Lisa Jewell is one of my favorite authors. She rarely fails to offer a book that sucks me into the plot and doesn’t let go until the end. The Truth About Melody Brown was such a book.

Melody Brown has no memory prior to being 9 or 10 years old. It was at that time that she wakes up outside with her mom and dad telling her that their house burned down with all of the possessions inside. Her early childhood is a complete blank.

Melody leaves home when she is 15 years old and pregnant. Since that time, she has raised her child by herself, working and devoting her life to her now-teenaged son. One night, when she is in her early 30s, she gathers her nerve and accepts a date with a man, who takes her to a show fceaturing a hypnotist. As luck would have it, she is selected out of the audience to be hypnotized. Before long, she passes out, and when she awakens, she suddenly begins having fragmented memories of her youth.

Though Melody tries to push aside these memories, the flashbacks become too strong to ignore. She begins putting together the pieces of her life. Her mission to find the truth takes her to places that suddenly seem familiar and meets people who seem to know her and who seem familiar to her as well.

When she finally learns the unexpected truth about her life, things begin to fall into place, both for Melody Brown, and for the readers of this interesting book.

Jewell’s strength lies in her character development and her careful plotting, resulting in wonderful stories with characters who you grow to love.

I give The Truth About Melody Brown a thumbs up.

Here is a link to the book.