally has a fall, Ella is forced to return to England to help her mother recover. During her stay, she discovers the library her mother has been building in her honor. This discovery, coupled with the time spent with her mother, prompts Ella to reflect on her own life, including her marriage and her relationship with her eight-year-old daughter.
A really worthwhile read, just make sure you have tissues to hand!

After Sally has a fall at home, her daughter Ella returns after being essentially estranged for more than 20 years to help with her recovery. While back at her mother's home, Ella discovers that Sally has kept up her tradition of choosing and inscribing a book for Ella each year for her birthday, only the personal library was ruined by the water damage that occurred during Sally's fall. Ella realizes that maybe the reasons she ran away were not what she thought. This was one of those nice, (mostly) happily ever after books where everyone learns something and most problems are resolved. It was good, a quick and fairly light read. 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Ella left home when she was in her early twenties and never looked back. When she visits her mom many years later alot has changed but sine things have remained the same. This book was well written.

I loved this so much! I thought it was so good. I couldn't put it down. I loved the story and the characters.

This was a beautiful story about Tess, who comes home to England from Australia to look after her mother, Sally. Tess has spent most of her adult life with a deep grudge against her mother and this book about discovery, relationships and a shared love of books is a really heartwarming tale. Really enjoyed it,

Thought predictable, this is ultimately a heartwarming novel with themes of kindness, community, wrestling with the idea of home and the power of words. You won't be surprised by the ending, but this uplifting story provides enough substance too avoid being "too hallmark-y." While it isn't one I'll feel a need to re-read, it *is* one that I'll recommend and I'll take the book-birthday-gifting idea with me!

A story about renewing relationships through the shared joy of books. After leaving home at the age of 21 after the death of her dad. Relationship between mother and daughter is strained due to a misunderstanding. Now 21 years later having to leave her life in Australia to return to the UK to look after mum following an accident. Can they be kind to each other, reconnect and find the fun and caring relationship they had in previous years?
A heart warming story about mother and daughter relationship, friend's and community sharing the love of books ❤️

This is a wonderful, heart breaking, ultimately uplifting story about the relationship between a mother and her daughter. Ella isn’t a particularly nice character initially and I enjoyed her development as she opens herself to her mum’s life and begins to see that her childhood wasn’t quite the version she has held on to all these years. It’s also a story about the power of stories and there are number of wonderful books mentioned as well as a couple I’ll now read!

I was lucky enough to receive a digital copy of The Memory Library from @avonbooksuk and @netgalley for review a few weeks ago and have been working my way through the rest of my books. When I saw @theliterateleprechaun review I decided to bump it up a few notches and I am so glad I did.

This is a beautiful story about the power of books, the lessons life hands us, wether we want them or not, love and family.

I couldn’t stop reading this. This mother daughter story captured my heart and I had to know how it ended. I absolutely recommend adding this to your list. Hitting shelves Feb 1 2024

Ella jumped on a plane and left England 21 years ago and has never looked back. Her life is now in Australia with her husband and daughter. When her mom’s neighbour calls to let her know her mom has been injured and needs her she will shove down a lifetime of resentment to do her duty.
Sally has never stopped missing her daughter. Every year on Ella’s birthday she has bought her a book and inscribed it for her to read when she one day comes home. With her daughter returning to England she hopes to enjoy every precious second she can reconciling with her long lost daughter.

This is a heart warmer and heart breaker. I loved every character, every word and every second I got to spend in this delightful book.
#booklover #booksbooksbooks #bookstagrammer #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookstagram #booksta #readersofinstagram #readersgonnaread #readersofinsta #read #bookworm #booknerd #bookaddict #booklife

Thanks NetGalley for my copy of The Memory. Library. Wow. I loved this book. It made me smile, laugh and cry. It reminded me how lonely life can be without your community and how important it is to open yourself up to people even if at first sight they may not seem to be your type. The world is made up with all different types and that’s what makes like so beautiful Giving to others is a wonderful gift for oneself

A lovely story of the relationship between child and parent when the roles are reversed and the child needs to look after the parent.

The Memory Library by Kate Storey

When Sally has an accident her daughter Ella who lives in Australia comes to stay. Ella has been distant from her Mum for 21 years after a shocking discovery when her Dad died. But nothing is what it seems and Ella gradually rediscovers the wonderful person her Mum is, helped along by the local community and the library she has created for her.

What a wonderful book - I read it in a day and stayed up late to finish it! The power of books, stories and communities is at its heart and I loved the characters, the story... everything. One of my top reads of 2023 and it's my 81st book. Very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

A beautiful book about the impact stories can have on your life and how they can alter your view on the world. I might have shed a little tear at the end.

This is wonderfully written and I was in absolute floods of tears for the majority of this read!

The Memory Library explores the power of books, of friendships and community, our relationships with parents and ourselves, and is all round emotional and heart warming read. It’s a really heartbreaking dive into our perceptions of people and how these stories we tell ourselves then dictate so many of our interactions - I adored these elements of the book.

I really struggled to rate this though, as while it is beautifully written and emotionally intelligent, towards the end the story loses me. I loved so many elements of this book and truly my only complaint is that towards the end there were just some really cheesy moments and the story lost it’s authenticity and believability for me a little and that’s such a shame. Elements of this book were easily 5 stars, but the cheesy show and how everything seemed to become neatly wrapped up in a bow at the end honestly didn’t do it for me and ultimately dragged down my rating. But I am sure the ending will probably be really appealing and satisfying to a lot of readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC

The Memory Library by Kate Storey is a wonderfully, touching, inspirational story about a mother-daughter relationship. Sally was blessed with one child, a daughter Ella. Sally, a teacher, loved to share stories with her daughter so each year on her birthday, she would buy Ella a book and write a loving note inside the book with the lesson she would like her to learn. When Ella's becomes a teenager, she and her mother have a disagreement and Ella runs off to Australia. Their relationship becomes estranged for 22 years, until Ella receives a call that her mother is in the hospital, forcing Ella to return home. Will this reuniting make or break their tenuous relationship?
I absolutely loved this book from start to finish. As both a mother and a daughter, I could relate to both Sally and Ella. This story made me look at my own relationships with my mother and my daughter. It was touching, a heart warming and a heart breaking tale at the same time. This book teaches you about how what you perceive and what is true can be two totally different things. It shows you that misunderstandings can be life altering and that communication is the solution. You will tear up numerous times as you read this delightful story so be sure to have tissues on hand. I will cherish this book and it has inspired me to start my own memory library for my daughter.
Thanks to Netgally and Avon Books for the advanced copy. The opinions are my own.

“We should regret our mistakes and learn from them, but never carry them forward into the future with us.”

This is one of those books that I’ll cherish; it’s a 𝙝𝙪𝙜 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨 and it’s a 𝙢𝙞𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧 that allows readers to see themselves. Storey’s novel is a gift because it shows us a part of ourselves that we might not have seen before - perhaps we’re too wrapped up in our own little world or challenges, perhaps we’ve allowed ourselves to harbour bitterness or self-righteousness, perhaps we’ve rationalized our excuses. Regardless, many of us haven’t made enough time for those we love. For those of us who still have our parents and/or grandparents, this is a 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 them as they age.

Twenty-one years ago, Ella Harrison left home and never looked back. Fuelled by misplaced bitterness and self-righteousness, she wraps herself up in her own little world and doesn’t make space for anyone; her marriage suffers, her daughter suffers, and her mother suffers. It takes a call from her mom’s neighbour to give Ella the wake-up call she needs. Returning home, Ella discovers that she’s lost 21 years of loving and being loved and she needs to make it right. She’s lonely at the top and she has time and opportunity to fix her challenges. Her husband was correct - “Some things aren’t easy, Ella. It doesn’t mean you don’t face up to them. Maybe it’s time to stop running away.”


This is the perfect book to read as we enter a fresh new year full of opportunities to correct our past mistakes.

I loved the 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲! I want to live in a world where there are Jakubs, Minas, Hannahs, Veritys, Prus and Nathans. I want to value them and appreciate what my community can do when it comes together. They are already all around me, I just need to take my eyes off myself and reach out.

I loved all the 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 and without giving too much away - I LOVED Ella’s library! If you are going to read one ‘bookish’ book this year, make it this one. I loved my time in Whoville, I mean Circus Street, and had my heart stretched three times as big.

I appreciated the reminder about the importance of having a purpose, smiled at the times Ella said, “If I was Queen of the World ….”, loved Hadron Collider, the one-eyed cat, and was teary reading about all the things Sally had given up in the hopes that her daughter would forgive her.

🛒What you’re going to get:
𝙖 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠, 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙙𝙤𝙢 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚, 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥, 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨.

My takeaways:

❤️ ”Check your privilege and remember that who you are is more important than what you have.”
❤️ “Comparison is the thief of joy.”
❤️ “We can’t rewrite the past.”
❤️ “Unfamiliar glow of selflessness.”

I was gifted this copy by Avon Books UK and was under no obligation to provide a review.

If perception is the lens through which we experience reality, then this novel is a cautionary tale on how misperceptions can have significant ripple effects for years.

Ella discovers at age 21 that her mother is having an affair based on a letter she uncovers by accident. Her fury and disappointment lead to a twenty-year rift in the relationship between mother and daughter which begins to erode Ella’s marriage as well. It is only when she reluctantly travels back home (from Australia to England) to care for Sally, her ailing mother, that Ella begins very slowly to reframe past events and see her mother as a person beyond the role of parent. One catalyst is the discovery that her mother created a special library for Ella based on Sally’s loving devotion of gifting a new book with an inscription on Ella’s birthday.

The two main characters – Ella and Sally – evoked a range of emotions. It was hard to embrace Ella’s anger and cold demeanor toward her mother. Sally, on the other hand, comes across as a victim by not confronting Ella’s intolerance based on a falsehood. These two flawed characters also called for compassion, and it was rewarding to observe the changes in each of them as they began to heal individually and in the relationship.

Overall, this was a heart-felt exploration of love, loss, grief, and second chances when there is openness and transparency. A host of other supporting characters added dimension and interest with some warmth and on occasion light humor.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

I enjoyed this book Immensely, although some of it was very sad. Beautifully written and sensitivity done. What a great idea writing about a library full of memories. Didn't want t it to end. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.