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The House of Memories

by Monica McInerney (Goodreads Author)

3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 · rating details · 296 ratings · 67 reviews

Sometimes the hardest lessons to learn are those that matter most.

Following a tragic accident, Ella O'Hanlon flees to the other side of the world in an attempt to escape her grief, leaving behind the two people she blames for her loss: Aidan, the love of her life, and Jess, her spoilt half-sister.

In London Ella is taken in by her beloved uncle Lucas, whose extraordinary ho...more

Paperback, 473 pages

Published September 26th 2012 by Penguin Australia

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Jan 07, 2013 Elizabeth Lhuede rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: australian-women-writers-challenge, australian-author, mainstream-popular-fiction

I felt uneasy through a fair bit of this book. At first I wasn't sure whether I was being played with, but then I realised the story line is pretty straight forward, even though it ranges over a number of different points of view and deftly incorporates a variety of styles.

There's the first-person narrative of the brittle main character Ella; the stage-managed diary entries of her narcissistic younger half-sister, Jess; the folksy-jolly emails of her step-brother Charlie; and the heartfelt lett...more

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Oct 04, 2012 Belinda rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-borrowed-from-the-library, irritating

I have had mixed opinions of Monica McInerney's previous books. I liked The Alphabet Sisters, loved Those Faraday Girls, thought At Home with the Templetons was interesting but uneven and hated Lola's Secret (dear publishing gods, please spare us from any more books that center on wise, all-knowing elderly women who know how to use technology and are able to use their wisdom and all-knowingness to communicate with young people. These women are unsufferable and make me want to throw things - ie t...more I have had mixed opinions of Monica McInerney's previous books. I liked The Alphabet Sisters, loved Those Faraday Girls, thought At Home with the Templetons was interesting but uneven and hated Lola's Secret (dear publishing gods, please spare us from any more books that center on wise, all-knowing elderly women who know how to use technology and are able to use their wisdom and all-knowingness to communicate with young people. These women are unsufferable and make me want to throw things - ie the book I'm reading that features these irritating protagonists - at the wall. Thank you.), so I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. Either way, McInerney has a nice, easy writing style, so I figured even if her new book wasn't great it would be a relaxing way to spend a few hours away from the high stress levels of my everyday life ("CAPS LOCK IS HOW I FEEL ALL THE TIME, RICK!"). Boy, was I wrong.

The House of Memories opens with a chapter detailing the childhood of Ella Fox/Baum/O'Hanlon and the special relationship she has with her uncle, Lucas. After we wade through the standard broken-home childhood tale (parents divorce, remarry, step-brother, new baby, jealously, et cetera cetera et cetera) we get to the crux of the story - Ella's baby has died. The book then separates into chapters told from the point of view of different characters, with some (very annoying) email chapters and others alternating between the first and third chapter.

I have no problem with having multiple narrators, even if (as is clearly signposted in this book ALL THE TIME for the benefit of those who have memory problems, I imagine) these narrators are unreliable. I have no problem with epistolary writing - The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society is one of my favourite books. What I do have a problem with is books that are so predictable that, after reading the third chapter, it is possible to plot what happens in every chapter until the end. There is pleasure in reading genre fiction - it's nice to know that the right couple will get together in the end in a romance novel, for example - so I understand that books can be about the journey rather than the destination. But if both the journey and the destination suck...step away from the book.

I am a bit bummed about contemporary fiction at the moment. Ian McEwan's Sweet Tooth was a massive disappoint. I started Zadie Smith's new book NW but abandoned it because of the stream-of-consciousness writing style. This book completely sucked. Am I picking bad books, or has the standard of published works dropped recently? I'm about to start Gone Girl, which has received great reviews. If that sucks as well, I might stop reading anything published after the turn of the century and stick to books that have passed the test of time!
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Jan 17, 2013 Cait rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, contemporary-fiction, own

3.5 stars (I was tossing up between 3 & 4, but it was slow to get into & there were a few parts where I lost interest so.)

I enjoyed the story in this - (view spoiler)? AMAZINGLY DONE. It was interesting to see how her support system was similar to her sisters - but then you don't get the full story on the sister un...more

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Mar 16, 2013 Karen Donnellan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 20, 2012 Kylie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this.

Firstly, I loved the London setting - it was right where I lived for the majority of my OE more than 10 years ago and I had very clear images of the places that Ella visited in her time in London. I loved that (I enjoyed my time in London so much, and miss many things about it).

Secondly, I really enjoyed the story and the way it was told. Yes, it was predictable in how it would unfold. But what I loved about it was the way I bought in completely to Ella and her journey, I felt the w...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Helen McKenna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: aww2013, great-aussie-reads-2013

From her early childhood Ella has shared a close bond with her eccentric Uncle Lucas (and his house in London). So it is only natural that she finds herself there following a personal tragedy that has ripped her life apart.

Ella and husband Aiden were loving their life in Canberra until a spur of the moment decision one day results in a terrible accident. Unwilling to see the point of view of Aiden and her spoilt half sister Jess, Ella takes off, believing that being constantly on the move will...more

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Apr 14, 2013 Sonja Mestrom rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: monica-mcinerny, chick-lit

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 11, 2013 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

I read this while travelling around the UK with my ten year old, which had an impact on my reading. Firstly I could only read in short bursts, as we both wanted the iPad. (Note to councillors who want to close public libraries and given everyone a kindle - that means every family member!). The book starts off with a bit of a mystery - Ella is running from something. The tragedy is slowly revealed, as are all the family members and their struggles. I felt Ella's pain while reading this, and gave...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Deborah Allen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Monica has a real grasp of humanity and what it means to be a part of a family that is blended and how we fit into that family and play a role given to us and our own beliefs in where we fit. Her understanding of loss is heartbreaking in its reality. I loved this book & wished I had an uncle like this. We all want to belong and feel needed and loved unconditionally.

I see this has both good and bad reviews, I think to appreciate this book you need to be part of a step family perhaps. She just...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Bree T rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, australian, aww2012, contemporary, family-saga, favorites, women-s-fiction

Ella O’Hanlon has been running for nearly two years now. She’s been travelling from one place to the next, working any job she can find, trying to forget the devastating tragedy that occurred that shattered her life beyond repair. Ella is incapable of talking to anyone about it and she wants to be as far away from the people in her old life as possible because all they want to do is talk about it, stirring up memories so painful that she cannot bear them.

She’s fled from Australia halfway around...more Ella O’Hanlon has been running for nearly two years now. She’s been travelling from one place to the next, working any job she can find, trying to forget the devastating tragedy that occurred that shattered her life beyond repair. Ella is incapable of talking to anyone about it and she wants to be as far away from the people in her old life as possible because all they want to do is talk about it, stirring up memories so painful that she cannot bear them.

She’s fled from Australia halfway around the world to London and her uncle Lucas. His multi-level terrace house was fascinating to her as a child and the two have maintained a close relationship over the years, exchanging hundreds of letters, faxes and emails. Lucas has a proposition for Ella, to keep her in one place for a while. A university lecturer and researcher, his house has always been open to an eclectic bunch of students who live with him while they conduct their PhD research and earn extra money by tutoring the sons and daughters of London’s rich on the side, organised by Lucas. Now several things have gone missing from the houses the students are tutoring at and Lucas wants Ella to find out who the culprit is discreetly.

Lucas also wants Ella to see that she’s not the only one hurting because of that devastating accident. It has affected so many people, not least of all Ella’s husband Aidan, whom she left, and her half sister Jess, whom she cannot bear to even think of, let alone talk to or even see. Ella blames the both of them for what happened, so deep in her grief and loss is she that she cannot even begin to understand how others feel, or the fact that her own way of dealing is devastating them even further.

Lucas and Ella’s step-brother Charlie know that trying to talk to her about anything will only result in her packing up and running again, somewhere far away. They hope to show her in a more subtle way that only by forgiving and reuniting with the people that are sharing her dark pain, can Ella heal.

My grandmother introduced me to Monica McInerney’s books some years ago and I’ve read several over the years and I think just about all of them have made me cry and this one is no exception. There are different levels of crying in books for me – the tearing up, the tears that leak out, the small sobs and then….ugly crying that cannot be stopped. And that’s the level this book achieved.

I found it very easy to put myself in Ella’s situation, because we have things in common. And the depth of pain that she was experiencing was so real, came through so strongly on the page that I couldn’t help but feel it as well. In Ella’s running, I saw a way in which I myself, would be tempted to deal with what she was going through. Keeping busy, keeping on the move, removing yourself from all of the memories (both the good and the terrible bad), cutting yourself off from family and people that love you, simply because they want to deal with it in a different sort of way. Ella is barely functioning when she arrives at Lucas’s house, she cleans obsessively just to keep herself busy, keep herself tired so she doesn’t have a chance of sitting down and relaxing and having a small memory creep into her brain. This is good in theory, but it isn’t always good in practice and Ella is often bombarded by her memories, including the ones of where she met Aidan, in this very house. Through Ella’s memories we learn her story, their story, because Ella is not grieving alone.

It’s very easy to forget about the man in a situation like this. But Aidan’s grief is just as devastating and all-encompassing as Ella’s, perhaps even more so because he knows that she partially blames him and she’s also left him as well. Sometimes I felt for Aidan even more than I did for Ella, his character was so powerful even though he didn’t often appear on the pages. He deals with his grief in a different way, the only way that he can in order to work through his own considerable pain. Where Ella seeks to keep it all in, locked away inside of her, Aidan does not.

This is a fabulously written book with truly beautifully constructed characters. The character of Jess, Ella’s half-sister and the other person Ella blames for her loss, was so well done. When she first appears on the page (the narrative is split between Ella, emails from Ella’s stepbrother and sometimes Lucas, Jess’s diary entries and letters written by a person left up to the reader to guess) she comes across as vain, shallow and spoiled and the reader has Ella’s perceptions of her sister to back up and colour their own. Slowly, over time and reveals does the true character of Jess emerge and yes, her story had me bawling too!

Despite the fact that I sobbed through some of this book (especially towards the end, I had to put aside until after my children had gone to bed, because I knew I was going to be that bad), or perhaps because of the fact that I sobbed through it, it’s become one of my favourite reads of the year. Maybe because I found it so easy to see myself as Ella. Maybe because I found their story so heartbreakingly beautiful. I almost never re-read sad books but this is one I can see myself re-reading, in fact I probably should re-read it because I think I’ll feel differently about things that occur in the earlier stages of the book now that I have the full story.(less)

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Jun 17, 2013 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was better than I expected. It had all the required elements to make it a page turner. It gets us to the end of a chapter, promising to give us answers but holding them off, keeping you wondering and keen to start the next chapter. A great way to ensure the reader continues.

The subject is grief and how the familial characters deal (or not) with pain and sorrow.

I was at the end, thinking; well, nice that it was all tied together so neatly and was a feel good ending. A few books I have read la...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-are, aussie-author, netgalley-reviews

Heartfelt and poignant, The House of Memories explores the overwhelming nature of grief in the wake of tragedy. In pain and anger, Ella O'Hanlon blames her husband, Aiden and her half sister, Jess, for the accident that ripped her life apart. Unable to forgive them, she leaves her life behind in a futile attempt to manage the devastation that engulfs her. When her beloved Uncle Lucas invites her to stay with him in England, Ella agrees, hoping for some respite from the agony of her loss but soon...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved the latest book in Moncia McInerney's repertoire. I found myself crying, laughing and happy the whole time I was reading the novel.

After a tragedy that tore Ella and her family apart she has been running. From city to city and then from country to country. She's been running from her life, her problems and those who love her.

I felt myself empathizing with Ella and her situation and I could completely understand her reason for running away in order to keep busy, forget, hide from the pain...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Sheree rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie-author, read-in-2012, general-fiction, reviews, own

I've been meaning to read this Australian author for ages so when The House of Memories came up on NetGalley I snapped it up.

Tragedy has a way of drawing people together or tearing them apart, no in-between. Sadly it can be the outcome you least expect or the outcome loved one's least benefit from that actually occurs, especially when guilt and blame come into play. People deal with tragedy and grief differently, there's no right or wrong way, it just ... is. You may not be alone in your grief b...more I've been meaning to read this Australian author for ages so when The House of Memories came up on NetGalley I snapped it up.

Tragedy has a way of drawing people together or tearing them apart, no in-between. Sadly it can be the outcome you least expect or the outcome loved one's least benefit from that actually occurs, especially when guilt and blame come into play. People deal with tragedy and grief differently, there's no right or wrong way, it just ... is. You may not be alone in your grief but it can feel like you are and while it hurts to see someone you love hurting and pushing others away you cannot make them accept or feel a certain way, even if you know that 'way' will heal their heart.

Ella is so consumed by her pain and grief the only thing she can think to do is escape, for her it's not a choice, but a case of survival. But the thing about grief is, the faster you run, the harder you fight ... it's a tenacious bugger, sitting on your shoulder, regardless.

For such a tragic read I didn't find it overly sad, not in a heart breaking, handful of soggy tissues way. I'm a big sook and surprisingly I didn't cry, at all, but don't get the idea that The House of Memories isn't well written, because it is. Maybe it's Ella's emotional detachment and McInerney's writing that conveys it so eloquently ... there's a sense of matter-of-factness, a bluntness to the retelling, an emotional disconnection, it doesn't make less of the tragedy, but for me it expressed the isolation, pain and detachment convincingly.

I adored Ella's eccentric Uncle Lucas and her relationship with half brother Charlie was lovely. Ella was truly blessed to have such a loving, supportive family; a family willing to wait, give her space and love her unconditionally, a family not adverse to a little conspiring to draw her to certain realisations when the time was right.

I'm not sure I've worded this well, The House of Memories is not the usual telling of love and loss but it's touching and ultimately hope and forgiveness shine through.

Has anyone else read a Monica McInerney novel they recommend?(less)

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Jan 07, 2013 Jennie - Daystarz Books rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-challenges-aww, paperbacks, read-2013

4 / 5 stars

Overview

Ella Baum/Fox/O'Hanlon is running away, from her husband, her family, her friends. She is immersed in her grief over the terrible accident that has ruined her marriage and her life. Ella has shut out everyone. No-one can possibly be grieving like she is. She blames her husband Aiden and half sister Jess for her loss.

Eventually her uncle Lucas has convinced Ella to stop running and come stay with him in London on the pretence that he needs her help. Ella continues to blame and...more

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May 08, 2013 Liz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Having been through the despair of losing a child myself, I really felt the emotions of this book myself.The selfish and often irrational tide of grief that can (and does) overwhelm one is dealt sensitively and with great charm... And it is hoped that we all have those quirky relatives that will do everything in their power to help you through it and restore the calm and patiently wait for the tide to inevitably turn once more. Thank you Monica McInerney.

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Mar 30, 2013 Rhiann rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow! Monica McInerney has developed into a beautiful writer. She has come a long way from her earlier books and her style these days reminds me a lot of Marion Keyes. They both have the knack of describing serious and sometimes heart wrenching situations in an uplifting way that makes you really empathise and think rather than feel depressed about it all.
This one reduced me to tears and I can't remember the last time that happened with a book. That DOES sound depressing but it really wasn't!

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Mar 17, 2013 Michael rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: library

First McInerney. Everything's almost fantasy-like. The perfect uncle. The ideal job for mom. Perfect step-dad. #firstworldproblems. Let's put the heroine in turmoil. Everything seems telegraphed in the book. It comes across as almost bloodless, with so many characters and it's hard to feel anything for any of them. It's all so genteel and civilised. All the loose ends tie up completely and perfectly. Pop psychology tropes are on display.

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Apr 22, 2013 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

This is probably more of a 3.5 rating but I'm feeling generous because I do love this author and always love when a story is told from multiple perspectives and/or in different styles (one being a series of emails). It's fairly predictable as far as the main theme goes, but the subplots kept it interesting. I love how McInerney uses setting (London, the uncle's house) to enhance the story.

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Feb 26, 2013 Soulla Georgiou rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. I have never heard of this author but certainly want to read her books now. A beautifully written, heart wrenching story of love and loss. At times you will be wiping your tears, other times you will find yourself laughing at the humour. I loved the relationship between Ella and her uncle Lucas and also her step brother. Highly recommended.

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Oct 24, 2012 Susan Austin rated it 3 of 5 stars

I like Monica McInerney - with any of her books you can be assured of an easy, well-written read with interesting female characters. Good holiday reading when you don't want to think. This one was pretty good. Maybe a few characters were a bit too perfect (Charlie, Lucas), and the story had a very sad undercurrent to it, but I enjoyed it.

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Jan 01, 2013 Kirsten rated it 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyable tearjerker. I sobbed my way through the end in a by carthartic, satisfying manner. As you would expect from Monica McInerney, this book rollicks along, a quick read with a deliciously flawed main character. I loved the toxic relationship with the younger sister, and of course the resolutions that ensued. Great holiday read.

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Dec 02, 2012 Renae rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is one that I read for work, it's not a book I would go for otherwise. Having said that, it was a very quick and accessible read and once I got into it I did care enough about the characters to want to see how it would play out. This is definitely one I'll be passing on to my mother-in-law, I think she will really love it.

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Oct 20, 2012 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

The House of Memories is one of those, 'I can't put down books.' Wonderful characters, wonderful story. I had the pleasure of attending Monica McInerney's brunch talk in Perth at the Parmelia Hilton on the 12th October 2012, and what a lovely lady she is. Monica spoke about House of Memories and the story behind her writing it. It was wonderful to read her book after listening to her talk.

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Apr 08, 2013 Andrea Grigg rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-women-s-fiction

I loved this book - mind you, Monica is one of my favourite authors. I found her characters so real, to the point where I felt like giving a couple of them a well-deserved slap, and wanted to hug the others. As you can tell, I was drawn into the story completely and can't wait for the next one!

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Feb 11, 2013 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Enjoyable, light reading. I liked the mix of characters, and found myself changing feelings about some of them as the story went on. I think it is also a good exploration of the author into the different ways people deal with grief.

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Nov 11, 2012 Bella George rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is Monica's saddest book yet, a mother losing a child and how her life and family changes and how they all get back on track. I was disappointed with the ending, thought it was cut a bit short, would have liked to have read more.

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Dec 28, 2012 Ellie Green rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoy Monica's style of writing, however I prefer more uplifting subjects. I found it difficult to get into the book but persevered and overall the storyline did have a satisfying conclusion although predictable.

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Jan 20, 2013 Lisa Bergin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio, ebooks-library, library-loan

Enjoyable audio book, as stated in my earlier comment the Geordie accent (bad) was distracting. I think Ella's resentment of Jess was justified and that Jess really did need a reality check, far too cosseted, but her grief and guilt over Felix's death were no less than either Ella's or Aidan's.

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Dec 27, 2012 Vonda rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have rated this 4. It's not exactly a brilliant book, but it is very readable. I read it easily and really enjoyed the story and the last third got very interesting and actually very emotional. I cried quite a bit! A really nice easy read. It was one of those books that you keep picking up to read a bit more as its so easy going.

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About Monica McInerney

Monica McInerney is the internationally bestselling author of seven novels including Upside Down Inside Out, Family Baggage, The Alphabet Sisters and The Faraday Girls (which was named the General Fiction Book of the Year in the 2008 Australian Book Industry Awards.) Her latest novel Greetings from Somewhere Else will be published in the USA in July 2009.

Monica, 44, grew up in a family of seven ch...more

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