The Things We Keep

November 2, 2015
Hepworth’s second novel (after The Secrets of Midwives) explores issues of self-determination and identity through an unconventional tearjerker of a love story. Diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at 39, Anna has made the difficult decision to move into a residential care facility. Though she’s mostly surrounded by senior citizens, there’s one other self-described “young person, old mind”: Luke, who suffers from frontotemporal dementia. The two immediately bond over their unlikely shared circumstance, and eventually their friendship moves into romance. But as Anna’s condition worsens, the question of whether she is capable of relationships, or of falling in love, comes into question, and her family insists that she and Luke be kept apart. The home’s new cook, Eve, is charmed by Luke and Anna’s tale of star-crossed love, and she vows to help them at any cost—but her understanding of the potential dangers is incomplete, and facilitating their romance could put more than just her job in jeopardy. The story’s nonlinear structure, designed to mimic Anna’s disorientation, cleverly obscures a few reveals that color the reader’s perception of the dilemma at hand, and while none of these reveals are particularly surprising, they’re no less heartbreaking. A supporting cast of quirky old folks and Eve’s precocious daughter add levity to a poignant and nuanced story.

May 15, 2016

Thirty-eight-year-old Anna Forster has early-onset Alzheimer's disease and lives in a residential care facility where there is one other person her age, Luke. They are drawn to each other and eventually fall in love. In a lucid moment, Anna and Luke promise that they will be together until the end. Anna writes this promise in her journal so she will remember it. When Eve Bennett joins the staff of the facility as cook and cleaner, she becomes especially close to Anna. She can see that Anna and Luke are happiest when they are together. Despite Anna and Luke being physically separated by the staff, Eve secretly allows them to visit each other, until her intervention is discovered. Eve shows the journal entry to Anna's brother and convinces him that love can continue even when memory cannot. This heartbreaking story is replete with humor, sadness, and love. The characters are well rounded and sympathetic. Barrie Kreinik and Therese Plummer do a solid job narrating. VERDICT This book will appeal to fans of general fiction. Recommended. ["Nothing less than a poignant testament to the immeasurable and restorative power of love": LJ 12/15 starred review of the St. Martin's hc.]--Joanna Burkhardt, Univ. of Rhode Island Libs., Providence

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2015
Imagine the trauma of being diagnosed with dementia in your 30s and placed into aged care. Sally Hepworth explores this tragic premise in her third novel, which avoids excessive sadness with its uplifting themes of love and renewal. Two characters, Anna and Luke, are enduring this lonely scenario, when they find each other and fall in love—with wide repercussions. Hepworth attempts to get inside Anna’s mind, illuminating the sense of confusion that comes with memory loss and the trouble when misinterpretations are made by others. Anna’s story is entwined with that of Eve, who was recently widowed after her husband’s shock admission of financial fraud. Now penniless, she must begin her life over and raise their child in a climate of hostility. The book’s many strengths include the scenes in which Eve’s daughter Clementine is teased at school about her dad’s death. The Things We Keep is intricate, moving and engaging, but it left me pondering some elements that didn’t quite ring true, such as Eve’s complicated reaction to her husband’s death. I’m also curious as to the US setting. Hepworth shows real promise as a writer of issues-based commercial fiction (à la Jodi Picoult), but a little fine-tuning would have made this book even better. Joanne Shiells is a former editor of Books+Publishing