The first thing that strikes me about this book is how sensitive and caring and respectful it is, about all the topics involved, including social anxiety, mental health, physical illness, loss, grief, childbirth, and most of all, dementia. It is a gentle book with gentle words.

I lost my Nan to dementia in 2016 and so many of my experiences were shown in this book. Luckily, she always seemed to know who I was, but seeing the woman who helped my parents raise me, the woman with whom I spent so much time, the woman who gave me my love of books and reading, and who really was my best friend deteriorate like that, it is horrible. In morbid comparison, I lost my dad the year after from cancer and as hard as that was, he was still himself to the day before he died. Dementia doesn’t give you that. It robs you of the person long before their death and it’s horrible. Sarah has captured this so perfectly - and I wonder if she has had personal experience - it is like looking into a time machine. It is beautiful and had me crying on more than one occasion.

There’s no getting around the fact that this is an emotional punch of a book. I wasn’t expecting the turns it would take and it got to me. The way she is able to depict grief in 300 pages is just beautiful.

I felt Isabel was a good main character. She’s so human, with doubts and hope, joy and sadness. She’s not perfect but she wants to try. I also loved Opal (unsurprisingly, she reminded me of my Nan) and I really liked Keely and Evan. They were great with Isabel and helped her story progress. I don’t think there was a bad character amongst them.

If you’re like me, you’ll find yourself fighting off tears for a majority of the time. In sadness and grief, heartbreak, love and happiness; it’s just a really lovely, beautiful book.

I read it one sitting. It was torrential rain outside, I curled up on the sofa with a cup of tea, and just lost myself in the story. It is my first book of hers but I’ll definitely be reading more.

Wow. This book! What an incredible story.
It absolutely broke my heart, but in the best possible way!
The story follows Isabel, a hospital chaplain who is all sorts of struggling. An incident at work leads Isabel to be a caretaker for Opal, an 88 year old dementia patient. Isabel gets to know a lot about Opal, Opal’s family, and herself as well. We follow Isabel as she learns to cope, grow emotionally, and mend relationships that may be irreparable.

What We Remember follows the life of Isabel, a hospital chaplain. We become aware early in the novel that she has suffered a traumatic event 2 years prior however, we are not told what has occurred. She has shut out her friends and family and lives an isolated life between work and home. Things begin to unravel for her at work when she loses her temper and is suspended from work for months. She is now out of a job and requires money to pay her rent. She becomes a caregiver an elderly woman with dementia, Opal. Caring for Opal allows Isabel to see the influence of family and importance in nurturing family relationships. Eventually, the tragedy is revealed, and we discover more information and secrets that change what I thought happened throughout the book. This book was a heartwarming, tear jerker. I highly recommend it. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first book by this author but it won’t be my last! I was drawn in Immediately to Isabel’s story and felt connected to her throughout. I kept trying to imagine what That Day (trauma) held for her but I was completely wrong and I like that because it bodes for good storytelling!

I also enjoyed the emotional depth and accuracy that the author gave to the characters (not just Isabel but also Anna and Ethan and Isabel’s parents. I loved the character of Opal and found her to be a grounding presence throughout the story.

I did find it strange, though, as a hospital chaplain with faith before That Day, that Isabel didn’t seek help until more than two years later. But I did like how most people in her life gave her permission to let her grief journey be what it was.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is so enjoyable. The characters were quirky and lovable. I just loved Opal and her gin martinis. This book is about love and loss and I truly enjoyed it. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

The plot of this book is excellent - with especially great treatment of how to love a family member struggling with Alzheimer’s and what happens when one friend abandons another. I feel like the author dove deep into these two subjects and the thoughts and choices of her characters kept me turning pages. I think the book would have been even better with more editorial guidance - there were a few inconsistencies, a bit of repetition, and the dialogue was awkward in some places. But I’ll take a great plot over elegant dialogue any day, so I can cheerfully recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book.

Poignant and sweet read about relationships, the loss of loved ones, illness and death—and how our hearts deal with the trauma. The characters in What We Remember are lovable and kind. Isobel is hurting and finds comfort in caring for Opal. Eventually we learn what happened on “That Day”, as Isobel has come to call it. The story continues as Isobel works through her grief with help and support from family and friends.

Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

Different than the other books that Sarah Echavarre has written before - definitely a good difference! There is more heart, more honesty, and more human tenderness on the page than in her previous books, and it makes for sweetness in book form that is hard to find! It reminds me of that feeling when you find the perfect book, and clouds are coming in off the water, and you just are happy to curl up with your read all day long.

Interfaith Chaplain, before and after storytelling, stories about loss and love, those are a few of the jobs, themes, and devices used in the book, and they are used well. Each character is developed, the plot moves in a steady fashion, and the story tugs at your heart.

This was a joy to read!

Thank you to Net Galley, and the publishers for sharing an ARC with me.

What We Remember
A Novel
by Sarah Echavarre

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I love this book. YES, LOVED. This is absolutely amazing book, full of heavy heart and teary eyes. It is one of the best books I have read in a long time. Family sometimes is not easy, but loss and family have lessons.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Publication: January 10, 2023

I think it's safe to say that I have found a new auto-buy author! This book hit right in the feels for me especially as someone who has had "That Day" (as most people can relate to). The writing was easy to follow and sucked me right into Isabel's story. I resonated so deeply with her struggles and grief.

The only thing that held this back from a five star read, in my opinion, is that I found the story to be repetitive in some places plus a lot of "telling" in other places. The repetition would jar me out of the story and I would have felt more response if there was a bit more "showing" of Isabel's feelings.

Overall, an easy but very powerful read that I think everyone will love!

Perfect for fans: women's fiction, Colleen Hoover, character driven story, Hallmark movies

I have read two of Sarah's books, Faker and Three More Months. This book was a unique spin and different from those awesome reads. I truly enjoyed this book and I think it is the fastest I've ever read a book! I enjoyed it that much and it was such a pleasant and easy read. The story is well told, good pace. It focuses on the main character Isabel and her experiences and hardships she is facing. You meet her family and her coworkers and some special characters in the new opportunity that arises based on some work circumstances. This is a journey of love, loss, family ties, and changing your course of life and opportunities/prospects and the need arises. Isabel really did some transforming and growing as a main character and that was a refreshing read. I really found myself reflecting on my own life journey and relationships and how I have grown or what would like to accomplish in my life. Like I said a really good, must-read, easy- read. So happy I had the opportunity to read this first before release and share my review. I look forward to continuing to do this. To be honest I think this was my first real book review, and for sure the first one for NetGalley. Enjoy and please pick up Sarah's book What We Remember and her other famous titles too!

An emotionally laden and beautifully immersive book about loss, love, memories. Do not fret, this book may seen emotionally heavy but I guarantee you that this book will be the best read.

This was one of the most beautifully written books I have read in a while. I don't normally pick up books that are emotional and heavy but I am so glad I was gifted this book to review. Following Isabel as a hospital chaplain struggling to deal with an event that is later revealed in the book, was a journey that left me in tears but also warmth. This is a book I will be thinking about for a long time.

Wow a moving novel about hope, loss, the power of memories, and the enduring bonds of family.
It was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

A truly beautiful story with so many challenges it is presenting, you become very invested in the story. Each time you think you know what has happened, something makes you question it all again.

Story about a woman who's working through grief, coming to terms with a "terrible day" while trying to keep her job a hospital chaplain, even though she no longer has faith in anything. I guessed who she had lost fairly early, but it didn't make the story any less moving, as she finds her way through her grief by helping an elderly dementia patient and her family.

What We Remember follows a woman through her journey of loss of faith, and loss of life as she knows it when she separates herself from her friends and family following a traumatic incident. The novel tells a story of being there for one another and the importance of the people around us in our life. It explores love, grief, loss, family, friendship, and all the ties between people that make humanity so special. At times the narration is a bit on the nose; I would have liked to feel what the character was feeling more instead of having her tell me, but it was a heartwarming story of connection overall.

This is an engaging story of Isabel, an Interfaith Chaplain at her local hospital. A devastating event occurred a couple years earlier, 2 years and 2 months to be exact, that changed Isabel’s life forever. She never speaks of this; however, she has sequestered herself, at home, from all family and friends, even ignoring all phone calls, texts and e-mails for over a two-year period. She continues to go to work and there she is able to function normally as she performs her job as a Chaplain, helping others through challenging circumstances. Although she is hiding a secret that could affect her job, she is able to do it successfully until she is suspended without pay for 3 months.

When Isabel’s best friend, Keely, invites her to a birthday party, she agrees to go, however, after indulging in some liquid courage, that totally knocked her out, she never makes it. She hadn’t seen Keely in over two years either, however, is determined to repair that relationship, along with the relationship she has with her parents that is also fractured.

During her 3-month suspension from the hospital, she takes the job as a caregiver to an elderly woman suffering with dementia. Opal had been a patient in the hospital and Isabel had met her family and Opal previously. This job unexpectedly changes not only Isabel, but also the direction of her life.
This story beautifully deals with several real-life issues and the value of accepting available help. It also demonstrates how the truth can be freeing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions and comments are my own.

A very powerful and gripping story that is difficult to read in some parts but worth sticking with. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. As a nurse who has worked in emergency care, palliative care, and now intensive care, the book resonated well with me. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.