When Beck Holiday lost her father in the North Tower on 9/11, she also lost her memories of him. Eighteen years later, she’s a tough New York City cop burdened with a damaging secret, suspended for misconduct, and struggling to get her life in order. Meanwhile a mysterious letter arrives informing her she’s inherited a house along Florida’s northern coast, and what she discovers there will change her life forever. Matters of the heart only become more complicated when she runs into handsome Bruno Endicott, a driven sports agent who fondly recalls the connection they shared as teenagers. But Beck doesn’t remember that, either.
Decades earlier, widow Everleigh Applegate lives a steady, uneventful life with her widowed mother after a tornado ripped through Waco, Texas, and destroyed her new, young married life. When she runs into old high school friend Don Callahan, she begins to yearn for change. Yet no matter how much she longs to love again, she is hindered by a secret she can never share.
Fifty years separate the women but through the power of love and miracle of faith, they each find healing in a beautiful Victorian known affectionately as The Memory House.
My Review
The Memory House is the story of two women. In the present day, Beck Holiday is a New York City police officer who lost her father tragically on 9/11. When he died all her childhood memories died too. In 1953, Everleigh Applegate lost her husband to a tornado in Waco, Texas. This novel is about the connections between these two women and the parallels as they work to rebuild their lives and find happiness.
This was an exceptionally well done dual storyline novel. As well as Beck and Everleigh, there are also chapters that focus on the men that love them -- Bruno (Beck) and Don (Everleigh). The author does a great job of differentiating the characters and creating a strong sense of time and place.
As a fan of historical fiction, I especially liked Everleigh's story, which spanned from 1953 to 1961, Waco, Texas and Fernandina Beach, Florida. I love that period of American life, and enjoyed all the beautiful details of that time in this book.
I especially loved the setting of Fernandina Beach, Florida, a place we visited on summer vacations when I was a little girl!
I found a lot to like about both Beck and Everleigh, and read this book in a short time because I was so eager to know what happened with their lives.
There even is a dog rescue story, as Beck rescues a dog named Beetle who was in precarious health from being used as a drug mule. (I had no idea this even happened before this book.)
The Memory House features a beautiful, rambling old Victorian house in Fernandina Beach, and the house is almost another character in the book. I have a great weakness for books that do this, and it was such a lovely feature of this novel.
There is a strong faith element in the book. Everleigh was a great example of someone who lived her faith in a quiet, daily way.
I recommend The Memory House for fans of women's fiction and Christian fiction. This is my first read by Rachel Hauck and I look forward to looking for more of her novels in the future.
Rachel Hauck is an award winning, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author.
Her book The Wedding Dress was named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times Book Reviews. She is a double RITA finalist, and a Christy and Carol Award Winner.
Her book, Once Upon A Prince, first in the Royal Wedding Series, was filmed for an Original Hallmark movie.
Rachel has been awarded the prestigious Career Achievement Award for her body of original work by Romantic Times Book Reviews.
A member of the Executive Board for American Christian Fiction Writers, she teaches workshops and leads worship at the annual conference. She is a past Mentor of The Year.
At home, she’s a wife, writer, worship leader and works out at the gym semi-enthusiastically. A graduate of Ohio State University (Go Bucks!) with a degree in Journalism, she’s a former sorority girl and a devoted Ohio State football fan. Her bucket list is to stand on the sidelines with Ryan Day.
She lives in sunny central Florida with her husband and ornery cat.
For more information, visit www.rachelhauck.com, Facebook (@rachelhauck), Twitter (@RachelHauck) and Instagram (@rachelhauck).
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2 comments:
Sounds like a fascinating story!
I would love to read this book!
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