The Memory Keeper by Abigail Johnson

 

Gracie Meadows lives a quiet and unassuming life until she discovers that a developer is going to build housing on the field at the rear of her home. Not only will the local area lose the peaceful natural habitat, but the developers will also cut down the oak tree planted by Gracie's father when he was a young boy.

Last year, I stumbled across The Secret Collector by Abigail Johnson (you can read my review here) and loved everything about the book, so I was extremely keen to see what  The Memory Keeper had to offer. This is a story about empowerment, community, and discovering that you are never too old to try something different.

As the book opens in 1985, we meet Gracie on her tenth birthday. She's excited about her birthday present. Unfortunately, disappointment rules the day as a result of her mother's erratic behaviour. Disaster isn't far behind when Gracie accidently cause a fire in which her father dies.

We rejoin Gracie forty years later. She's married to Max, works as a dinner lady at the local primary school, and still lives in her childhood home. Gracie has big plans for her birthday this year: a party for friends and neighbours, followed by a wonderful holiday during the summer. Things take a disastrous turn when four-year-old Tilly, a neighbour's daughter, destroys her birthday cake.

Gracie is one of those meek characters who simply accepts whatever life throws at her, assuming it's what she deserves. This is easy to understand as she's lived with the guilt of causing her beloved father's death for forty years, she doesn't feel as if she has a right to real joy and happiness. Discovering that her last true connection to her father is going to be destroyed is the straw that breaks the camel's back, and to add insult to injury, her husband is managing the property development.

It was wonderful to see Gracie emerge from her shell, and the influence of her overbearing husband, as she decided to fight against the development. Things don't go smoothly; she's filled with doubt when things don't always go to plan, or memories cause her to question what she's doing. Luckily, she's got Tilly spurring her on. Tilly is one of those children who questions everything and refuses to accept that change can't happen; as far as she's concerned, you just have to persevere. 

Along the way, Gracie suffers heartbreak, particularly when she learns the truth about the events of forty years ago. However, she also discovers new friends and a shocking revelation. With a newfound confidence in herself, life begins to offer her so much more than she had settled for.

The Memory Keeper by Abigail Johnson will be published on 1st June 2026 in ebook format, with the paperback and audiobook published on 30th July 2026. My thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for a review copy.

Author Details

Abigail Johnson wrote this novel while completing the Curtis Brown Creative three-month novel writing course, where she was tutored by author Laura Barnett. It was longlisted for the 2021 and 2022 Bath Novel Award. Her writing has also been longlisted for the Exeter Novel Award, shortlisted for the 2021 Edinburgh Flash Fiction Award and she was a Friday Night Live finalist at the Festival of Writing in 2017. She lives in Birmingham.