Emma Grey

Evie, a resilient 27-year-old, awakens in the hospital after a devastating car crash that claimed her husband's life, only to discover she has amnesia and no recollection of her life from age 16 onward. Evie met her husband at 16, and he swiftly became close to her and her friend Drew. In a remarkable turn of events, she reunites with Drew after the accident, and he generously offers to help her unravel the mystery of her past and regain her memory. As they embark on this journey together, show more Evie's memories gradually resurface, revealing a complex web of relationships and secrets. She comes to realize that her family relationships are strained, and her husband's family is not what they seemed. With Drew's support, Evie bravely confronts the truth about her life and the circumstances surrounding her accident. This poignant and emotional story, told through alternating timelines, is a testament to the human spirit's capacity for resilience and love. I devoured this book in a single day, mesmerized by its raw emotion and surprising twists. While the conclusion felt slightly rushed, the author's masterful storytelling earned this book a well-deserved four-star rating, just shy of perfection. The author's writing is truly breathtaking, making this a love story for the ages, full of unexpected turns and revelations. show less

I went into this book a bit blindly but quickly fell in love. Kate, a widow and mom to young Charlie, navigates life after death in this perfectly springtime story about the seeds of hope that, while growing unseen for a season, finally push up from the dark soil of grief. In both the most unexpected and unassuming ways, this story is about the other side of deep-seated loss and about overcoming all the fears and vulnerabilities that come from the risks of second-chances, of life after a show more long, frozen winter.

Because my dad passed away from early-onset familial Alzheimer’s (like Kate’s Cam, Charlie’s dad), I tend to shy away from books where characters deal with this tragedy—however indirectly—feeling the author rarely does the disease justice. I tend to get too critical and fact-checky, internally measuring the accuracy of the author’s descriptions, as if I’m the expert. Really, I’m no more an expert than anyone else who’s watched the destruction of Alzheimer’s happen to someone they love. But I do know that Alzheimer’s isn’t a soft, slipping away inside your own mind. It’s not just becoming forgetful and losing memories. And it’s certainly not just something that happens to old people—as is often portrayed. It’s violent and messy and utterly bleak. It’s also deeply, deeply personal. If you encounter someone who has also witnessed the same devouring, it instantly connects you, tethers you to this club no one wants to be a part of.

This book captures that terrible reality and, thankfully, so much more because it certainly could’ve become too weighty. Yes, you’ll want to grab some tissues (from beginning all the way through the Author’s Note), but the true magic of this book is that the very real and gritty authenticity of Kate and Cam’s experience with this dark disease does not drown out the notes of humor and hope and heart that ultimately make this so much more uplifting than melancholic. show less

I went into this book a bit blindly but quickly fell in love. Kate, a widow and mom to young Charlie, navigates life after death in this perfectly springtime story about the seeds of hope that, while growing unseen for a season, finally push up from the dark soil of grief. In both the most unexpected and unassuming ways, this story is about the other side of deep-seated loss and about overcoming all the fears and vulnerabilities that come from the risks of second-chances, of life after a show more long, frozen winter.

Because my dad passed away from early-onset familial Alzheimer’s (like Kate’s Cam, Charlie’s dad), I tend to shy away from books where characters deal with this tragedy—however indirectly—feeling the author rarely does the disease justice. I tend to get too critical and fact-checky, internally measuring the accuracy of the author’s descriptions, as if I’m the expert. Really, I’m no more an expert than anyone else who’s watched the destruction of Alzheimer’s happen to someone they love. But I do know that Alzheimer’s isn’t a soft, slipping away inside your own mind. It’s not just becoming forgetful and losing memories. And it’s certainly not just something that happens to old people—as is often portrayed. It’s violent and messy and utterly bleak. It’s also deeply, deeply personal. If you encounter someone who has also witnessed the same devouring, it instantly connects you, tethers you to this club no one wants to be a part of.

This book captures that terrible reality and, thankfully, so much more because it certainly could’ve become too weighty. Yes, you’ll want to grab some tissues (from beginning all the way through the Author’s Note), but the true magic of this book is that the very real and gritty authenticity of Kate and Cam’s experience with this dark disease does not drown out the notes of humor and hope and heart that ultimately make this so much more uplifting than melancholic. show less

I didn't know anything about this book when I checked out the audio version on Libby. I just liked the Australian narrator's voice and it immediately drew me in. It was like listening to someone read their own diary. It was funny and heart wrenching and happy and devastatingly sad all at once. The story was about a middle age woman whose husband has early onset dementia and declines quickly before dying. She is left behind to raise their young son and figure out how to live a life without show more the love of her life. Loosely based on the author's real life experience of young widowhood, it all felt incredibly real to listen to. A bit intense at times, I was completely captivated. I gave it four stars because it was a bit repetitive and overly wrought and I had to take breaks from the intensity but otherwise loved its passion. show less