The Memory Journal

Memory #.5

by Steena Holmes

Just when she thought it was safe to dream about a future again, Charlie Peters’ world came crashing down when she received word her sister was in the hospital. She left her fiancé in a small village in the Congo where they both work for Doctors Without Borders and rushed home to take care of her sister.

She wants to believe that love will conquer all and all that other nonsense hopeless romantics believe, but can love overcome the lies she’s told Marcus about her past?

Charlie wasn’t meant for happily-ever-afters, even though Marcus was her Prince Charming.

This novella follows the story of Charlie Peters, sister of Diane, from The Memory Child and is sure to touch your heart as The Memory Child did.

Genres: Mystery, Novella

111 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 2, 2015

About the author

Steena Holmes is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with nearly 3 million copies of her titles sold worldwide, including The Patient, The Forgotten Ones, and Sister Under the Stairs.

Named in the Top 20 Women Author to Read by Good Housekeeping, she won the National Indie Excellence Award for her breakout novel Finding Emma and the USA Book News Award for The Word Game. Steena has been featured in various newspapers and magazines, websites such as Goodreads, BookBub, RedBook, Glamour, Coastal Living and Goodhousekeeping.

One of Steena's passions is to travel with her readers, so she created her Sweet Tours, where she shares her love for the sweet life with her readers, whether in Paris, Italy, or exploring Christmas Markets.
To learn more about her books and join her on the next Sweet Tour, visit her website at http://www.steenaholmes.com.
You can also find Steena on the web at:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/authorsteenaholmes
Facebook: SteenaHolmes.author

LIST OF HER NOVELS STARTING FROM MOST RECENT:

THE TWIN

ENGAGED TO A SERIAL KILLER

THE SISTER UNDER THE STAIRS

THE PATIENT

THE FORGOTTEN ONES

SAVING ABBY & ABBY'S JOURNEY

THE WORD GAME

Stillwater Bay Series:
Stillwater Shores
Stillwater Rising
Stillwater Tides
Stillwater Deep

The Memory Child & The Memory Journal

FINDING EMMA series:
Finding Emma
Dear Jack
Emma's Secret
Dottie's Memories
Megan's Hope

Reviews

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marcus and Charlie are in the field where they help where they can. but things are in their way why does Charlie not want children what happened in her past that makes her not want one . and why is Diane believing her family her husband and baby are alive and what happened to them . also why does Walter blame himself for Diane's health . and who is Nina really to Diane . and who or where is their Father . this story as in the prior The Memory Child i have not yet read it but will when i can but this story is emotional and yet can be healing if you have dealt with this type of thing in your own life . it does happen to real people as it can in stories like this so thank You Steena Holmes for writing . and fyi this story comes out the day before my birthday july 3rd be the big 37 and here is the irony 7/3 is the day but reverse the numbers and that will be my age lol.

[Deborah Blanchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the author to review before its release. This book is at once, heart wrenching and uplifting.I do suggest reading The Memory Child first , as this is the companion book to that. This is Charlies' story, Diannes' sister. It is a poignant portrayal of dealing with a sister who has postpartum psychosis, while trying to find your own way and follow your own dreams. It is a story of love. It is a story written out of love. This book is exquisitely written. The dialogue is so realistic that I felt I was a part of this story. The characters are well developed and the flow of this story is effortless. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a wonderfully written story. I feel this is a book that needs to be read by all. Thank you, Steena, for allowing me the privilege of reading this incredible book.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book from the author to read and review.
This book was amazing! I read it in a half day.

I love Charlie and Diane. The yrs of feeling abandoned by both of their parents have made Charlie a wonderful, caring nurse, but her heart hasn't learned to accept love for her, and feel free to openly love others without hiding her past.
Will she one day learn to "let others in" and share her childhood secrets?
Will Diane return to her life and begin to heal after the horrible tragedy?

This book kept me reading until the end to learn some of these answers.
I highly recommend it

[Annie McDonnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steena Holmes has yet to disappoint. All of her stories are simply fantastic, and should not be missed.
The Memory Journal is companion novella to Steena Holmes 5 Star Novel, The Memory Child. I was so excited when I heard about this novella, because Steena has the gift of bringing you back a story you loved, by learning more about a certain character, or hearing the same story from another character’s point of view.
Diane and Charlie have a wonderful relationship as sisters, and they have always been there for one another. Dealing with tragedies together thickens their bond for one another. They lost their mother and younger brother when they were just children, and the reason for this loss is what drives this story, and what drives their fears.
The Memory Child was the story of Diane, and The Memory Journal is the story of Charlie. Charlie is a lovely sister, and woman in society. She works as a Pediatric Nurse for Doctors without Borders. She and her fiancé, Marcus are stationed in the Congo. This shows how Charlie’s tragedy turned in to a beautiful gift to the world. She loved taking care of children, and Doctors without Borders makes that possible.
However, she is called home when her sister, Diane is hospitalized for a psychosis, that they now know runs in the family.
There are a lot of pieces of Charlie’s life that she is not sharing with Marcus, but she needs to open up before losing him. The journals she finds help her not only deal with the past, but share it with Marcus.
The question is; Does Marcus still want to stay with all of Charlie’s secrets?
Steena is a truly gifted writer, and if you let her slip through your fingers, you will be missing so much.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this book by the author for an honest review. I would strongly recommend reading this and any other books by Steena Holmes. She is one of my favorite authors since reading Finding Emma.
This is a story about Charlie (Charlotte) who works for Doctors Without Borders helping impoverished people who may not otherwise have medical help. She has a boyfriend Marcus, who she works with and they are getting serious in their relationship. She gets a phone call that her sister Dianne has been hospitalized, so she travels home to be with her. They are the only two family members still alive. Finding out what her sister is in the hospital for raises doubts in Charlies mind as to whether or not she would ever be able to have a healthy marriage. Diannes story was told in The Memory Child, while this book is Charlie's story intertwined with her sister. There are many emotions and painful memories from the past for Charlie to deal with. My only wish was that this book was a full novel and not a novella. I'm very happy that Steena Holmes wrote this to give more insight into the sisters lives and to learn more about Diannes disorder.

[Tuscania · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the priveledge of receiving this book as an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. The Memory Child was written 1st followed by its companion The Memory Journal and I highly recommend that they are read in order. These are the types of books that once you start reading them you don't want to put them down because you need to find out the ending. The story starts out where Charlie returns to her job with Doctors Without Borders, in Africa, where she is a pediatric nurse. She had gone back home to help her sister Diane grieve. Diane's story is in the book The Memory Child. Upon her return, Marcus (Doctor with Doctors Without Borders) and Charlie decided to start planning their wedding. Charlie called her sister to see if she wanted to help with the planning but wasn't able to reach her. A few days later she got a phone call from Walter, he was like a father to them, that Diane was in the hospital. Charlie flew back home to be there for her sister and face her past which was holding her back from her future. This is a great read, I was happy to find out more about Charlie's life being that The Memory Child was about Diane. 

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will read anything Steena Holmes writes, because her stories are that good. Yet, The Memory Child and The Memory Journal hold a special place in my reading heart. The Memory Child is the first book I ever read of Steena's. When I heard there was a companion novella (The Memory Journal) I knew I had to read it.

I wasn't disappointed. The Memory Journal takes the reader to Charlie's story. Charlie was a secondary character in The Memory Child and I love when an author writes another story from a secondary character's point of view. There was new information in this novella which the reader didn't get from The Memory Child. And we get Charlie's background and her current situation.

I loved The Memory Journal. It showed me healing takes time, but when you believe in love there is almost always a way to find your happiness.

Thank you, Steena, for writing The Memory Journal. I highly recommend readers check out The Memory Journal (and The Memory Child!).

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an ARC of The Memory Journal and I absolutely loved it. I loved how it told Charlie's story who the reader meets in The Memory Child and you get to understand her better and know her as a character and about her relationship with her fiance Marcus. I especially loved that you found put more about what was going on during the time The Memory Child was taking place. This book filled in all the blanks that the reader did not know about while reading the main book. However, I would not recommend to read this book first because it is a huge spoiler for The Memory Child but an excellent book to read when you finish it to learn more about the sister and what was really going on that Holmes was so very good at hiding until the end. I am going to give The Memory Journal five out of five stars and highly recommend it to be be read after The Memory Child so no spoilers are given away to another great book.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlie (Charlotte) Hunter has just return to her job with Doctors Without Borders in the Congo after seeing that her sister Diane was going to be able to return to work following the tradegic deaths of her husband and child. Marcus, her fiancée, and Charlie are planning their wedding and looking forward to a future together until everything is put on hold when Charlie receives word her sister is in the hospital. When she realizes that her sister isn't going to get better now she must face Marcus with the lies about her past she has kept from him. Will she take a chance on love with Marcus and live happily ever after or will she remain alone all her life because of her Mother and Diane's disorders? I would highly recommend this book along with The Memory Child. Steena Holmes books are must reads!

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Memory Child was one of my favorite books of 2014 so I was thrilled when I had a chance to read an early copy of the companion book The Memory Journal. The first book was Diane's story and her sister Charlie was a secondary character. The new book is Charlie's story of the same events. Both sisters have been scarred by parental neglect and deal with it differently and in The Memory Journal, we find out how deeply Charlie was psychologically hurt as a child and how it affected her as an adult. We also find out if she is able to overcome her childhood neglect and learn to accept love as an adult. The Memory Journal is a wonderful book and really gives another side to the Memory Child as well as giving us another character to love. I would highly recommend it. One note -- read these books in order -- The Memory Child first and then The Memory Journal.

[Sara Freitag · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book in advance in return for my honest review.

This book is amazing. This is the story about Charlie,who is Diane's sister. Diane's story is The memory Child. This story is the same time as The memory child but just about Charlie and her story. This book brought out all the emotions I had while reading The Memory Child, but then I had even more emotions come out for Charlie and her story. This is just plain and simple amazing. I love how this Author feels the emotions of the characters. This is a must read! You will not be sorry.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was one of the people chosen to read this story before publication. It is a story written from the viewpoint of the sister of the main character in The Memory Child (Diane). The sister is named Charlie. I do recommend that you read The Memory Child first. Also an excellent book. Charlie's view of the situation and what is going on in her life reveals a lot about the main book.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!!! I loved reading this book, and Charlie's story. Steena once again brings together a group of characters that pulls you in and make you feel what they are feeling, love the things they love.

If you want to find an author who's books you can fall in love with, please read any work by Steena Holmes.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't even read, The Memory Child (novel), but I LOVED this story of Charlie! Filled with true emotion, and detail to each character's personality, I would highly recommend this book.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another powerful must read!!

"The Memory Journal" is the powerful follow up novella to "The Memory Child." While "The Memory Child focused on Diane and how she coped with extreme personal loss, "The Memory Journal" focuses on her sister's point of view and feelings during Diane's journey. It also tells the story of Diane and her own relationship with the man she loves, her greatest fears, and her own journey of healing and moving forward.

Once again, Steena Holmes has brought such realism into her work. The reader is transported into the story and is there witnessing the feelings and emotions of each character and travels their journey with them as they move throughout the many aspects of their lives simultaneously.

With such an engaging story line and such string and powerful characters, the reader is drawn in from the beginning and truly cannot out the novel down until the it ends.

An amazing, moving, heartbreaking, heartwarming, and powerful read, "The Memory Journal" is not to be missed. A definite must read now novella. And certainly read "The Memory Child" before or after. Both are top of their game reads by an award winning author.

Merged review:

***** "The Memory Journal: A Companion to The Memory Child" by Steena Holmes

(see review of "The Memory Child below)

Another Powerful Must Read by Steena Holmes

"The Memory Journal" is the powerful follow up novella to "The Memory Child." While "The Memory Child focused on Diane and how she coped with extreme personal loss, "The Memory Journal" focuses on her sister's point of view and feelings during Diane's journey. It also tells the story of Diane and her own relationship with the man she loves, her greatest fears, and her own journey of healing and moving forward.

Once again, Steena Holmes has brought such realism into her work. The reader is transported into the story and is there witnessing the feelings and emotions of each character and travels their journey with them as they move throughout the many aspects of their lives simultaneously.

With such an engaging story line and such strong and powerful characters, the reader is drawn in from the beginning and truly cannot put the novel down until the it ends.

Amazing and powerful. I loved how the author intertwined the two stories, yet made this Charlie's, as well. To be able to bring in aspects of "The Memory Child" and have those scenes viewed through Charlie's eyes while also have her face her own past was a great perspective.

The skill it took to intermingle parts of this novella with the novel and to do so without the reader feeling like they missed something from the first book or had to re-read parts or check for accuracy takes such skill. Steena Holmes did this with such ease and crispness in her writing without taking anything away from the story or the characters.

An amazing, moving, heartbreaking, heartwarming, and powerful read, "The Memory Journal" is not to be missed. A definite must read now novella.

(And certainly read "The Memory Child" before or after. Both are top of their game reads by an award winning author.)

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The companion book to The Memory Child so please read that one first. This is Charlie's story, Diane from The Memory Child's sister. Charlie works for Doctors Without Borders helping mainly expectant mother's and children in countries where there is little or no doctors. Charlie is in love with Marcus, a doctor, but afraid of her childhood ruining things. She has always guarded her heart but Marcus is her Prince Charming and she has fallen head over heel in love love with him.

She gets a call that her sister is in a hospital suffering from postpartum psychosis. Her worst fears have started to come true and she has doubts about ever having a child herself.

This book is Charlie's story but also tells a lot of what happened to Diane too. Charlie has to face her past and all the horrible things that happened when she was a child, to move on and find true happiness with Marcus. He leaves to give her time to deal with her own demons, which are holding her back from making some important decisions about their future concerning having children.

Thank you for this copy. I enjoyed it so much. It definitely made me stop and think about what people go through when suffering with such an awful thing as postpartum psychosis. It is a great story that kept me turning the pages to find out more. I hated for it to end.

The one thing that I would love to see is another book. One that will tell what happens with Charlie and Marcus and also a little more about Diane after her hospital stay. It would be a great story to add to the first two.

Merged review:

After reading The Memory Child this one is a must.

It tells Charlie's story and her fears after her sister falls apart. Her fear of being like their mother and the one thing she wants to have more than anything. Seeing what her sister went through does not help her.

Will there be a happy ever after. Will Charlie give in to true love and have a family of her own? This is a sweet yet very touching story that will bring tears to your eyes.

It's hard to write this without giving anything away so I will just say, "get a copy of both and you won't regret it" Great companion to The Memory Child.

Steena Holmes has a wonderful gift. One that I'm very grateful for...

I received an ARC of this story to read and leave my honest review.

[Lora · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave "The Memory Child" four stars, but this spin-off only gets two stars from me. It didn't have any of the mystery of the first book, and it felt to me like a fairly standard love story. This was disappointing, because the premise was very good - a female character working for Doctors Without Borders in Africa, who comes home because her sister is severely mentally ill and has to confront her fears about mental illness and how this is affecting her relationship with her fiance.

Unfortunately, I felt that the author didn't delve meaningfully into the character's experiences and memories. I did feel touched at one moment, but altogether the novella felt a little unfinished - there were typos and the story got wrapped up a little too quickly and easily.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this book by the author for an honest review. This is Charlie's story the sister of Diane. Both sisters are close as can be. Diane's story is The Memory Child. She deals with postpartum psychosis. Charlie deals with accepting love and realizes that with Marcus she has it. He loves her unconditionally and supports her and doesn't push her to find her way. It takes Charlie a while to find her way and when she does it is with her whole heart. Love this book and all books by Steena.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved The Memory Child so have been looking forward to reading this novella and, as usual, Steena Holmes did not disappoint!
The memory journal is a heart tugger which answers some of the questions I was left with after finishing the memory child. It was interesting to look at the story from a different perspective and find out more about the sister and their back story.
If you have read the memory child you won't want to miss the memory journal. If you haven't read either, be sure to add them to your 'to read' list.

[Maryann Fox]

A companion novella to The Memory Child

A sad revealing and hopeful book.

This book tells the story of Diane from the first book and her breakdown and it reveals an insight into the childhood tragedy that befell her and her sister Charlie's mother.

Lastly it tells of Charlie and her fiance Marcus and their hopes for their future that will include Diane and a new career beginning for the two of them.

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful book

Book two follows Charlie's journey into coming to terms with her sisters breakdown after the loss of her husband and unborn child. Her fear that she will go into a psychosis breakdown like her Mother and sister almost tears apart her relationship with Marcus. This and The Memory Child are must reads.

[Nati · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very touching story about love, lost, pain...Charlie and her sister Diane have been through a lot during their childhood and they cope with live in a very different way. I recommend the audiobook, because it makes you feel that you are inside story, going through all the emotions the characters are going through.

[Caron · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Smooth flow of Steena Holmes writing style makes you feel like you're a part of the story, one of the characters, living the story as its being told.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the first book of this series, but this one I felt was quite rushed.. it was however nice to read the story from a different point of view.

[Millie]

Good book - had to read it after reading The Memory Child - and it didn't disappoint. It was different than I expected - told from a different perspective which added to both.

[Angela Bair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good follow up

Quick read and totally enjoyed it!!!! Definitely recommend it as well as the first I'm this series. Good weekend book!