The Memory Closet

By: Ninie Hammon

Narrated by: Christa Lewis

Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

For 25 years, Anne Mitchell was enslaved by what she called the "Boogeyman" - images from her lost childhood that appeared in the shadows behind her reflection in mirrors and wine glasses, haunted her dreams, and attacked her in screaming night terrors. Fear of facing that secret held her hostage. Like a schoolyard bully, it twisted her arm behind her back and forced her to accept that her life began in the dirt beside a ditch when she was 11 years old.

Then the monster shattered her career.

And Anne saw him in her dying mother's eyes. With her last breath, Susan Mitchell begged for her daughter's forgiveness. She didn't mean for it to happen, she gasped, but she'll burn in hell for what she did all the same.

What did her mother do? Anne has to know. So she has come home to a small Texas prairie town, to live with her crazy grandmother in the rambling old house where she grew up, to take her stand against the Boogeyman. But Anne isn't really prepared for how expensive remembering might be. The cost of her memories could very well be her sanity. She might even have to pay for her past with her life.

©2010 Ninie Hammon (P)2016 Tantor

Critic reviews

"There are so many twists and turns in the plot of this storyline that you will need to put your seatbelt on for the ride.... This was an excellent book. I would highly recommend it. I give it 5 stars out of 5." ( Shelf Full of Books)

a good listen while downtime is plenty and in car

great during long commutes and when down time is a plenty and all is quiet

Good book

Not a happy story, but a good one. Talented narrator, and liked how it all came together at the end.

Keep some tissues close by

This book had me crying, laughing, full of rage. I was on an emotional roller coaster. I’ll be honest, it had me bawling... like snorting, ugly crying. It had me grieving for the innocence and childhood that was lost by a little girl who was raised in a hideous world where every adult she came across failed her. It was so well written it had me crying for a little girl who only existed between the pages of this book. I had to remind myself over and over that it was a work of fiction. The last time a book had me this emotional was when I read “Old Yeller” and “Where the Red Fern Grows” when I was 10. This was a hard read emotionally, because no matter how much I told myself “this isn’t real” I couldn’t deny the fact that there are so many children in this world who are treated like the beautiful little girls in this book and have their innocence ripped away all too soon by adults who are supposed to protect them. I cannot imagine writing this book was easy. So, I applaud the author for writing an ugly truth that we often choose to ignore. If we don’t face reality we can’t fix our mistakes. So thank you for a thought provoking, heart wrenching read.

dark and disturbing

All I have to say is wow! What a disturbing and dark book that had twists and even moments of humor all included in the same story. The Memory Closet is a compelling story of a woman going back to her roots to find truth and take care of her aging grandmother after her mother passes away.

Anne is a woman that has just returned back to the house she lived in as a child. But she has no recollection of her childhood. After a crash in which she lost her little sister, Anne truly began to change and completely forgot a past that was darker than she could've ever imagined. Now she is helping to take care of her grandmother, aka Bobo and she is not so helpful. In fact, Bobo seems to be losing her mind. Or is Anne? Is Anne's search for the truth too much for her to handle?

I don't know what I was expecting when starting this book, but it was NOT this. I was listening to the audio, which was an amazing performance by the narrator by the way and that woman had me stopping in my tracks and gasping on more than one occasion. I don't want to spoil any of the story, but I will say to buckle and be prepared for the unexpected. Be prepared to have your heart broken. Be prepared to get uncomfortable. But remember that Bobo, the grandmother, is there to lighten things up just a little bit. Although I was a little frustrated with her on a few occasions (racist remarks and withholding the truth of a past), Bobo did everything in her power to keep her family.

Check for the content warnings, but if you're a thriller lover, this is a book to put on your tbr. 4+ stars.

Wow! I really enjoyed this book.

I usually don't write reviews. I really enjoyed this book. It was entertaining, thrilling and a mystery.

great book

Enjoyed the twists in the plot and psychological story line. was unsure the ending, until the last chapter.

Must Read......

Besides being a great mystery , it was a lovely story of survival and wonderful grandmothers. I highly recommend this book . You won't go away unscathed by the child abuse in this book . You will probably cry like I did . A very good read .👏👏👍👍

Wow, a powerful, riveting story!

I highly recommend this book! WARNING, readers should fasten their seat-belt before literally diving-into this incredible story! Ninie Hammon's, The Memory Closet, has an absolutely fascinating, well-written plot. Anne Mitchell's hunt for the —Boogeyman— is downright riveting. The author reveals main elements of the story masterfully— little by little, by leaving a trail of breadcrumbs for her readers to discover along the way. An added warning, some of Anne's memories are very painful to learn of, you really feel for her throughout!

If you like to read books that engage their readers with many plot twists and turns, this is the book for you! The story is engaging and masterfully written!

Great book!

I really enjoyed this book. The twists were there all the way to the end.