Lovely story, Ella has went "home" after being away 21 years to help her estranged mom. While visiting she learns of the library her mom has made for in her absence and finds it humbling after learning about her mom's illnesses and secrets she kept. .

A sweet, heartwarming story that feels like a cozy hug for the soul. It's a quick read that explores the bonds of family, particularly the sometimes strained and sometimes beautiful relationship between a mother and daughter. As someone with Mommy issues this theme always gets to me! The story also included such a supportive, caring community. The inclusivity of the characters, makes the story feel fresh and welcoming.

I listened to the audiobook and absolutely loved the narration—it brought the characters and emotions to life perfectly.
If you’re looking for a feel-good story with a lot of heart, and a reminder of the power of family, community and second chances, The Memory Library is a must-read.

This book will pull on your heartstrings! It explores themes of forgiveness, mother/daughter relationships, community, and second-chances. It made me laugh and cry! There were certainly a lot of repetitive moments though, and I was very frustrated with the main character, Ella, throughout a lot of the book. She came across as bratty, immature, and selfish. She severed her relationship with her mother over a misunderstanding for years. Sally, her mom, gave her space but never stopped caring. Eventually the two learn to move forward and communicate better. I loved the idea of giving a book as a gift every year on a birthday with a personal inscription and loved the book connections throughout. I also loved Hadron the cat.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, Kate Storey, for letting me read and review this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

The Memory Library AUDIO by Kate Storey is the touching story of a mother and daughter rekindling their relationship; a relationship that had been broken by a misunderstanding over twenty years earlier when Ella has misunderstood something and her mother, Sally let her have time to get over it. Sadly that time had morphed into a lifetime on the other side of the world, and a not happy life for her darling daughter. Now Ella was home. Sally had fallen and hurt herself and Ella had come to help. The things she learned upon her return were astounding and insightful. Lessons for all of us.

Ella’s father had not been all she had thought he was. Rather than tell her the truth, Sally kept to herself. She had started the tradition, forty-two years earlier, of buying Ella a book for her birthday and inscribing it, often with the lesson the book carried. Ell had not taken any when she left, but Sally kept up the tradition and had remodeled a box room into a small library for all the books. The bathwater that Sally had forgotten about had leaked into the library and destroyed nearly all the books, so Sally and Ella started over reading them. Charlie, Ella’s almost estranged husband in Australia, read, too. This simple action opened up a new world for all of them, as books do. It changed perspectives, especially those of Ella.

Jilly Bond and Imogen Wilde were the readers who changed an already poignant narrative into a small masterpiece. Their caring voices lent reality to this lovely story. Good job, ladies! A lovely listen.

I was invited to listen to The Memory Library by Harper Audio Adult. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #HarperAudioAdult #KateStorey #TheMemoryLibrary

For 42 years, Sally Harrison has been building a library by adding a new book on her daughter's birthday each year. Her daughter, Ella, left for Australia 22 years ago after an argument. Sally continues to add books to the library, hoping Ella will return one day. When disaster strikes, Ella is forced to come back home and discovers that new chapters in their relationship are about to unfold.

I believe this book serendipitously came into my life when I least expected it. I found a deep connection with the story, as I too experienced estrangement from my mother and relocated to a different continent from Europe. The book exudes a comforting tone and offers valuable insights that resonate with me on a personal level. Each chapter conveys a clear message that has made me laugh, cry, and reflect deeply.

I urge everyone to carve out some time in their hectic schedules to read this book. Its writing is not only inspiring but also enlightening. It beautifully captures the unconditional love that only a mother can possess, shedding light on the sacrifices and emotions that come with motherhood. The narrative unfolds gracefully, leaving a lasting impact with its heartfelt conclusion.

I sincerely hope that this book finds its way to you when you need it most, allowing its messages to strike a chord with your own experiences. If you appreciate literature that delves into themes such as family dynamics, caregiving for elderly relatives, feelings of isolation, and the enduring strength of hope, then this book is must-read. I am drawn to stories that explore the complexities of human relationships and the resilience of the human spirit, and this book does just that.

The audiobook was narrated by my favorite narrator, who skillfully balanced emotion and humor throughout the narration. It was a fantastic choice!

Thank you, HarperAudio Adult | Avon for the audio ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a sweet family story that celebrates community togetherness, integrity, growth, forgiveness, and, of course good literature. It has a slight Hallmark feel--kind of predictable and "squishy," if you know what I mean. But I like a hopeful, uplifting, light book now and again. I want to be more like Sally (minus the dementia and bum hubby, of course). I'm married to a guy that's kind of like Charlie, but I hope I treat him better than his wife does in the first part of the book. I appreciate the way many characters showed vulnerability and respected honesty in others. I enjoyed the audiobook narrator's interpretation.

The Memory Library tells the story of a mother and daughter who have a complex relationship-is that not always the case? For Sally and Ella in particular, their issues lead them to live on opposite sides of the world (England and Australia) for decades. When Sally suffers a bad fall, Ella returns to England for a month and the stage is set. One thing that I very much liked in this story was the love for books that came across quite clearly. Early on Sally reads Little Women to Ella and gives her a copy of her very own. They enjoy a tradition of a new birthday book each year. The people surrounding Sally, Ella’s mom, create a setting that is both poignant and exquisite. The unfurling of the rift between the mother/daughter is paced and interwoven into the story in a way that anchors the characters’ arcs without overshadowing the growth that both of them realize. This book is very heartwarming, sensitive, and enlightening. I enjoyed every moment of this story of two women’s lives and struggles. We all live complicated lives and this book helps us to look at people and experiences with new eyes. It explores judgments about loved ones and teaches us to open our hearts and minds. Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity.

What a fun book! The narrator was fabulous too! I'll be awaiting more from this author. Another five star read for me!

The most unique, exquisite book I have ever read. Such a darling storyline and a beautiful story. I loved the characters and did not want this to end.

This book make me happy cry and I'm typically not a crier. It's got some elements emotional whiplash that you somewhat expect but also comes out of the blue as well.

Ella has been mostly estranged from her mother since her father's death 21 years earlier but when a neighbor calls and says her mother was in a serious accident and needs help, Ella makes the trip to come take care of her and iron out all affairs as quickly as possible. Though Sally, the mother, has tried to give Ella space to heal and recover, in close proximity, there are some stories that need to be rectified, issues to work through, discomforts to work through and it changes their perspectives on much of their lives. Meanwhile, Ella gets to see the life her mother had built and resume relationships she had left when she left her hometown and her mother.
The recovery between these women was so sweet and the friendships were hilarious and amazing. It was such a lovely story all the way around.

#arc
#netgalley
#thememorylibrary

This is a secret story about a Mother’s love for her child and how a lack of communication kept them apart.

Ella comes home from Australia to England when her mother, Sally, falls and breaks her wrist. She quickly learns this was more than just a fall when she starts to see memory issues and Sally’s home in major disrepair…most notable, a water leak that destroyed every book she owned. Ella learns that Sally had carefully selected a book each year on Ella’s birthday and had written a note to her in each one. So Ella, in addition to finding out about her mother’s health, sets about recreating this special library and in the task of this, learns so much more about her mother’s life.


This book did run a bit slow for me…but it was, indeed a sweet story.

This was such an emotional book to listen to. Jilly Bond and Imogen Wilde both did such an amazing job with their narrations that I laughed and cried, and yelled at Ella on multiple occasions throughout the story. I love that the core of this story is centered around community and the lessons we can learn from books as long as we are open to hearing them. Ella and Sally have an estranged relationship due to a misunderstanding that happened 21 years earlier. Though Ella is reluctant to put her life on pause to help her mom in her time of need, she does it. There she learns that her mother has carried on her tradition of buying a book every year for Ella's birthday with a personalized note full of wisdom, lessons she hopes Ella would take from the story, and the unwavering love from a mother to her daughter. This was such a powerful and beautiful book that I wish I could read it for the first time again..

Ella receives a call that her mother Sally has had a bad fall. Ella reluctantly drops everything in her life to fly from Australia to England to take care of her mother. While she is there, she notices some memory issues with Sally. As someone who delt with dementia with my grandmother until she passed and now with my father-in-law, a lot of this felt very real. This was a story about second chances between mother and daughter. I loved the references to a lot of classic books. The story is told in a dual timeline (current day and flashbacks) and from two POVs. The writing was done well and the characters, although not all likable at the beginning, do grow on you. I love stories that showcase the complexity of family relationships and dynamics. Even though the overarching feeling was sad, there was still a lot of love and hope that were woven in there. For me, it brought up a lot of memories.

Ella gets a call one morning from her mother's neighbor. Ella has lived in Australia for 21 years and her mom lives in England. She's never returned since she left. It turns out her mom has fallen and Ella needs to go home to help while her mom recovers. Ella is currently 41, a lawyer, has an 8 year old daughter named Willow, and her husband Charlie is a stay at home dad. Ella goes out of obligation as she has not forgiven her mom for something that happened 21 years ago. She also has not read a fiction book since she left, as she and her mom shared a huge love of books.

When she gets home, she starts to discover that her mom might have missed her more than she ever let on over the phone, that her mom isn't as active as she thought, and a strange virus seems to be affecting her memory.

A great heartwarming read and a wonderfully done narration.

The premise of this book sounded really promising, but it totally fell flat for me. The whole idea of this book is basically because of a huge misunderstanding that happened over 20 years ago, that neither the mom or the 40 year old daughter could address in that timeframe.

The author does a good job of making you understand how family relationships can be destroyed over miscommunication. I loved the idea of the Sally's library and how it ultimately affected the story. I would have liked to see it focus more on the library than a lot of the other things. The last 10% of this book was wonderful and heartfelt, but I could barely make it through the other 90%.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Memory Library by Kate Storey
Published Feb. 2024
Audio Book 8 Hours 20 Min
3.5 Stars

The Memory Library was very cute (well written). This is my first e-book in quite sometime and honestly book all together. This is a story of a mother and daughter how they find their way back to each other. I am going to get right to the point. This book was cute and I really wanted to know what would happen next. However, it was predictable and the answerers I kept saying in my head the last 20 to 15 min of the book. Even with the predictability of the story I would still 100% recommend the story to others. Because the story is very cute one and seems to be a quick read. If I was reading it.

Audiobook received for free through NetGalley

I loved listening to this book. The feel good along with uncomfortableness but overarching love. Thank you

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of The Memory Library by Kate Storey, this was an audiobook.

This was such a lovely book to listen to. I loved the story and the characters. It's a great setting and I liked how the plot unfolded. I enjoyed the themes within this novels, of books, family, community and second chances. The two main characters are Sally the mother and Ella's the daughter.  Ella's has come home to England to check on her mom who has had a flood in her home and has broken her arm. As time goes by Ella's realizes everything she has missed out on over the last 20 years. Mother and daughter get to know each other again.
I really enjoyed the story, the narration was well done. I will definitely read more books by this author

Thank you NetGalley for the review copy of this lovely book. Ella is called back to London after 21 years in Australia. Her estranged mom is in need and Ella feels obligated to go.

I enjoyed listening to the book. The narration was done really well. The story, while a bit predictable was just a really nice, cozy read.

This is one of my favorite books of 2024!

Narration: This audiobook included two female narrators and both were perfect to tell this story.

Story: This was a beautifully written story about books, relationships and finding what matters in life.

I can't find the right words to describe how wonderful this audiobook was. The characters were wonderfully written. They story is set in present day with some flashbacks, but it is a smooth transition between scenes. The transition between the two characters POVs is also clear and smooth.

Sally creates a beautiful library for her daughter taking special care into what she selects. Readers will see the author put thought into each book mentioned throughout this story and how it would relate to the character's time in her life. I loved how the story comes full circle at the end.

Highly recommend adding this book to your TBR.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.