Brashares’ second adult novel is full of life, after life, after …

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/07/2010 (5560 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

My Name Is Memory

By Ann Brashares

Riverhead Books, 324 pages, $32.50

Many readers will know Ann Brashares from her hugely popular Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants young-adult series, and more recently, her first adult novel, The Last Summer (Of You and Me).

Now, the New York-based star embarks on her second novel for grown-ups, an enjoyable fantasy that will also have younger readers devouring it as readily as the Pants series.

My Name Is Memory follows the unexpectedly long life of a young man who has been reincarnated dozens of times over the past 1,000 years. That is not what makes Daniel special, though, as most souls get reincarnated after death. The difference is that Daniel remembers all his lives.

He remembers his first life, as a soldier in North Africa in 541 A.D. He remembers being a sailor from Crete in 899 A.D. He remembers fighting for England in the Great War in 1918. But most of all, he remembers his life in Constantinople in which he falls in love with Sophia.

Though her name and appearance changes, Daniel meets Sophia a few times over the passing centuries. Every time, he recognizes her soul and tries to convince her of their history. Every time, they are torn apart.

In present day, Sophia is called Lucy, and though her intense attraction to Daniel is much more than a typical high school crush, she is unaware of their tumultuous past.

Brashares has shown her ability to write deeply flawed but likable characters, and Daniel and Lucy are no exception. Lucy is at times skeptical and fearful; at others, she is decisive and driven.

Meanwhile, Daniel flip flops between being impulsive and hesitant, with the uncanny ability to always choose the wrong one.

But he is also a delightful narrator, who relishes this duty. "I am telling you a story, a love story, and I will try, with limited digressions, to hold on to my thread."

Brashares, too, clearly takes pleasure in her task. She deftly weaves together the many worlds Daniel has known, and shares many wonderful historical tidbits without sounding like a history lesson. Wisely, she chooses to let Daniel live unremarkable lives.

He explains, "I wasn’t in Bethlehem for Christ’s birth. I never saw the glory that was Rome … The great hits of history go along without notice for most. I read about them in books like everyone else."

While Brashares is captivating during Daniel’s past lives, the story falls short in present day. Their enduring love story seems to fit better in another century.

The narrative’s magic is lost when Lucy drives past box stores like Bed Bath & Beyond while listening to rap mixes. Undoubtedly, Brashares tried to use these moments to juxtapose them against Daniel’s history. Nevertheless, it is jarring when Lucy turns to Facebook to learn more about Daniel.

Twilight fans will certainly respond to the similar themes found in Stephenie Meyer’s successful series. My Name is Memory is also reminiscent of Audrey Niffenegger’s 2003 hit, The Time Traveler’s Wife. All three authors explore the idea of soul mates conquering opposing forces, including time itself.

Widely speculated as the first in a trilogy, My Name Is Memory (which has also been optioned for film) is the perfect summer read — and worthy of a re-read in the winter. As the series develops, Brashares will likely tackle unanswered questions and continue to explore the enchanting tenets of reincarnation.

By the end of My Name Is Memory, Daniel and Lucy’s adventure is incomplete, but it seems only fitting that readers should have to wait for two more books.

Daniel, after all, has had to wait millennia for his happy ending.

Jennifer Ryan is a creative writer-producer at Citytv Winnipeg.