With Every Memory - A Novel

Lori Mendenhall returns home with a traumatic brain injury, losing eight years of memories. Her life before the accident is unrecognizable, and she must reconnect with her husband and daughter. She wonders if the life she can't remember is one she'd rather forget.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 25 July 2023
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group

One year after her family was in a tragic car accident that killed her teenage son, Lori Mendenhall returns home with a traumatic brain injury that has stolen the last eight years of memories from her. She is shocked to find that the life she was leading before the accident is unrecognizable. Her once-loving husband, Michael, is a distant workaholic she isn't sure she can trust, and her once-bubbly daughter, Avery, has spent the last year hidden away in her room. For Avery, life stopped when she lost her twin. Now, if she wants to graduate high school, she'll have to accept help from Xander Dixon, her brother's best friend and the boy who relentlessly teased her for years. And if Lori wants to reconnect with her husband, she'll have to grapple with information her brain is trying to keep secret. With every memory that returns, she can't help but wonder if the life she can't remember is one she'd rather forget.

Lori Mendenhall's life was turned upside down after a tragic car accident that took the life of her teenage son. One year later, she returns home with a traumatic brain injury that has stolen her memories from the past eight years. As she struggles to regain her memories, she discovers that her life before the accident is unrecognizable. Her once-loving husband, Michael, is now a distant workaholic, and her once-bubbly daughter, Avery, has withdrawn into her room, lost in grief after losing her twin.

Lori is shocked to learn that her life before the accident was not as perfect as she had remembered. She realizes that Michael had been hiding a secret addiction that had strained their marriage, and Avery had been struggling with her own demons. As Lori tries to piece together her past, she is confronted with painful memories and secrets that she had long forgotten.

One day, Lori meets Xander Dixon, her brother's best friend. Xander has always been a source of torment for Lori, but now he seems to be the only person who understands what she is going through. He offers to help her regain her memories, but Lori is hesitant to trust him. As they work together, Lori begins to remember fragments of her past, including a passionate affair she had with a co-worker.

As Lori's memories return, she realizes that the life she can't remember is one she'd rather forget. She discovers that her marriage was built on lies, and her daughter was struggling with a mental health condition that she had been hiding from everyone. Lori is devastated by the truth, but she also realizes that it is important to face her past head-on and move forward.

With the help of Xander and her family, Lori begins to rebuild her life. She confronts Michael about his addiction and works to repair their relationship. She also helps Avery to seek treatment for her mental health issues and to reconnect with her friends and family.

Through her journey of recovery, Lori learns to appreciate the importance of honesty, forgiveness, and resilience. She realizes that her past does not define her and that she has the power to create a new future for herself and her family.

In the end, Lori's life may not be the one she had planned, but it is a life filled with love, hope, and the possibility of a brighter future. She has learned that sometimes the things we forget are the things that hold us back from living our best lives.

Weight: 276g
Dimension: 140 x 216 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780800742959