The Memory Library by Kate Storey was a lovely Audiobook of forgiveness and reconnection.

Ella estranges herself from her mother, Sally, after a misunderstanding after Ella's father's death. Ella is deep in the rat race of life and work when she gets a call from her mother's neighbor that her mother has been seriously injured and will need help recovering. Ella reluctantly and resentfully returns to England after more than 20 years away. What follows is a beautifully described mending of the relationship between mother and daughter, helped by a rich and diverse cast of supporting characters. Ella's growth as a character was especially well written.

There were 2 narrators for this audiobook. One for Ella and one for Sally. This was mostly told from Ella's perspective, but both narrators were a pleasure to listen to, and I'll be looking for other narrations by Jilly Bond and Imogen Wilde.

Story - 4/5 stars. Recommended for anyone in need of a feel-good, uplifting and inspiring story.
Narrators - 5/5 stars.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Memory Library (Audiobook) by Kate Storey
A mother and daughter are living on different continents because of a rift over two decades ago. Ella is called back to her childhood home to help her mother, Sally, when she falls and gets injured. Sally has been building a library complete with personal notes. She adds a book every year on her daughter's birthday.
While this seems like it will be a heartwarming journey of forgiveness and finding a new relationship, it falls flat.
Ella is a 42 year old, self centered brat, who just doesn't like her life. This is a fluently told story with complex family dynamics. It may work well for some, but I was unable to connect with the story or the unlikeable characters. Ella's distant attitude and overall anger set my mood as the reader.
I loved the concept of this story. I love books about libraries and books. However, this one fell flat for me because of the main character. Ella's attitude made the story just disconnect with me as the reader. I hope the story works for others but it wasn't for me. I want to at least like the stories I read or listen to and that usually involves a connection with the characters or plot.
The two narrators did a great job giving a voice to the characters, the audio performance was good., the characters were just not likeable.
I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC of the audiobook.
Overall, I rate this one as a 2.5/5⭐

"The Memory Library" is my new favorite book of the past year.

When the main character, Ella, learns that her mother, Sally, has injured herself, she returns home to England to take care of her for a month. For the past twenty-one years, they'd been somewhat estranged, only in sporadic and stilted contact, even though they'd both been very close when Ella was younger.

For all those years, Ella thought she knew for certain everything she needed to know when it came to her mother. Yet when she returns home, she learns that nothing was as it seemed to her. And in fact, SHE is the one who's been in the wrong all these years. While she's been convinced that her mother is self-centered and uncaring, the people in Sally's community prove otherwise, time and again.

As Ella begins to question all she thought was true, all the limitations she's placed on her own life start to fall away and make her question what she really wants out of life.

Ultimately, this story is about family and found family, forgiveness and acceptance, and the power of books to build community, compassion and connection.

A huge thank you to Kate Storey, HarperAudio, and NetGalley for an advance review copy. This book was a true pleasure to read!

The Memory Library is a beautiful emotional rollercoaster. Kate Storey did an impeccable job of creating a touching and realistic story of a mother and daughter’s journey to love and acceptance. Ella and her mother Sally have been estranged for many years due to a complete misunderstanding and a case of jumping to conclusions. Once she is able, Ella moves to Australia to get as far away from her mother as possible. For many years, Ella had not seen Sally. Sally has not even met Ella's daughter Willow. After Sally experiences a nasty fall, Ella is forced to return to England to care for her mother. It is during her trip home that she realizes that her foredrawn conclusion may not be what really happened those many years ago. I loved the raw and realistic mother-daughter relationship that Kate Storey shares. Reading how Ella and Sally overcome past accusations and mishaps was truly eye-opening to how all we sometimes need to do is to ask a simple question and how sometimes the most difficult conversations are the ones that will save us from heartache. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and encourage everyone to read it.

#TheMemoryLibrary is my last #audiobook listen of the year. Being 6:41pm here on the east coast of the U.S. it's safe to safe it may be my last read altogether for the year, unless I finish one or another of some books I still have partially read... this story was lent to me as an early read via @netgalley and thanks to @harperaudio for the approval & @avonbooks for publishing the story and to #katestorey the author. This story is about a mother and daughter estranged over a scenario involving insinuations and assumptions that caused her daughter to move halfway across the world from the UK to Australia. After barely communicating with her mother for a decade, Ella hears that her mother has fallen ill and needs her. When she returns, she finds her mother embraced in a community that loves her and she discovers so much on this trip home. The most lovely thing is about the library her mother built for her throughout the years. It's such a lovely idea.
I loved this cozy read that really brought home the concepts of family, books, and being part of one's community.

The Memory Library
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A sweet fun absolutely enjoyable book. You will fall in love with the characters. You will cheer them on. A great story to just relax & take in. You will want to keep reading & not stop. A story filled with just the right amount of magic.
Thank you NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
4 STARS
I absolutely loved this book for its unique and refreshing perspective. While discovering that your mother has Alzheimer’s is far from refreshing, the story itself felt original and unlike anything I’ve read before. The characters were deeply engaging, and their journeys resonated with me. Though the narrative was heavy at times, it remained captivating throughout, leaving me grateful to have experienced such a powerful and moving story

Cheesy, predictable... Did I mind? Not a jot.
This was gorgeous. Such a lovely idea for a mother to give her daughter a book on her birthday, with a little inscription, and add it to their library room at home. I would so do this if I had a daughter!
It brings out a real love of literature. The book mentions so many novels- contemporary as well as classics, and it made me want to read the ones I hadn't already.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Jilly Bond and Imogen Wilde. Both actors were excellent, but I truly adored Imogen Wilde's voice. I couldn't stop listening.
A wonderful audiobook, that I am now sad I read it too quickly.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It's very moving and deals with a difficult family situation. It's well written, and the dialogue feels authentic.

"The Memory Library" by Kate Storey is family drama fiction. Her author's voice feels familiar to me, but this is the only book listed for her. This may be a debut novel for Kate Storey.

Ella lives in Australia with her husband and daughter. She receives a call from her mother's next-door neighbor who asks her to come back to England to help her mother, Sally. But... Ella hasn't been back to see her mother in over 20 years, and they have become estranged. Can they develop a loving relationship while navigating confusing health issues?

The audiobook was narrated by Jilly Bond and Imogen Wilde. It was hard to tell most of the voices apart. The emotions were well acted.

Characters - 4/5
Writing - 4/5
Plot - 3/5
Pacing - 4/5
Unputdownability - 4/5
Enjoyment - 4/5
Narration - 3/5
Cover - 5/5
Overall - 31/8 = 3 7/8 rounded up to 4 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Audio, and Kate Storey for providing this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This story is about the complicated relationships between mothers and their daughters. Sally, an English woman who is in her early 70's, has had a nasty fall and breaks her hands/fingers on both arms. As a result, a neighbor calls her daughter Emma who lives in Australia. By all intents and purposes, they have been estranged for more than twenty years. Emma will contact Sally periodically and share photos and stories of her daughter, however, doesn't go out of her way to reach out on a regular basis just to talk. Emma believes Sally is busy with her friends and social groups and doesn't want or need to be bothered by her. Emma also has a lot of resentment towards her mother from the past.

When Emma and Sally are reunited in England as Emma is her caregiver, things are dicey at first, but as they both start to open up and reconnect, you can see the previously strong bond there. Emma also sees that her mother is not quite herself, becoming forgetful and sometimes overly emotional for no reason.

I enjoyed this book, but I figured out the twist very early on in the story. I loved the sense of community, and I came away feeling as if anyone can make an unexpected impact in other's lives if they only open themselves up to be present.

4.5

Narrated by: Jilly Bond; Imogen Wilde

• family dynamics • mother / daughter relationship • books • life lessons • diverse characters

This is a heartwarming story about our relationship with our mother and a mother's relationship with a daughter.

I loved the story and character development, especially for Ella. As her mother, Sally, is dealing with aging and medical issues, Ella is working to heal emotional scars from the past. As she navigates her mother's care, she is forced (sometimes willingly, other times not as much) to see the things around her in a new light.

This story may cause readers to reflect on their own relationships, bias, and how they show up in their community.

The narrators did a wonderful performance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Listener Copy

This is like a love letter to books, and there are so many lessons to learn from this story! It was both sad and uplifting. I didn’t particularly like Ella, but really enjoyed the found family around Sally.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.

I chose to savor The Memory Library as an audiobook. Jilly Bond and Imogen Wilde give voice to the characters with lovely regional accents. I am sure that the fragility of Ella and Sally’s story was portrayed well within the pages of the novel, but there seemed to be a poignancy to hearing the unraveling then the rebuilding of such a delicate relationship between an daughter and her ailing, elderly mother.
Some stories you don’t know you need to hear until they fill your senses. The Memory Library may stop you in the tracks of your busy life and make you reconsider where you are heading.

This is a beautiful story about an estranged relationship between a mother and daughter and their journey to repairing their relationship. When I first read that Sally has been building a special library for her daughter for years and adds a book with advice on her birthday each year. I saw that Ella’s (her daughter) birthday is July 11th. I knew it was fate to read it! My daughter has the same birthday and how special that it’s about a mother/daughter relationship. Ella learns the truth of the past and is taking care of her mother in her old age. She learned so much about herself and how much she wasn’t appreciating and loving life to the fullest. It was a really sweet story 🩷 If you love to read about family dynamics and the journey to healing I suggest this!

I mainly listened to this on audio and really enjoyed it! I like that there were separate narrators for both women. You could really hear the emotion in their voice while reading. a great audiobook!

Mother -adult daughter relationships are complicated. This novel shows the importance of love and forgiveness especially when one doesn’t have all the pieces. As a lover of books, I appreciated the role books played throughout this novel and their relationship.

The Memory Library by Kate Storey is a heartfelt exploration of the complexities of family relationships, particularly the deep and often fraught bond between a mother and her daughter. The story beautifully captures the full emotional arc of teenage rebellion, bitter misunderstandings, and the profound healing power of forgiveness. It emphasizes how breaking down emotional barriers can lead to genuine connection and understanding, offering a touching message about love, community, and reconciliation.

Books play a central role in the narrative, acting as both a medium and a metaphor for storytelling and memory. The author skillfully weaves this element into the fabric of the story, delivering a gentle yet impactful message that never feels heavy-handed or condescending.

Jilly Bond’s narration is a standout, perfectly capturing the emotional nuances of the characters and enhancing the story’s themes. Her performance draws the listener in, making the audiobook an immersive and moving experience.

This audiobook is highly recommended for anyone seeking a tender and inspiring story about family, forgiveness, and the bonds that tie us together. It's a treasure for fans of emotional, character-driven narratives.

This book was so good but so heartbreaking. A wonderfully told story about loss of the future you were expecting told in two different times.

The Memory Library is an emotional journey back home—exploring themes of forgiveness, self-discovery, and the power of reconnection. An estranged Mother/Daughter is brought back together by obligation and circumstance, offering them a chance to rebuild their relationship as two adults.

Through tears and laughter, I felt a deep and personal connection to the characters and to this story. I understand firsthand the struggle of aging parents and the regret of time missed. I believe many readers will find themselves profoundly invested and connected as well, understanding the sadness and joy throughout. And BOOKS! So many books. All my fellow book lovers will be filled with joy as they read The Memory Library. The shared bond over books and reading runs deep; this story is no different.

Additionally, the narrators Jilly Bond and Imogen Wilde were fantastic! They brought the story to life even more. I found myself smiling, crying, and laughing alongside their narration. Highly recommend the book as well as the audio version!

I went into this book blind, just attracted to title and cover art, and was so surprised. What a lovely book!

This was a beautiful story about a mother and daughter, forgiveness, and found family… with the bonus of books! While the main character starts of a little unlikable, she has a great growth arc. I found the other characters exceptionally lovable. On top of all that, it has one of the most beautiful ideas about sharing books with loved ones that I have ever heard. I am telling everyone I know about it.
This book does deal with dementia, but as someone who last a parent to it, I found it was handled well.