Memory House: A Novel (Modern Library Torchbearers)

The never-before-published novel by cult feminist author Elaine Kraf, exploring what happens when a drained writer fakes her death and joins a mysterious club for failing artists

Once the darling of the literary world, Marlane Frack is fading into obscurity: her once-brilliant career seems over, her creativity feels nonexistent, and her demanding husband would prefer she spend her time caring for him instead of struggling to find inspiration. But one day, an enigmatic chauffeur arrives to spirit her away to Memory House, a secluded sanctuary where formerly successful artists of all kinds—writers, painters, musicians, and more—are spending the rest of their lives. They have all decided that fame in death is preferable to decline in real life.

Nestled in a remote, picturesque landscape, the house is a labyrinth of secrets and whispers, where time seems to flow differently and creativity is both a blessing and a curse. There, Marlane finds herself among a diverse group of residents, some of whom she knew in the outside world, all of them fighting with their own artistic demons—and with each other. As the line between reality and imagination blurs, and her past begins to manifest in startling ways, Marlane starts to question what is real and what is merely a figment of the house's influence.

Will Marlane find the redemption she seeks, or will the house consume her creative spirit entirely? In the last book she wrote before her death, which has never been published before, Elaine Kraf explores the challenges of being a female creator, the transformative power of art, and the enduring quest for self-discovery.

Elaine Kraf (1936-2013) was a writer and painter. She was the author of four published works of fiction: I Am Clarence (1969), The House of Madelaine (1971), Find Him! (1977), and The Princess of 72nd Street (1979)—as well as several unpublished novels, plays, and poetry collections. She was the recipient of two National Endowment for the Arts awards, a 1971 fellowship at the Broad Loaf Writers’ Conference, and a 1977 residency at Yaddo. She was born and lived in New York City.