Sobbing. What a beautiful, memorable, story about the depth of a mother’s love and the rekindling of some of the most important relationships in life. Everyone should read this - it so powerful and charming and I loved it so incredibly much.
When Ella travels from Australia back home to England to help her mom, Sally, after a fall, she comes face to face with her past, and uncovers the power of love. It’s heartbreakingly good and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book focusing on a strained mother/daughter relationship that must be mended as the mother ages and needs more hands-on care from her daughter, who hasn't visited in about 20 years. The daughter, Ella feels betrayed by her mother after discovering a letter her mother had from another man soon after Ella's father died. However, her mother, Sally has given Ella her space, as she moved half way around the world, all the while curating a library of carefully selected books in case Ella ever returns.

While The Memory Library took me a bit to get into, I ended up absolutely loving it. A truly heartfelt story that spoke to my heart. Kate Storey writes the plight of an estranged mother and daughter beautifully and I saw so much of my own life reflected in her words. By the end of the book I felt like I knew every character, big and small, and how important they all were to the story. If you want a book that will pull at your heart strings, and show the power of a community, definitely pick up this read.

The narrator was lovely to listen to as well.

While I thought the begging moved a little slow, I did enjoy the overall story. I thought it had strong character development.

Sally has always added a new book to the shelves of her library on her daughter Ella’s birthday with a dedication note in the front. Sally has continued this tradition even after Ella left for Australia twenty-one years ago after heated words. She’s not sure if Ella will ever read the words she has wrote to her, but they will be there on the off chance she returns.

Ella suddenly has no choice but to return to her childhood home that she fled so long ago.

I love the idea of the memory library and the idea of a special place like that.

I enjoyed the narrators and would definitely be interested in other books they’ve narrated.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for allowing me to listen to an ALC of this novel. #NetGalley #TheMemoryLibrary

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Watching the relationship between mother, Sally, and daughter, Ella, change during the time Ella is staying with her mother following an unfortunate accident was touching. It was moving to see Ella experience life with her mother and see all the ways her mother has had a positive impact on the lives of those around her. What a wonderful person and it is interesting to see how Ella begins to open her eyes and see that things are not always as they appear. The sense of community is a primary focus and has you wanting to experience the same sense with those with whom you work and live. I loved every time Ella thought in her mind, “If I were Queen of the World ...” It made me want to take up that mantra. This is a lesson of love, friendship, the value books have on our lives, community, memories, and family. Do not let this chance at a touching and heartwarming read. You should cherish every word that is expressed throughout the pages. They could change your life ... or at least your outlook on life.

As a side note, I loved the library aspect of this book. I had a group of graduate students who gave me a copy of a book that meant something to them and each wrote a note to go along with it to let me know why they chose that book for me. In fact, one of the books I received was written in Japanese (absolutely beautiful artwork) and then I received an e-book version in English. I will never forget the thought that went into each of the books I received. After you’ve read this book, you will see how this relates to my memory of these books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

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While this book explored intriguing themes, I had a hard time connecting with the story. However, that is obviously on me and not the book. I recognize that it has great potential to appeal to other readers and I encourage others to try it out! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

What a lovely treasure! Kate Storey's delightful mother-daughter relationship novel The Memory Library is filled with warmth. A must for anyone who has ever had an estranged relationship with someone quite close to them. I've had a rough patch or two with the mother figures in my life, and this is a real healing journey.

The audio version of The Memory Library is beautifully performed by Jilly Bond and Imogen Wilde.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Memory library is a sweet, heart breaking look at family and how we view our parents. Ella grows so much as person throughout the story. I loved how it is community focused--found family, accepting others and not judging. It is a very touching and heart-warming story. I loved how Sally bought a book for her daughter for her birthdays through out her 42 years. I love the lessons that Sally wanted to share with her daughter through the books. I enjoyed this story but make sure you have tissues.
I will not purchase for our high school library but do recommend it.

Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e version of this title in exchange for my honest review.

I found this to be a sweet read, with well developed characters. Loved Sally, she was wonderful and added a lot of love and heart to the book. Ella was less enjoyable, seemed much like a child despite her age, though she did have character growth though the book.

Great book for for an in-between genre changer. Great book about mother and daughter.

4 stars - really enjoyed it.

Loved this book. It was a great story of a daughter finding peace with her mother. Lots of community, family, forgiveness, grace. I thought the story was very well written and flowed really nicely. I’m bummed the author doesn’t have anymore books for me to read now. I’ll have to be on the lookout for future books. The narrators were great and I really enjoyed the audiobook. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an Arc in exchange for my honest review.

I went into this book blind, assuming it would be about a library filled with memories of its visitors—but that wasn’t the case at all. And honestly? I’m not even mad about it. Instead, I was met with a deeply moving story about a woman who returns home to care for her estranged mother after an injury, only to find herself on an unexpected journey of healing. As she rediscovers the books her mother had given her over the years, she begins to unravel not just their complicated relationship, but also pieces of herself she had long forgotten.

At its heart, this is a story about self-discovery—about how the moments, stories, and people in our lives shape us into who we are. It beautifully captures the power of books, not just as stories but as connections to our past and the people we’ve loved, lost, or misunderstood. It’s an emotional, reflective read that reminds us how sometimes, in revisiting where we came from, we find our way back to ourselves.

The Memory Library by Kate Storey was such a sweet story. I loved the book about books aspect of the novel. But better than that was the slow unfolding of the relationship of a mother and her adult daughter. The daughter, Ella, was so hard-hearted at times that I did rate the book down a start just because she was so inflexible in how she viewed her mother, no matter the evidence in front of her. Sally should have communicated with everyone sooner and better than what she did in order to salvage what she had, but would there have been a book if better communication had actually happened? This book made me feel all the warm fuzzies of friendship and family and I REALLY enjoyed it.

I loved this book - it was a story of forgiveness and understanding, aging, and love. Great narrator! Would definitely recommend

5 stars!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy

Dear The Memory Library,
Not only are you a beautiful and heartwarming story about family and unconditional love, but you are also about the impact that books can have on people and their relationships. You pulled me into this world as Ella navigated her tense relationship with her mother and all the unsaid things that lived between them. You were heartfelt and moving.

Such a sweet book about books, relationships, and misunderstandings. I love that these characters realized their importance before it was too late.

This story about an estranged mother and daughter who come together because of the mother’s injury was pretty good. The books she chose to give her each year and write a note inside was such a sweet sentiment!!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an advance copy of this audiobook, read by Imogen Wilde and Jilly Bond.

As the story begins, Sally is in her early 70s, living in a rundown but still beautiful Victorian home in Greenwich. Her daughter Elly lives in Sidney, Australia, with her husband, Charlie, and their young daughter Willow. Nearing 40, she is a driven businesswoman, ambitious and unceasing in her work, and the family provider while the affable Charlie is unemployed and takes care of hearth and home. She is also very angry—with Charlie, their lives, and most of all her mother, whom she hasn’t seen in more than a decade. She left home when her father, whom she adored, died suddenly. Her life is orderly and she is in control.

Then comes the early morning call that all children of elderly parents dread. Her mother has fallen and severely injured her hands. None of her English friends can provide the help she needs. Reluctantly, resentfully, she listens to her husband and assents to taking a month’s leave and flying home, burdened by the duty of the only child, and not at all happy about it.

The rest of this story of redemption and understanding unfolds slowly and compassionately. Elly is shocked at how her mother, her home and possessions, have deteriorated. She is fiercely unwilling to sympathize. She wants only to see her mother moved to a care home, so that she can return to Australia when her month is up.

Things do not go as planned. As she is drawn into her mother’s circle of friends—a disparate group of different ages, lifestyles and proclivities—she discovers truths about her mother that her focus on her father had blocked. These truths brings her self-knowledge, painful but worthwhile.

The Memory Library of the title is both the central metaphor and a very real thing. Mother and daughter are not perfect beings, just ordinary people who inadvertently allow misunderstandings to fester. The ending is a bit pat and predictable but it also satisfies. The two narrators read with warmth and compassion. In sum, I highly recommend this novel. Just the thing for a cold and isolating season.

This book tackles the complicated relationship between mother and daughter. Ella has been living in Australia and estranged from her mom, Sally, for many years. When Sally has an accident, Ella comes back to England to help her care for her mom, even though its the last place she wants to be. Upon her return, Ella and Sally must confront the challenges they have in their relationship and must learn to forgive each other.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the emotional journey that it brought me through. While I will say that Ella was hard to connect or relate to initially, her character arc is one of redemption by the end of the book. The rest of the characters, however, really helped carry this book and helped the emotional impact in such a good way.

Overall, this book was a little out of the genres that I usually stick with, but by the end of the book I was really glad I took a break from mysteries so that I could enjoy this title.

The Memory Library by Kate Storey is a story about a complicated relationship between Sally and her daughter Ella. I had a hard time finishing this book due to just how unlikeable Ella was. While there was good character development and growth overall there was just too much teenage angst type feelings/behavior for me to love this book. That being said, in some ways this story is almost a love letter to books and what they can bring to our lives. That part I truly loved. If you enjoy books and books and complicated mother-daughter relationships, this will probably be a hit for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Audio Adult for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.