Memories in the Drift

THE BOOK: Memories in the Drift

PUBLISHED IN: 2020

THE AUTHOR:  Melissa Payne

THE EDITOR: Christopher Werner 

THE PUBLISHER: Lake Union Publishing, Seattle

SUMMARY: My name is Claire. I’m thirty-six years old. It’s September. I know what I’m doing and why I am here…for now.

Ten years ago, Claire Hines lost her unborn child—and her short-term memory—following a heartrending tragedy. With notebooks, calendars, to-do lists, fractured pieces of the past, and her father’s support, Claire makes it through each day, hour by hour, with relative confidence. She also has a close-knit community of friends in the remote Alaskan town where she teaches guitar to the local children. It’s there, in the reminders.

As determined as Claire is to regain all that’s disappeared, she’d prefer to live without some memories of her before life—especially those of her mother, Alice, who abandoned her, and Tate, the ex-boyfriend who broke her heart.

But when Alice and Tate return from the past, there’ll be so much more for Claire to relive. And to discover for the very first time. Through healing, forgiveness, and second chances, Claire may realize that what’s most important might not be re-creating the person she was, but embracing the possibilities of being the person she is.

THE BACK STORY: A few years ago, I came across a documentary about the town of Whittier, Alaska. It’s a stunning place carved from the shores of Prince William Sound, where nearly all of the two hundred or so year-round residents live in a fourteen-story high-rise that overlooks a harbor abounding with wildlife. As a writer, I was immediately drawn to this town, not because of the unrelenting rain and snow and heavy clouds that cling to the mountains for much of the year. And not because of the two-and-a-half-mile single lane tunnel that closes every night and is the only way in and out of town, unless you come by boat. Or the image of all of this set against a backdrop of glaciers and waterfalls and craggy mountain peaks.

It was the people who live in Whittier that sparked a deep interest in me. The folks who call this slice of wild beauty home. I was particularly struck by a comment from one of the town’s residents: “We don’t always love each other, we don’t always get along, but when something awful happens, everyone is going to be there to help you.” 

And that’s how I began to develop a character like Claire. Anterograde amnesia is a heartbreaking condition where a person is unable to create new memories. It affects daily life, work and social activities, not to mention relationships with family and friends. To cope, people suffering from this type of amnesia must rely on familiar routines, supportive networks, and strategies that help to structure their days. Whittier was the perfect home for Claire, whose character grew up there, and so it was a familiar and safe place for her to continue to live somewhat independently while managing her condition. Claire is resilient and brave and determined to make the most out of her every day. And just like the residents from the real Whittier, everyone in Claire’s world pulls together to help one of their own.  

WHY WOULD SOMEONE WANT TO READ IT? This story is about resilience and hope in the face of seemingly insurmountable circumstances. I initially wrote about Whittier because of how unique it seemed at the time, but after this last year and with the very real way we’ve had to cut ourselves off socially from one another, it feels like many of us have experienced our own sense of remoteness and alienation from people, routine, and everything familiar. 

Claire’s situation will never change, but she does have the love and support of her family, friends and her larger community and I think there is such beauty in how people come together for each other. We see that now with the wildfires in my state and how people reach out to help complete strangers. And we’ve seen it in the last few months, where communities rally around those who have been physically and economically affected by a global pandemic.

 
REVIEW COMMENTS: 

“Masterfully plotted with a narrative voice reminiscent of What Alice Forgot and How the Penguins Saved Veronica, Memories in the Drift shines.” —Booklist (starred review)

“Memories in the Drift is an unforgettable story about forgiveness, compassion, and the incredible power of community, offering us a poignant reminder of what real courage looks like, and what it truly means to fight for the life you were meant to live.” —Barbara Davis, bestselling author of The Last of the Moon Girls

“A stunning story of Claire’s attempt to unravel her sharpest, defining moments as her memory resets each day, erasing both new hurts and kindness. Set within a small, Alaskan town, as beautiful as it is unforgiving, Memories in the Drift is your next emotional must-read.” —Kristin Fields, author of A Lily in the Light and A Frenzy of Sparks

AUTHOR PROFILE: Melissa Payne is the bestselling author of The Secrets of Lost Stones. For as long as she can remember, Melissa has been telling stories in one form or another—from high school newspaper articles to a graduate thesis to blogging about marriage and motherhood. But she first learned the real importance of storytelling when she worked for a residential and day treatment center for abused and neglected children. There she wrote speeches and letters to raise funds for the children. The truth in those stories was piercing and painful and written to invoke in the reader a call to action: to give, to help, to make a difference. Melissa’s love of writing and sharing stories in all forms has endured. She lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains with her husband and three children, a friendly mutt, a very loud cat, and the occasional bear.

  
AUTHOR COMMENTS:  I’m a mom of three teens and while that’s not my only defining characteristic, at this point in my life, it does seem to determine the trajectory of my days. I love it though. There’s something about a messy house with unwashed dishes in the sink and pet hair in the corners and hormonal zig-zags, both teenage and maternal, that feels like I am at the very epicenter of my life. So I try to hang on and remember that as quickly as we’ve arrived at this point is also how quickly we will exit it into a more quiet and controlled existence. And I can’t lie, that makes me a little sad. Plus, there is something about a noisy, busy home that energizes my writing, ignites my creativity and allows me to escape inside my work. Because of this, I love to write stories that explore relationships between family, friends, strangers, and to find the purpose in each character’s journey and the beauty in the chaos of their story. Claire’s life and her challenges are something I’ve never experienced. But I do understand the yearning for family and acceptance and the desire to hold tight to the moments that pass at an excruciatingly fast pace.

SAMPLE CHAPTER: On Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084VPDL7Z/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i1

WHERE ELSE TO BUY IT: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, Books-A-Million

PRICE: $14.95 paperback; $4.99 Kindle; $14.99 Audio

CONTACT THE AUTHOR:

For more information or to contact me: www.melissapayneauthor.com

Or follow me

Instagram: @melissapayne_writes

Facebook: @mtnpayne