THE MEMORY CHILD by Steena Holmes

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THE MEMORY  CHILD

by Steena Holmes

A woman's dark past collides head-on with her mysterious present in this surreal

and gripping family drama.

 

   OVERVIEW (from Goodreads)

When Brian finds out that his wife, Diane, is pregnant, he is elated. He’s been patiently waiting for twelve years to become a father. But Diane has always been nervous about having children because of her family’s dark past. The timing of the pregnancy also isn’t ideal—Diane has just been promoted, and Brian is being called away to open a new London office for his company.

Fast-forward one year: being a mother has brought Diane a sense of joy that she’d never imagined and she’s head over heels for her new baby, Grace. But things are far from perfect: Brian has still not returned from London, and Diane fears leaving the baby for even a moment. As unsettling changes in those around Diane began to emerge, it becomes clear that all is not as it seems.

A woman’s dark past collides head-on with her mysterious present in this surreal and gripping family drama.           

 

 

REVIEW :    Rated 5 RIBBONS.   I have read Ms. Holmes' work before and she writes very fluidly and the reader comes through it experiencing a lot of different emotions. Her characters are so very real.  This book was well written, women's fiction read.It deals with a difficult subject, post-partum psychosis.  It is a rare disease that sometimes leads to infanticide, mood swings, severe anxiety, paranoia and panic episodes, There was such a sadness in this book.  From reading FINDING EMMA and EMMA'S SECRET, I found this book quite different. You find as you turn the pages, you might think, 'got it all figured out',  Wrong!

 We find that Diane is opposed to having children.  Why?  I'll leave that for you to find out.  Her past has a dark side to it.  Most of us do, though.  What was in her past that made her so against having a baby?  Then the big surprise hits, she has become pregnant.  How will she cope with this?

Ms. Holmes hits it right on the head about being a mom for the first time.  Diane can't leave her daughter, Grace for a moment.  If she does she gets a sense of panic.  Does that have something to do with her past or is it just being a mom for the first time? Diane;s  life has totally changed, but that happens to most first moms and dads.  Speaking of dads, why is her husband's business trip taking so long?  Where is  her loving, devoted husband, Brian? He had looked forward to this child so much.

 Ms. Holmes wrote from  perspectives of several characters.  From Brian eyes during Diane's pregnancy and from Diane's eyes, after the birth.  The author had some secondary characters that added to the plot,  We have a nanny that Brian had hired before he left for London and we also have Diane's younger sister.

If you try to guess the ending, like I did, don't be surprised if you are wrong.  It is quite a surprise.  So, in order to answers some of the questions you have you will definitely have to get a copy and feel the suspense, the anxiety and all the emotions that flowed through this book.  A very good, but sad read.  I'm sure there are mothers out there that have gone through some of what Diane did. I'm still wondering what happened to hubby?

I was given a complimentary copy of THE MEMORY CHILD by Steena Holmes from BookSparks for my personal opinion.  No other compensation took place. 

 

   AUTHOR:  http://www.steenaholmes.com/read/    Now a USA Today Bestseller! Growing up as a small town Canadian girl, there wasn't much to do but ride your bike, hang out with friends on the beach and daydream. I always wanted to write but never dreamed it was something I could do as a career. I love to travel and fell in love with the sheep covered hillside, old castles and romantic history of Scotland and England. I dream about waking up in Tuscany and touring small town shops in the south of France with my husband, of placing my toes in the ocean and experiencing history first hand. As a mother with three daughters, I'm learning that teaching them to pursue their dreams is a lasting legacy. I love to wake up to the Rocky Mountains, will forever enjoy the taste of coffee and chocolate and can't imagine the day when a story doesn't unfold in my heart. Living a life with passion and pursuing dreams is a life well lived.