Memory's Fire

De: E A Gray

Narrado por: Eliot Gray Fisher

When an apocalyptic fire consumes Alex Mann’s hometown in New Mexico, his father and his best friend are both killed, leaving him with a harrowing secret about his role in their deaths. Scarred in mind and body, he embarks on a protean struggle to recreate himself. His journey is rife with embers of despair and guilt that reveal facets of a Mann he never knew. Memory, he discovers, can be both a mage and a sage whose sleight of hand unmoors time in the brine of imagination.

The refuge of an idyllic alpine town promises to heal Alex’s wounds and restore him through friendship until he himself ignites a scourge. Expelled and desperate, he is granted unforeseen absolution by an aging alcoholic with a savage past, who sets Alex on a course to reconciliation with himself that ultimately illumines his true calling.

Pivotal to Mann’s odyssey are the challenges and wisdom created by his relationships with desire, shame, forgiveness, and ultimately, the love of friends - above all, his extraordinary cat, Tiger, who salvages and reclaims him at the nadir. Mann’s friends relate interlocking stories of their personal encounters with the effects of global warming, addiction, child abuse, and gun violence as they seek to become at home in the world. The living and dead serve as a reckoning force, striving to lead Mann from the mire of blame to the grace of responsibility.

©2020 E. A. Gray (P)2020 E. A. Gray

This book saved me during the pandemic lockdown

Listening to 'Memory's Fire' while on lockdown during the pandemic helped save my sanity. The novel is many things: a love letter to the American Southwest; an English teacher's coming-of-age story; an homage to the literary classics; a witness to the struggles of the displaced...and so much more. Eliot Gray Fisher's narration is outstanding and the sound of his voice helped ground the story and carry it forward. I will miss the author's words which reliably transported me to terrain filled with snow-capped mountains and forests full of wildflowers, juniper and pinon pine. If you love the Southwest, this book is a real treat and a wonderful escape.

Resting within a well told story is so satisfying.

As a Jungian psychoanalyst and a mother, children now grown; it was a pleasure to sit back and listen to a beautiful work delivered in such rich narration- one of the best reading voices I've heard in a long time-of a many layered coming of age story. I surrendered to the writer's skilled delivery of waking dream, memory, reflection on learning and teaching. Circumnabulation of time and place, the openess and danger of the wild western landscape, an array of characters, the human experiences of attachment and loss, aging and maturating: all the experiences of human vulnerabilities and vicissitudes are delivered to the reader by a voice both tender and deliberate. I rested within the experience of this work.

Intricate, poignant, humorous

Recommended! The way high school students are represented is so rich and accurate, especially in comparison to the standard caricatures. It is tender, too. It shows the earnestness of that time of life, instead of focusing just on the awkwardness. The writing, on a word and sentence level is superb. This is a well-polished novel by a pro. There is a nice balance between thoughtful observation and humor—the acknowledgment that we are fools, but sometimes fools can be brilliant.

An unexpected and original story

This was a story that built up intrigue and complexity the deeper I read. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and I found they continued to surprise me. I could not anticipate the twists and turns. It's really elegant writing paired with relatable and imperfect characters. Its always a good sign for me if I miss the characters when a book or show is over, and find myself wondering what Alex would be up to now.

Exceptionally Narrated!

Exceptionally narrated, Fisher brings Alex Mann and the rest of Gray’s characters to life. The subtle changes in delivery and intonation keeps the cast of characters recognizable. His warm and soothing voice pairs well with the descriptive prose. Listening to the novel was pure enjoyment.

Memory’s Fire offers a look into the workings of Alex Mann’s young mind - a mind tormented by the loss of loved ones in a horrific fire. We follow the aftermath of Alex’s journey as he deals with guilt, hate, jealousy and encounters with love. Sometimes the reader feels sympathy for Alex and other times pure distaste. Although not always a likeable fellow, the complexity of Alex’s woundedness allows the reader to somehow pull for his recovery. Gray’s love of literature, teaching, and the landscape of the southwest are intertwined throughout the novel. It is these gems and the deep psychological investigations that make Memory’s Fire a true delight!