The Memory of Love explained

The Memory of Love
Author:Aminatta Forna
Country:Scotland
Language:English
Genre:Fiction
Published:2010 (Bloomsbury)
Media Type:Print (Hardback)
Pages:464
Isbn:9781408808139
Oclc:851988400

The Memory of Love is a 2010 novel by Aminatta Forna about the experiences of three men in Sierra Leone. In 2022, it was included on the "Big Jubilee Read" list of 70 books by Commonwealth authors, selected to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II.[1]

Plot Summary

Set amidst the dawn of peace in Sierra Leone after a decade-long civil war, the lives of Elias Cole, Adrian Lockheart, and Kai Mansaray intersect in a city hospital as they struggle with their turbulent pasts. Elias, a retired history professor, reveals his secrets to Dr. Adrian Lockheart, while memories of the late 1960s shape his fate. Adrian, striving to heal war-traumatized minds, faces challenges as he befriends Kai, an orthopedic surgeon haunted by his own demons. As their stories unfold, old acquaintances resurface, secrets unravel, and relationships are tested, culminating in revelations and attempts at redemption amidst the lingering shadows of the past. "The Memory of Love" intricately intertwines the lives of two generations of Africans, exploring themes of loss, forgiveness, and the enduring impact of history, ultimately delving into the essence of love itself.

Setting

The book takes place in Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It begins in 2001, after a long civil war has ended, bringing peace to the country. Most of the story happens in a hospital in the capital city, Freetown. This hospital is where the lives of the main characters—Elias Cole, Adrian Lockheart, and Kai Mansaray—intersect.

Reception

The Memory of Love was generally well-received. On The Omnivore, a British aggregator of press reviews, it received an "omniscore" of 4 out of 5.[2]

Maaza Mengiste wrote in The New York Times: "Forna's first work of fiction, 'Ancestor Stones,' was an accomplished collection of interconnected stories. 'The Memory of Love,' equally layered, gives us a stronger, more nuanced voice, a writer more willing to take risks with plot and character. ... She forces us to see past bland categorizations like 'postcolonial African literature,' showing that the world we inhabit reaches beyond borders and ripples out through generations. She reminds us that what matters most is that which keeps us grounded in the place of our choosing. And she writes to expose what remains after all the noise has faded: at the core of this novel is the brave and beating heart, at once vulnerable and determined, unwilling to let go of all it has ever loved."[3] The Guardian reviewer found it "an ambitious and deeply researched novel".[4]

The Memory of Love has also been reviewed by Booklist,[5] BookPage Reviews,[6] Publishers Weekly,[7] Kirkus Reviews,[8] The Daily Telegraph,[9] and The Spectator.[10]

Awards

External links

Library holdings of The Memory of Love

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Big Jubilee Read: A literary celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's record-breaking reign. BBC. 17 April 2022. 15 July 2022.
  2. Web site: The Memory of Love . 12 July 2024. The Omnivore. https://web.archive.org/web/20211206073729/http://theomnivore.co.uk:80/Book/5675-The_Memory_of_Love/default.aspx . 6 Dec 2021.
  3. News: 7 January 2011 . Sunday Book Review: Between Pain and Peace . The New York Times . 1 February 2017.
  4. News: Adams . Tim . 18 April 2010 . Books: The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna . The Guardian . 1 February 2017.
  5. Web site: The Memory of Love: Reviews . Fate and tragedy intertwine in this stunning and powerful portrait of a country in the aftermath of a decade of civil war. . catalog.wccls.org . 1 February 2017.
  6. Web site: The Memory of Love . as the novel sweeps from the radical campus politics of the 1960s to the traumatized population of the current day, the prose occasionally drags. The Memory of Love is an ambitious novel, but one that richly rewards the committed reader. . kcls.bibliocommons.com . 1 February 2017.
  7. Web site: The Memory of Love . 6 September 2010 . The book's prolixity, combined with scenes that drag or come off as forced, certainly doesn't ruin the experience, but it does occasionally glut what amounts to a heartening cry for moral responsibility in the thick of maddening injustice. . Publishers Weekly . PWxyz LLC. 1 February 2017.
  8. Web site: The Memory of Love (starred review) . 7 October 2010 . Gravitas distinguishes the ambitious second novel by Forna . Kirkus Reviews . Kirkus Media LLC . 1 February 2017.
  9. News: Shilling . Jane . 27 March 2010 . The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna: review . Here she [Forna] moves deftly between the enchantments of different narratives: the therapeutic, the confessional, the traumatic – flashbacks, nightmares, hauntings, fugue states where stories are lost or distorted beyond recognition and the sweetly joyous themes of new love, renewal, springing hope, second chances. . The Daily Telegraph . 1 February 2017.
  10. 5 May 2010 . When words fail . Michela. Wrong . Aminatta Forna's magnificent second novel is not really about love. Its themes are far grittier, and all the more compelling for it . The Spectator . Press Holdings . 1 February 2017.
  11. Web site: Commonwealth Writers Prize: 2011 Winners . literaryfestivals.co.uk . Literary Festival UK . 1 February 2017 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150707232117/http://www.literaryfestivals.co.uk/bookawards/commonwealthwriters.html . 7 July 2015 .
  12. Web site: The Warwick Prize for Writing: 2011 Prize . warwick.ac.uk . University of Warwick . 1 February 2017.
  13. Web site: Orange Prize for Fiction awarded to Tea Obreht . 8 June 2011 . bbc.com . BBC . 1 February 2017.
  14. Web site: IMPAC DUBLIN Literary Award shortlist announced . 12 April 2012 . breakingnews.ie . Landmark Digital Ltd . 1 February 2017.