Review: The Heart of Memory by Alison Strobel

Title: The Heart of Memory: A Novel
Author: Alison Strobel
Released: March 29, 2011
Publisher: Zondervan
Pages/format: 304 (ARC)
Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction
Source: From the publisher.

Quick Synopsis: Beloved Christian writer and speaker Savannah Trover expected to wake up from surgery missing her former heart—not her former faith. Now her anger toward God threatens to destroy her family and ministry. Will she ever be able to trust her heart again?

From the back cover:

When beloved Christian writer and speaker Savannah Trover becomes gravely ill, she has to face that sham that her faith has become. Days before her heart transplant, she vows to change her ways and she renews her relationship with Christ. But when she awakens from the surgery, Savannah discovers that her faith has left her completely.

Savannah’s husband, Shaun, is concerned about his wife’s odd behavior–and even more concerned about the secret he’s keeping from her. If she doesn’t bring down their ministry, then he might, losing his family in the process.

A stranger may hold the answer to Savannah’s recovery, but is Savannah strong enough to return to her old way of life? Can Shaun right his wrongs before word gets out? And do either one of them remember how to be who they once were–or who they want to be?

Quick Review: The Heart of Memory is a compelling, satisfying, and uplifting novel that grapples with many real-life issues.

In-Depth Review:

I initially decided to review The Heart of Memory because the synopsis on the publisher’s website gripped me so much. I love novels that grapple with faith, and because of my own experience with chronic illness, I identify with characters who go through the trauma of facing a serious disease. Sometimes I get this feeling about a book, a knowing that I’m going to love it. I got that feeling about The Heart of Memory, and it was spot-on.

The plot is very compelling and I read the entire book in the same amount of time I would read a suspense novel or some other equally paced book. The question of what Shaun is hiding from his family gives an air of mystery to the story, as does Savannah’s questions about cellular memory and the possible impact this medical phenomenon may have on her faith and emotions. Over the last four years I have spent a lot of my free time researching unstudied diseases and disorders, so this particular plot element was especially intriguing to me.

There is a great emotional depth to this novel, and I felt like I really got to know the main characters. Tabitha and Aniyah in particular were favorites and it was a welcome surprise when they popped into the story halfway through the book. I was also impressed with the realistic dialogue and the hopeful, yet not overly-sappy ending.

Overall, I found The Heart of Memory to be a satisfying, uplifting read. It was the first of Alison Strobel’s books that I’ve read, and it definitely won’t be my last.

About Alison Strobel:

Alison inherited the writing gene from her father, New York Times bestselling author Lee Strobel, and grew up composing stories on everything from napkins to typewriters. She is the author of six novels that explore life, love, and faith. Alison lives in Colorado with her husband and two daughters.