The Life She Forgot
1913. Merryn has lived with amnesia for three years, and in an impulsive moment, she proposes to her new beau, who accepts just as quickly. Ansel is a bright new light in her life, and he helps her forget that she has no past. But she is dogged by the machinations of her late employer’s daughter, who is angry that her mother left her fortune to Merryn, as well as her own disturbing flashes of memory that involve another man she may have once loved. 1947. William, a fishmonger and war veteran, finds a portrait of a Merryn hidden in the wall of his cottage. It’s signed by the famous painter Rupert Covington, and William hopes to sell it for a lot of money, which he wants to send to his estranged wife to save their family home. But Merryn’s portrait and its secrets haunt him in ways he doesn’t understand.
The connection between the two timelines is satisfying and surprising, but the reader must be patient to learn what it is. The later timeline seems superfluous at first: why is William so fascinated by this painting, aside from Merryn’s beauty? His interest in her feels unearned so early in the novel, but his PTSD as a former soldier rings true and makes him a sympathetic character. This novel reads like Victorian sensation fiction, with amnesia, dramatic rescues, a hidden diary as well as a hidden painting, and a disputed inheritance. It is inspirational fiction, but the references to God and faith are very subtle. It will appeal to readers who enjoy a sprinkle of romance and a plot with many twists and turns.
