PAULA'S REVIEW:
Authentically told story of Lori whose memories are slowly unfolding after a brain trauma. The author gives us a peek into the lives of a family who is dealing with not only memory loss but are grieving 18 year old Austin, twin to Avery in her vulnerable senior year of high school. She has support from her long time friend Xander, who tutors her so she can graduate on time.
It is a rediscovery for Lori and her husband, Michael, into who she was before the incident and who she wants to become since. Ms. Rosche educates us in the rehabilitation after severe brain injury but also tells a tale of soul searching by the members of the family. With an underlying faith element, she asks us to examine our motives to see if we are living our faith or merely giving lip service. There is a resolution but only after struggles. The author gives us a reconciliation and a bit of romance along the way. With Every Memory is well worth the read.
*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Revell through Interviews and Reviews. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own. *5 stars and an underlying faith thread.
REBECCA'S REVIEW
"Even the best makeup couldn't hide the fact that I'd been raised from death to life."
Home. What did that mean exactly . . .
Lori Mendenhall barely remembered her family, much less a gorgeous house that hosted one less resident and boasted gorgeous high-end finishes and furnishings. Who had she been before . . . a traumatic brain injury left her in a coma, and now struggling with retrograde amnesia. Her physician assured her that recollections would improve, but maybe there were there things best left forgotten? What she did recall was painful enough.
"I'm glad you're home, Mom."
Avery Mendenhall had survived her family's horrific accident without visible scarring, but the emotional injuries had been devastating. Once one of the popular teens in her high school, Avery had become an empty shell of her former self and was struggling to finish her senior year. (kind of hard to do when you never went to class) One person was determined to give her the help that she needed, but did not want; her brother's best friend, Xander Dixon.
There's yet another character in this story whose prominence figures into both Lori's and Avery's everyday lives. Lori's husband Michael . . . and let's leave it at that . . . for now.
Honestly, it was very difficult to give this book an actual "star" rating. In many ways, it transcends that measure of simplicity. On one level, this story "begs" . . . I would even say "pleads" to delve deeper into the restorative power of faith in the God Who Heals. On the other hand, the author demonstrates an impressive amount of courage, forcing her readers to wrestle with the "ground zeroes" of life and love in just one sitting. My conclusion? You will just have to read it for yourself.
*I received a copy of this book from Baker Publishing through Interviews and Reviews. The opinions stated above are entirely my own. 3.5 stars
BackCover Blurb:
Is the Life She Can't Remember One She'd Rather Forget?
One year after her family was in a tragic car accident that killed her teenage son, Lori Mendenhall returns home with a traumatic brain injury that has stolen the last eight years of memories from her. She is shocked to find that the life she was leading before the accident is unrecognizable. Her once-loving husband, Michael, is a distant workaholic she isn't sure she can trust and her once-bubbly daughter, Avery, has spent the last year hidden away in her room.
For Avery, life stopped when she lost her twin. Now, if she wants to graduate high school, she'll have to accept help from Xander Dixon, her brother's best friend and the boy who relentlessly teased her for years. And if Lori wants to reconnect with her husband, she'll have to grapple with information her brain is trying to keep secret. With every memory that returns, she can't help but wonder if the life she can't remember is one she'd rather forget.
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