Memory Board

Book by Rule, Jane

Memory Board is a multi-faceted novel about aging, loss, and the redefinition of family. Diana and David are twins, now in their mid-sixties; Diana and Constance are long-time lovers. David is struggling to rebuild a connection with his sister after a long separation, and Diana has settled into a private, monastic daily life arranged around Constance's progressive short-term memory loss. Jane Rule's emphasis is on people and their interactions, on dialogue and ideas. Her writing relies mostly on straightforward exposition, yet the central metaphor - the "memory board" - adds depth and complexity. Diana writes each day's prospects (work in the garden, dinner with her brother) on an erasable board to help Constance keep track of her life. Inevitably, Constance will forget even Diana, yet their lives are filled not only with the apprehension of loss but also with the immediate vitality that can only be experienced by those who must live for the present. "Constance was never overly concerned with the consequences, she assumed that what you learned from experience sometimes hurt without automatically assigning it moral significance." Memory Board is satisfying because it promises nothing beyond the connections that exist, right now, between people who know that they may lose each other any time. -- For great reviews of books for girls, check out Let's Hear It for the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14. -- From 500 Great Books by Women; review by Kirsten Backstrom