When she was nine years old, Melody Browne's house burned down, taking every toy, every photograph, every item of clothing and old Christmas card with it. But not only did the fire destroy all her possessions, it took with it all her memories - Melody Browne can remember nothing before her ninth birthday. Now in her early thirties, Melody lives in a council flat in the middle of London with her seventeen-year-old son. She hasn't seen her parents since she left home at fifteen, but Melody doesn't mind, she's better off on her own. She's made a good life for herself and her son and she likes it that way. Until one night something extraordinary happens. Whilst attending a hypnotist show with her first date in years she faints - and when she comes round she starts to remember. At first her memories mean nothing to her but then slowly, day by day, she begins to piece together the real story of her childhood. Her journey takes her to the seaside town of Broadstairs, to oddly familiar houses in London backstreets and to meetings with strangers who love her like their own. But with every mystery she solves another one materialises, with every question she answers another appears.And Melody begins to wonder if she'll ever know the truth about her past.

Picked this up yesterday morning & couldn't put it down! This is the heartwarming & heartbreaking tale of Melody Browne. I think this review from heat magazine sums it up nicely....
"Not many books can claim to be an instant page-turner, but from the moment you read about nine-year-old Melody Browne's house burning down...you won't be able to tear yourself away.." (true!)"...You WILL want to keep the Kleenex to hand. But this is not just a sad, sorry tale. Ultimately, it's life-affirming & uplifting".

Yes, it's heartbreaking to read what the very young Melody Browne goes through but Jewell's kind, humane & humourous writing style prevents the tale being mawkishly sentimental & makes it a pleasure to read.

Read as part of the 2010 ULTIMATE CHALLENGE

Released as part of the 2010 ULTIMATE CHALLENGE &
"THE WHAT'S IN A NAME" Challenge (#1)


If you're reading this then you've found a travelling book!

The point of releasing book into the "wild" is that they are a free gift from the bookcrosser to the finder.However, in this case, the book was given as a donation to
the Forget-Me-Not Trust Charity Shop
so you will have had to pay for it. Thank you for purchasing it & contributing to the charity.

Or maybe you found it else where....if so, please tell us where it has travelled to!

I hope you enjoy reading it & when you've read it, why not do entry to say where it's going next & then all it's readers, past & present, will be able to follow it's travels.

(If you decide to join in the fun at bookcrossing, please consider putting me, Plum-crazy as your referring member.....help spread the words!)