Review: Emily Barr: The One Memory of Flora Banks
For those who follow this blog is of no surprise not to find many reviews of novels featuring characters that suffer from any kind of physical or mental illness. You know those are not my cup of tea and I'm not sorry.
So the thing that might surprise you (and me, believe me), is for me to read one of those, and like it! But that's exactly what has happened with
The One Memory of Flora Banks.
So this book I'm going to recommend right away.
At the age of 10, Flora Banks suffered from a tumor that has left her with amnesia. Every one to three hours she forgets everything she has learned from that moment till the present and gets back to remembering only the things she has learned before her illness.
Her memories disappear, she starts to feel confused, and this 17 years old girl thinks she's 10 again. Then she has to look at her arms where her name is written. Her name, the most important information she has to know at the moment, and a message for her: be brave.
Every day, a few time ower, Flora has to learn to live. And then she forgets again.
Until one day, when Flora kisses a boy.
She forgets everything. But she remembers this kiss.
What exactly made me read this novel, I will never know, but I'm glad I did it.
The reason I liked it is that the novel was written in such a freakin' positive tone. The fact that Flora, for the first time ever, can remember some detail about her life, makes her start the adventure (God, this will sound awful, but you get the picture) we will never forget. Our story begins after a kiss whit a boy she likes.
Flora has anterograde amnesia that makes forget everything except what she has learned before her illness, yet it doesn't stop her from doing things she wants to do, even though she knows she will forget about them in an hour or so. Her new memory keeps her going in spite of everything.
The reason I liked it is that the novel was written in such a freakin' positive tone. The fact that Flora, for the first time ever, can remember some detail about her life, makes her start the adventure (God, this will sound awful, but you get the picture) we will never forget. Our story begins after a kiss whit a boy she likes.
Flora has anterograde amnesia that makes forget everything except what she has learned before her illness, yet it doesn't stop her from doing things she wants to do, even though she knows she will forget about them in an hour or so. Her new memory keeps her going in spite of everything.
The novel was written in first POV - it's what enables us to see the world through Flora's POV. We see it through the eyes of the 17 years old girl that has to learn she's not 10 anymore. The girl that lives with the help of the written reminders she keeps everywhere around her. Every few hours they help her understand her world. They help her understand who she is, where she is and where she belongs.
It makes us witness her confusion with new information she has learned - known an hour ago, but forgotten, then learned again - about how her family members and herself have changed.
It also makes easier for us to foresee where the next cycle of her memory loss will begin.
Flora's life is described in a way that is easy and understandable for the reader, even though we do get left with a few questions (I'm not gonna spoil with those) while following her in her endeavor to find the guy she likes.
It makes us witness her confusion with new information she has learned - known an hour ago, but forgotten, then learned again - about how her family members and herself have changed.
It also makes easier for us to foresee where the next cycle of her memory loss will begin.
Flora's life is described in a way that is easy and understandable for the reader, even though we do get left with a few questions (I'm not gonna spoil with those) while following her in her endeavor to find the guy she likes.
Those few details Flora knows about herself, her cleverness and resourcefulness will help her live braver than you and I probably ever would. That's because Flora lives for the moment.
This novel is incredible because it can mean something different for every one of us.
For you, it may be a story of an unfortunate family that has lived through dark times.
For me, it's an adventure. If we were in Flora's shoes, how many of us wouldn't hide, after being lost so many times, over and over again? It takes bravery to live that kind of life with a positive spirit, never losing your mind for knowing that in a few hours everything will disappear again.
So, this is a story of how to find hope even when it seems all the hope has been lost.
This novel is incredible because it can mean something different for every one of us.
For you, it may be a story of an unfortunate family that has lived through dark times.
For me, it's an adventure. If we were in Flora's shoes, how many of us wouldn't hide, after being lost so many times, over and over again? It takes bravery to live that kind of life with a positive spirit, never losing your mind for knowing that in a few hours everything will disappear again.
So, this is a story of how to find hope even when it seems all the hope has been lost.
What do you think about the memory of Flora Banks?
ONE MEMORY OF FLORA BANKS ON GOODREADS
OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE AUTHOR
BUY THE BOOK HERE.
Here you can find this review in Croatian.
Here you can find reviews of similar novels: Steven Rowley: Lily and the Octopus
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