Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
The Memory Book cover art

The Memory Book

By: Rowan Coleman
Narrated by: Robert Blackwood, Clare Corbett, Anna Bentinck
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £16.99

Buy Now for £16.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

There's Something I Have to Tell You cover art
The Letter cover art
Lessons in Laughing Out Loud cover art
Thursday's Child cover art
The Accidental Mother cover art
A Married Man cover art
Paper Cup cover art
The Book of Love cover art
Coming Home to Puddleduck Farm cover art
One Day in Summer cover art
The Old Ducks' Club cover art
Waiting for the Miracle cover art
Two for Three Farthings cover art
The Girl I Used to Know cover art
The Midwife cover art
Love, Iris cover art

Summary

The name of your first-born. The face of your lover. Your age. Your address... What would happen if your memory of these began to fade? When Claire starts to write her Memory Book, she already knows that this scrapbook of mementoes will soon be all her daughters and husband have of her. But how can she hold onto the past when her future is slipping through her fingers...?

©2014 Rowan Coleman (P)2014 W F Howes Ltd

What listeners say about The Memory Book

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    56
  • 4 Stars
    20
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    54
  • 4 Stars
    19
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    53
  • 4 Stars
    18
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    2

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

So sad

I normally enjoy very much Ms Rowan Coleman's books but this one was far too sad for me. I understand it is an interesting insight on what it can means to have in your family a person suffering from Alzheimer but I really found it hard to bear hearing about the fading link berween husband and wife due to the illness, though the author found a very clever twist to eventually uplift the feeling of utter sadness I had regarding that situation. It is not a bad book at all, and the performances are excellent, it is just a bit tough for me. But it may well not be for you.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

One not to miss.

Wonderful human, personable and insightful tale - handling very difficult condition and circumstances in very real way. Being well constructed and structured the reader is gently guided through the chaotic, uncontrollable consequences of such a terrible, tragic condition - and from various family members' perspective.
An emotional and satisfying book. Unreservedly recommend.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Heart wrenching

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this story. the characters were people you could really visualise and care about.Although it involves a sad subject (early dementia) the story had a lot of hope and humour and dealt with a difficult subject in a thought provoking and sensitive manner

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

Brilliant book story was fascinating and am now listening to it a second time. The narrator was great had a lovely voice that suited the story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Moving, funny and emotional, a must read.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, Its all about family coping or not, with a family member having a degenerative illness. How different members of the family try to come to terms with it. Its an eye opening, emotional and sometimes funny read. The emotions expressed by the main character Claire can be difficult to listen to if you know someone who is faced with a similar illness. Losing treasured memories; forgetting faces and names of loved ones, forgetting where you were going 5 minutes after leaving the house and knowing your not likely to see your youngest child growup. Devastating, and at such a young age. Your independence is gone, the way people treat you and the relationship you had with your family changed beyond recognition. A box of tissue is required to get through this book.

What other book might you compare The Memory Book to, and why?

I haven't read anything similar to this rescently so can't think of another to compare it to.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances? How does this one compare?

No I haven't. There are 3 narrators speaking as family members.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Claire reveals the truth about her daughters birth father which results in her daughter disappearing for several weeks. Claire struggles to get her mother and husband to accept that something is wrong and to take her to look for her. In a moment of lucidity while her mothers back is turned Claire, still in her pj's grabs her mothers purse and leaves determined to get to the train station and go to her daughter's university. Unfortunately despite her efforts to concentrate on her destination not long after leaving she can't remember why she left the house, only that it has something vaguely to do with her daughter.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Perfect!!

Absolutely perfect! Beautiful story, beautifully read. It has moments of humour and moments of intense sadness, and is extremely thought provoking. An excellent listen, I`ll look out for more by this author.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Multiple narrators hit nail on head again!

Would you listen to The Memory Book again? Why?

Definitely, because this story really resonated with me, Rowan managed to deal with difficult topics with ease! I would love to know what she could do with a story like mine.

What other book might you compare The Memory Book to, and why?

We are all made of stars, also by Rowan Coleman. The unique style in which she useless letters to supplement each chapter very similar to each other, which is in no way a bad thing!

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favourite?

Caitlin, excellent narrator performance!

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Before I go to sleep, the reality in reference to S J Watson with the novel by the same name

Any additional comments?

Highly recommend this novelist if you need to let go of some pent of emotion. Had me in spontaneous tears twice.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful book, thought provoking

This story let me into the main characters world, the sadness and the love that emerged following her diagnosis with Alzheimer's. A beautiful book with colourful characters

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful

A subject close to my heart. Beautifully written, tenderly dealt with I felt huge empathy for each character. Weaving the story through diary entries made it feel so personal.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

The enlightenment

The moments of realization for Clair when she was lucid and alert to being 'herself'. What a bitter sweet notion for her. My empathy over spilt with my own dread fear hurt sorrow elation surprise and zest to live and to love.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful