Scan barcode
megansto's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
leahcatching's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
nahyee's review against another edition
2.0
See my full review of this title on my blog: Books Under the Blanket (with a flashlight): https://booksundertheblanket.com/in-memory-of-mary.html
novelvisits's review against another edition
2.0
Note: I received a copy of this book from Scribner (in print and via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest thoughts.
I loved Robin Wasserman’s adult debut, Girls on Fire (my review), so was incredibly excited to read
Mother Daughter Widow Wife. This is the story of a woman who many years ago vanished and in a psychiatric hospital with no memories of who she was. While there, the head doctor and his protege took a keen interest in her case. Almost 20 years later, the same woman vanishes from her life again and her daughter sets out, determined to uncover what happened. For me, Mother Daughter Widow Wife had a great/interesting premise and well-developed characters, but was missing the edge I expected. At times the story got mired down in too much science and clever parallels between fugue states and musical fugues. I’d have liked to have had more emphasis on the daughter and the missing woman, instead of the protege, Elizabeth, who I found to be surprisingly pathetic. I know Wasserman can write vivid strong characters, but for me they just didn’t shine here.
I loved Robin Wasserman’s adult debut, Girls on Fire (my review), so was incredibly excited to read
Mother Daughter Widow Wife. This is the story of a woman who many years ago vanished and in a psychiatric hospital with no memories of who she was. While there, the head doctor and his protege took a keen interest in her case. Almost 20 years later, the same woman vanishes from her life again and her daughter sets out, determined to uncover what happened. For me, Mother Daughter Widow Wife had a great/interesting premise and well-developed characters, but was missing the edge I expected. At times the story got mired down in too much science and clever parallels between fugue states and musical fugues. I’d have liked to have had more emphasis on the daughter and the missing woman, instead of the protege, Elizabeth, who I found to be surprisingly pathetic. I know Wasserman can write vivid strong characters, but for me they just didn’t shine here.
sparklelys's review against another edition
4.0
Memories self-reinforce - the way you tell yourself the story changes the story. Who you are depends on when you're reflecting on you & the when you're reflecting on. A book of mom issues… but you don't have to be who your parents "designed" you to be.
The key isn't remembering, it's forgetting - what if you remembered something else? Imagine if you could experience your worst times as if they happened to someone else?
The key isn't remembering, it's forgetting - what if you remembered something else? Imagine if you could experience your worst times as if they happened to someone else?
asami_kukomi's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
First read of 2024!
Another year unintentionally starting off with reading the lowest rated book on my shelf. Unlike last year, this book was an unexpected 5 star read.
Loved how much science and psychology was in the book. Really loved the academia aspect.
The characters in the book felt so real and human it hurt. The relationship dynamics were really well done, I felt all the emotions reading this book. I felt the grief, and the loss, the anger, uncertainty and anxiety, the disgust. So well done.
I get that it was important for the plot, but I really wish that there was less cheating in this book. Like babes I get it, you want to fuck your married supervisor, I don't want to fucking hear about it every other page. Literally fuck anyone else please. I don't care.
Another year unintentionally starting off with reading the lowest rated book on my shelf. Unlike last year, this book was an unexpected 5 star read.
Loved how much science and psychology was in the book. Really loved the academia aspect.
The characters in the book felt so real and human it hurt. The relationship dynamics were really well done, I felt all the emotions reading this book. I felt the grief, and the loss, the anger, uncertainty and anxiety, the disgust. So well done.
elizabethise's review against another edition
3.0
If you woke up and didn't remember who you were would you want to figure it out? Can you miss the person you didn't know you were or the life you don't remember? This is a story of a woman found in a fugue state and the other women around her who just want to know what happened and most importantly why. It's told from multiple perspectives and at two points in time. It's not a scary or super thrilling mystery but there's a drive to figure out what happened. Interesting introspections on womanhood, motherhood, and the sacrifices often made in both. I chose the audiobook and thought the multiple narrators did a great job.
cardamami's review against another edition
3.5
i hated reading most of this book because of the man that seeped into every chapter, inescapable. it felt really real though, and the ending tied everything up so devastatingly and beautifully.
marshaskrypuch's review against another edition
3.0
The premise for this novel is stronger than the story, about a woman who loses her memory and becomes the object of study at a famed memory institute. There are many intertwining narratives: that of the woman who has lost her memory, both during her fugue state and after, the daughter who wants to learn more, and the lead researcher who falls in love with her married professor. The intertwining tales get a bit confusing at times and I found myself wanting to shake Lizzie, the lead researcher and primary narrator.
This book felt much longer than it was and around the 2/3 mark, I nearly gave up. That said, I'm glad I read it to the end.
This book felt much longer than it was and around the 2/3 mark, I nearly gave up. That said, I'm glad I read it to the end.
katiez624's review against another edition
4.0
I started reading this book with certain expectations, based on the plot summary, but it turned out to be much different than I had anticipated. The mystery of the true identity of Wendy Doe made me think that this would be somewhat of a thriller/mystery, focusing on finding out who this woman is and why no one is looking for her. However, Wendy Doe's lack of memory turns her into a research subject, with little to no focus on her true past.
This book is very well written, in the literary sense, and the development of the characters over time is evident. The chapters alternate between characters and timelines, contrasting how events have affected various characters and the development of namely, Lizzie/Elizabeth, the main character. Although the writing quality never abated, the pace of the storyline was slow at times. The book delved deeply into many of the characters' pasts and inner dialogues, even the more minor and less interesting ones.
This book is very well written, in the literary sense, and the development of the characters over time is evident. The chapters alternate between characters and timelines, contrasting how events have affected various characters and the development of namely, Lizzie/Elizabeth, the main character. Although the writing quality never abated, the pace of the storyline was slow at times. The book delved deeply into many of the characters' pasts and inner dialogues, even the more minor and less interesting ones.