Remember Me by Charity Norman is a compelling read. At its core is love. Love between a family; love for friends; love for the natural world; and of course romantic love. But it is also a story of death.
In 2019 London, Emily Kirkland receives a phone call from Raewyn, her father’s neighbour in New Zealand. Emily’s father Felix has dementia, something he has tried for several years to hide from those closest to him, but now he is becoming a danger to himself and others. Emily returns to New Zealand, her home of many years, and her memories soon come flooding back.
In 1994, Dr Leah Parata, their neighbour’s daughter, had set off hiking in to the Ruahine mountain range to further her ecology studies. She was never seen again. Back at the family home in New Zealand, Emily finds that Leah’s spirit remains very much alive in the minds of both Raewyn and Felix, who have become very close over the intervening years. As Emily begins to tidy the house to make it safer for her father, she comes across items from their shared past which allow the two to form a closer bond while sharing their memories. However, Emily also finds a box with a label marked ‘HER’ and discovers it to be full of newspaper cuttings about Leah’s disappearance. There are also letters to her father from Leah which convinces Emily that her father knows more about the young woman’s disappearance than he has ever revealed.
I enjoyed Charity Norman’s last book very much, but this is a whole new level. Had I had the time I believe I could easily have read it in one sitting as the storytelling was so enthralling. There are several stories effectively intertwined; some are in the background such as Emily’s son and her relationship with his new girlfriend; and the loving but challenging relationship Emily has with her two siblings. While others are at the forefront, with Leah’s disappearance and Felix’s deteriorating health forming the basis around which the secondary stories revolve.
The character development is excellent. Felix’s gradual deterioration is sensitively portrayed, while Emily gradually changes from resenting having to be there, to appreciating her time bonding with her father, something she could never do as a child. As the story progresses her understanding of her father grows and this informs decisions she makes later in the book.
This is a very moving story, and credible from beginning to end. It made me laugh, and it also made me cry.
In 2019 London, Emily Kirkland receives a phone call from Raewyn, her father’s neighbour in New Zealand. Emily’s father Felix has dementia, something he has tried for several years to hide from those closest to him, but now he is becoming a danger to himself and others. Emily returns to New Zealand, her home of many years, and her memories soon come flooding back.
In 1994, Dr Leah Parata, their neighbour’s daughter, had set off hiking in to the Ruahine mountain range to further her ecology studies. She was never seen again. Back at the family home in New Zealand, Emily finds that Leah’s spirit remains very much alive in the minds of both Raewyn and Felix, who have become very close over the intervening years. As Emily begins to tidy the house to make it safer for her father, she comes across items from their shared past which allow the two to form a closer bond while sharing their memories. However, Emily also finds a box with a label marked ‘HER’ and discovers it to be full of newspaper cuttings about Leah’s disappearance. There are also letters to her father from Leah which convinces Emily that her father knows more about the young woman’s disappearance than he has ever revealed.
I enjoyed Charity Norman’s last book very much, but this is a whole new level. Had I had the time I believe I could easily have read it in one sitting as the storytelling was so enthralling. There are several stories effectively intertwined; some are in the background such as Emily’s son and her relationship with his new girlfriend; and the loving but challenging relationship Emily has with her two siblings. While others are at the forefront, with Leah’s disappearance and Felix’s deteriorating health forming the basis around which the secondary stories revolve.
The character development is excellent. Felix’s gradual deterioration is sensitively portrayed, while Emily gradually changes from resenting having to be there, to appreciating her time bonding with her father, something she could never do as a child. As the story progresses her understanding of her father grows and this informs decisions she makes later in the book.
This is a very moving story, and credible from beginning to end. It made me laugh, and it also made me cry.