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Down Memory Lane: With Marguerite and Family

Linette Arthurton Bruno
Outskirts Press, Inc. (2011)
ISBN 9781432767853
Reviewed by Tia Bach for Rebecca's Reads (3/11)

“Down Memory Lane with Marguerite and Family” is an intriguing walk through historical events and family dynamics. The story begins with Marguerite who is forever changed by the devastation a hurricane and later volcanic eruption bring to her town and family. Her husband, George, is enveloped in a cloud of anger and sadness and not the man she once knew.  All of this deeply affects her children. Her only son, Jonathan, enlists in the Navy and daughter Clementine is miserable. Seeing her father as intolerable and lost, Clementine eagerly gets married and plans her escape. She and husband, Christophe, head to Montserrat and Martinique for their honeymoon to explore their heritage and find answers.

Through a series of flashbacks, we travel memory lane with Marguerite and later her daughter Clementine. Marguerite’s mind searches for salves to heal her wounded family, but she doesn’t share these inner thoughts. Her silence creates distance and frustration for Clementine. During her pilgrimage to the places her mother grew up, Clementine muses to her husband, “Have you ever thought of life as a great jigsaw puzzle?” The journey to discover how each piece affects the piece around it is beautiful and the reader wants this family to reunite and heal.

History buffs, in particular, will relish the detailed historical events and personal stories told throughout the novel. Unfortunately, an overabundance of grammatical errors and at times awkward dialogue distract from an otherwise heartwarming tale. The novel would benefit from a strong editor’s eyes in those categories as well as structure and pacing. Still, Bruno weaves memories into a compelling story and creates characters we yearn to see at peace.

 

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