This is just the perfect book – talking about the relationship between mother and daughter through their love of reading. My daughter has recently become an avid reader, so this one just touched my heart.

Ella and her mom, Sally, have been estranged for many years. But, Sally keeps up the tradition of adding a book to the shelves with a note dedicated to her daughter on her birthday. But, now Ella is back home and starts looking (and reading) the books that her mom has added each year.

I loved this. Heart felt and touching- and you’ll need a box of tissues!

RECOMMEND

Thank you #NetGalley for the complimentary copy of #TheMemoryLibrary in exchange for an honest review.

The Memory Library was such a breath of fresh air! It’s a feel-good book with dual timelines, mostly set in the present day. Ella leaves Australia to care for her estranged mother, Sally, in London, and as we learn about their complicated relationship, we see how different their perspectives are. Ella starts to question everything she thought she knew about her mother, and we learn the truth along with Ella about what actually happened 21 years ago. The secondary characters add sweetness, depth, and context.

This heartwarming story about friends and family, forgiveness, and finding understanding is most definitely worth a read or listen.

Both Jilly Bond and Imogen Wilde were fantastic narrators.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperAudio, and Kate Storey for an audio ARC.

This was such a good heartwarming story about a mother and daughter reconnecting! The audio was done so well! A must to listen to!

This is story about mother/daughter relationships and how they change over the course of a life, as well as friendships and all types of relationships. Great story and well-written. Especially enjoyable for those of us who LOVE books and how their contents relate to different situations in life.

Well, this book has all the feels! Be warned about reading this in public because it is full of so many emotions! Not surprising since it is all about Ella returning to England to take care of her estranged mother who had fallen and injured herself. It is a story of learning about each other, changing from the static image Ella had had of her mother when she left 20 years before and figuring out that parents are real people, complete with faults and many sides that you don't know about when you are a child.

I love the idea of the memory library, with books that are super special and have messages from loved ones in them. I love books in general but this is a wonderful idea. Besides books, you have the love and strength of community and friends coming together to help each other out without asking for anything in return. And the ending is so wonderful! Families made whole again, love found and rekindled and friends that stick with you no matter what!

This was a wonderful story and the audiobook was super excellent too! The narrator did a grand job in playing all the characters and that also really helped with feeling all the emotions! I highly recommend this! Even if it made me cry. :)

I had the privilege of reading the ARC earlier this year and loved everything about this story. The audiobook did an excellent job of bringing the story to life. Jilly Bond and Imogen Wilde did an outstanding job bringing emotion and personality to this story. Though I was familiar with the story, going back into the atmosphere of the ruined library, and the conflict between the main character and her mother was palpable thanks to the voice actors.

Thank you so much Netgalley, HarperAudio Adult | Harper360, and Kate Storey for the ALC of this phenomenal work.
I am leaving this honest review voluntarily without coercion.

Thanks to Net Galley for the advanced audiobook of THE MEMORY LIBRARY by Kate Storey. At heart, this is the thought-provoking story of the mother Sally and her daughter Ella and the growth of their relationship. The title of the novel was what first caught my attention as anything to do with books will. The memory library is the library that Sally has created for her daughter by purchasing a special book for her every year on her birthday. When her daughter left the country, getting the book for Ella continued, though because their relationship was strained, did not give them to her. The title also refers to the memories of both mother and daughter and the memory issues that Sally is having. The novel shows the growth and change of both mother and daughter.

This was a great book to pick up and read and I truly enjoyed the immersive experience. I loved the way the author used the prose and it worked excellently for me. Looking forward to more from author

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
What a sweet and magical story. Starts off a bit rough and smooths out into a lovely book about family and doing what is right. Great job by the narrators. Well written and hard to put down.

A beautifully written story between an estranged mother and daughter reconnecting with books. Daughter Ella, travels from her home in Australia to help her mother Sally, in London after a fall. As the pages turn the tale peels away not just the rift between them but how important it is to have community. Ms. Storey fully develops her characters in such a was one wishes they could be a part of the collective neighbors. This was one of the most lovely stories I've read this year. If you're looking for a heartwarming book for yourself or as a gift, this just might be the one. I am officially in a book coma! Highly recommend.
Thank you NetGalley and Kate Storey for trusting my honest review with the advance reader copy.

This is exactly what you'd expect it to be, for the most part: a sweet redemption story about family and missed opportunities and coming together. I will admit that I found Ella (the daughter) to be rather seriously difficult and irritating for much of the book. I know her mother wasn't perfect. Nor her childhood. I know she missed her father, but she seemed to go out of her way to nitpick and find fault with so many people in her life who seemed to be trying to do the right thing even if they, like all of us (Ella included) occasionally missed the mark... It's a heartfelt family drama about realizing the people in your life (you included) are only human and loving them for their humanity.

This should be on every BOOK CLUB LIST of 2025. There is so many wonderful things to learn, to talk about, to feel in this book that I could not recommend it more. I know I will be recommending it to everyone. It's a MUST READ!!

Many thanks to Net Galley and HarperAudio Adult for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a truly remarkable book! And the crazy thing is that it essentially revolves around books!
AND…it features many great reads along the way….

Sally has created a ‘library’ for her daughter Ella.
EVERY year, at the stroke of midnight on her birthday, Sally places a new book, one with a special meaning, on the shelf for Ella. AND, she inscribes it with a special blurb…about the book, and their relationship…
This has been going on for 42 years.
But, when Ella left for college, they had a fight/disagrreement. Ella left, and never looked back.
But faithfully, Sally continues building her library for her daughter.

When something happens, and Ella is forced to return home, she starts to see things differently… maybe through her mother’s eyes.

And this is when THE MAGIC happens. Friendships are formed, and some old ones are resurrected. Community gathers together for one of their own. And…hearts begin to heal!

This is a truly magical story. It found me laughing one moment, then tearing up the next, all the while…wishing the book did not have to end! This is the meaning of a terrific book in my eyes! 👀

And it dealt with multiple problems: Alzheimer’s, Separation of family, Holding on to anger and resentment..to name a few. But it also shined with love, and caring, and neighbors and friends. ❤️❤️❤️ Oh..and old loves…

All the stars for me! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫💫💫💫💫✨✨✨✨✨

Thanks so much to #NetGalley, #HarperAudioAdult and #Harper360 for an ARC of the audiobook which *** WILL BE RELEASED IN 2 DAYS *** on 12/3/24!! Look 👀 for it then!

#TheMemoryLibrary by #KateStorey and narrated beautifully by #JillyBond and #ImogenWilde.

Feel free to like, follow and friend me on: Goodreads,
Insta @ #BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine.

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

Very powerful story! A story of hope and forgiveness.

I read a book similar to this before picking it up and it was too much to process at the time. Dementia/Alzheimer's plots are becoming very common but I think it should be in the subject headings so a person knows what they are getting into, it is a trigger for me.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for a fair and honest review.

"The Memory Library" is a beautifully titled 'book about books', family, community and complex relationships. Ella (the FMC) left her home of Greenwich England after suffering a traumatic experience coupled with deep misunderstanding over 20 years ago, and moved to Australia where she has built a life with her husband and daughter. Due to circumstances, she returns home for 6 weeks where "The Memory Library" unfolds magically. This story is filled with love, heartache and connection. I listened to the audio version and loved the narration. The characters have an accent, which is usually difficult for me, but this narration was easily understandable. The story alternates between England/Australia, Mom/Daughter, present/past. I could easily relate to the FMC in the "sandwich" generation who has her own family to take care of but also has parents who are getting older and have their own needs. This book is truly a gift. 5 stars! *I received a complimentary audio ARC from the author/publishing company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Avon, Harper Audio/Harper 360 for gifting me an audio ARC of this wonderful debut book by Kate Storey, beautifully narrated by the team of Jilly Bond and Imogen Wilde. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

For decades, Sally has been building a library. Each year, on her daughter, Ella's, birthday, she adds a new book to her shelves with a handwritten note. But Ella knows nothing about the library. After a heated exchange with her mother 22 years ago, she fled to Australia and never looked back. Now married and with a daughter of her own, Ella is forced to come back to London to care for her mother.

I absolutely loved this novel - it's relatable, hopeful, full of community support and second chances. Parenting is not always easy, and this highlights how miscommunication can cause irreparable harm. Sally was a beacon of right choices though, never pushing her daughter but instead protecting her and her choices and keeping doors open. Ella was so focused on her work in Australia that she lost sight of the important people in her life until she was forced onto a different path and perspective. I loved her lines, "If I was queen of the world..." Plus, if you love books and books about books, this one will be right up your alley. The audiobook narration was perfect and I enjoyed both voices of these main characters (as well as the others).

Family dynamics, mother/daughter relationships, truths discovered, letting go of old hurts, friendships, community, old and rekindled love, understanding, acceptance and so much more. Sally and Ella have been mostly estranged for years, though Sally has never let go of hope of them reconciling. When Sally has an accident and according to a friend of her moms, really needs her help, Ella finally has to go home after many years away. And so begins the first steps to their new adult relationship, the sharing of truths, a life altering diagnosis and learning to love each other again. I started out with a dislike for Ella. So hard, distant and cold, but her character developed beautifully as the story progressed. She makes peace with the truth of the past, rekindles her own relationships and discovers the true sense of community. As the story moves along we learn so much about them, how they got to where they are and we join their truly heartwarming and beautiful new relationship. I truly enjoyed listening to this well narrated second chance story.


I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Lovely story of a mother-daughter relationship. Charming and tear-enducing at times. Wonderful read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such a touching book - and relatable to many people with aging parents. This is one of my favorite books this year.

Ella left her mother, and England, shortly after her beloved father's death, 21 years ago. She moved to Australia and built a life there, with work her primary focus, but also with a husband and little girl. When her mother, not in her 70's, falls and breaks one wrist and two fingers on her other hand, Ella begrudgingly takes time off and returns to help her mother.

She finds her mother quite the invalid and the house has not been kept up. In fact, an internal flood has completely destroyed parts of the house. As they struggle to get along, Ella finds that her mother is making mistakes, including some dangerous and costly one. This frustrates Ella, who was raised by her father to expect perfection.

While Ella visits Sally, she finds the beauty in her old home and village. She begins to learn deeper things about her mother and develops insight into herself. She learns that she has also made some big mistakes. As the two women start to peel back the layers of hurt and misunderstandings, they find love and compassion.

This book touched my heart and I will be sharing how it affected me with other readers. I listened to the audio version and the narrator was wonderful.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced listener copy of this book - the audiobook is releasing December 3, 2025

On the day of her father’s funeral, Ella finds something that changes her relationship with her mother forever.

She flees to Australia and decades pass. But when her mom has a fall and she is brought back to the UK, she has to confront what happened all those years ago.

And, as with everything, there are two sides to every story.

Thoughts:

The way miscommunication or really in this case misinterpretation can just erode a family is so real.

I really resonated with Ella in a lot of ways, mom with a busy job who is in the messy middle of her life and takes some things for granted.

This story really highlighted how reunions can be lifechanging... if people are willing to listen.

Mothers love is a big theme in this book