in Aminatta Forna's novel, love is defined by the sense of loss it creates once it's gone. by framing its affective core around the aftershocks of relationships (what love leaves behind), the story creates a sense of foreboding and expectation for the next thing to come over the present situation of its characters. once that which has been expected does happen, the waiting period has rendered the possibility of a plot twist mute. one wishes Forna would concentrate more on the exultation of her prose--at times, truly beautiful--than in planting seeds for coming plot twists that feel undeserved, if not unnecessary.

using Sierra Leone's civil war to situate three different points of view, never taking the reader by the hand to carefully explain the political ramifications of the conflict unless they directly affect a character's story, The Memory of Love is deeply tethered by its main characters' memories and inner thoughts in a way that it can establish three distinctive voices without confusion. it never quite discloses everything it might do--a clear narrative stance stemmed from its discussion on PTSD and trauma. Sierra Leone is a deeply traumatised country, one character asserts while another does everything possible to feel grateful for having merely survived, the past being the past, the loss of the life that once was inevitable.

there are no judgement calls in Forna's writing. the tension added to her narrative devices luckily not extending towards the novel's core. trauma is something one lives with just as love is nothing but the possibility of losing something precious.

It probably took me way too much time to read it to appreciate this book in it’s own rights, but I could not go past my annoyance at Elias Coles’ attitude with Saffia. The sociological and historical background made me want to finish it, but I only cared about secondary characters in the story. I did enjoy the writing and I really liked to read on the medical context and the attitude towards psychiatrist in Sierra Leone.
I also have to say that the amount of research behind this book is very impressive, which probably worked in making the context so rich.

The story is set in Freetown, Sierra Leone’s capital, post civil war, pre Ebola, so approximately when it was written (this book was published in 2010 so presumably written in about 2008). The civil war is a scar for the native characters, creating a distance that can never be breached by the primary non-native character, a white British doctor.

Adrian Lockheart is a psychologist on secondment to Sierra Leone. It is his second assignment to Africa, and he spends much of the novel dwelling on his reasons for being there. He has a wife and daughter back home in England, but his marriage is failing and over the years he has lost the feeling that he is actually helping his patients.

But at least at home he had patients. At first, his only regular patient in Freetown is a dying man. Elias Cole just needs someone to talk to and Adrian is happy to comply. The old man’s memories form a second thread through the novel. Cole tells the tale of how he met the love of his life, Saffia, who unfortunately for him was married to a colleague of his at the university. The story of his love begins in 1969, with the Apollo missions key early events. But slowly the reality of living in a military dictatorship intervenes, and the tale of Cole’s love for Saffia is inextricably linked with political and moral choices that Adrian doesn’t fully understand.

See my full review: http://www.noseinabook.co.uk/2016/10/22/he-would-name-classify-and-diagnose-every-nuance-of-the-human-soul/

An incredible novel. Lyrical in its writing, traumatic in its contents, The Memory of Love is a patient read that interweaves the lives of disparate characters-- all of whom have an unspeakable past, and an uncertain future. I enjoyed every moment of this novel, every attention to the minute details, and every twist the narrative throws at you. Simply wonderful. 9/10.

"I sought solace in the very thing that caused me pain"

Gorgeous writing about complex issues. A Western psychologist decides to escape his family problems by volunteering to work in post-war Sierra Leone. Strong women characters, as usual, though in this case the main narrators are men.

I got this book as a birthday gift and I’m so glad I did. Thank you Jamilla

The book is very well written, and yet I was disappointed. I choose to read books by women because for so many decades I was immersed in the masculine western canon, and only got to see the stories of women through men's eyes.

I was excited to read a book by a woman of color, taking place in Africa... But the entire story is about men and their lives, wants and needs, and the women are only the objects or catalysts of these.

Forna is clearly a very talented writer, but I wouldn't have read this book if I'd known in advance how women are presented in it.