Since her mama died, thirteen-year-old Lavender has a disastrous memory problem. She forgets her lessons with her papa, an apothecary. She develops elaborate evasions to hide her lack of memory of the herbs and remedies she must learn to attain her dream of being an apothecary apprentice. Worst of all, she forgets memories of her mama.
Despite her papa’s disdain for magic, Lavender seeks a memory remedy from a clothing enchantress named Frey. As the two develop a friendship, Frey uses her spinning magic to help Lavender re-experience past moments with her mama. Lavender hears her mama’s laughter again, her singing voice, and how it felt to be wrapped in her hugs.
But when Lavender discovers the truth about Frey’s magic and its vengeful purpose she must decide whether to stay immersed in beloved memories with her mama or save the people she loves most in the present.
The Memory Spinner is an emotional and enchanting upper-middle-grade fantasy debut novel that intertwines magical realism, magic, grief, memory, family connections, and the challenges of growing up.
The story follows 13-year-old Lavender, who, after her mother’s death, develops a mysterious memory problem. Seeking help from the mysterious retired enchantress in town, she makes a bargain to deliver charmed garments in exchange for her memories returning. Lavender keeps her work for the Enchantress a secret from her apothecary father and friends, leading her to trouble in ways she never expected!
Cornwell’s prose is fresh and lyrical in places, which is perfect for middle-grade readers or anyone who appreciates emotional depth. The story is told from Lavender’s perspective, giving insight into her grief, fascination with magic, and her internal struggles about her fractured relationship with her father. Cornwell structures the story around Lavender’s attempts to recover what she’s lost—her memories (especially precious ones with her mother) and her sense of belonging really stand out. The plot is more emotionally driven than plot-heavy but is always moving and will keep readers fully engaged from start to finish. The world-building is very intriguing but remains narrowly focused—while it offers good emotional clarity to the story, it might be less satisfying for readers who want expansive lore.
The major themes in this book are grief, the ethics of living in the past, family acceptance, and coming of age. Through Lavender’s story, the author analyzes why we focus on the past and how being fixated on memories can be a form of avoidance. The book also does a wonderful job examining communication failures between adults and their children—which can ultimately lead to family breakdown!
In the context of this book, Lavender knows her father’s rigid beliefs against magic and is terrified to tell him the truth about her fascination with it and her work with the Enchantress. Her father expects her to follow in his footsteps and take over the family apothecary business, something Lavender thinks she always wanted—but her experiences with magic make her question how much of the dream was hers and not just her father’s!
Lavender is a compelling and relatable protagonist. Her expression of grief shapes her choices and makes the story very captivating. Her inner monologues display an introspective and emotionally mature attitude that belies her years—and will make the story appeal to readers of all ages! In contrast, her father is a closed-off and sometimes difficult man—he refuses to speak of his grief for his dead wife and is tough on Lavender when she makes mistakes. The communication barriers between him and his daughter only come down once the stakes are high and he is forced to listen—this eventually leads to a profound shift in his character.
The Enchantress is a complex, morally grey character. Her connection with Lavender is immediate, and readers later discover why she’s so fixated on Lavender becoming her apprentice. Her various impulsive actions will certainly elicit strong emotional responses from readers! The book also has some charming side characters, including Munin, a talking raven who becomes Lavender’s endearing companion, and Guste, Lavender’s friend whose loyalty is admirable in key moments.
Overall, The Memory Spinner is an emotionally powerful and thoughtful fantasy debut. Readers who enjoy character-driven fantasies with authentic portrayals of grief, coming-of-age tales, magical realism, or middle-grade books with emotional stakes will love this book! It’s also a great classroom pick to learn about memory, loss, and ethical choices!
Narrator Performace
The audiobook of The Memory Spinner is an enchanting, emotional listen narrated by award-winning powerhouse narrator Saskia Maarleveld.
Maarleveld does a sensational job bringing Lavender’s voice to life, infusing so much raw emotion, introspection, and authenticity into the performance. Her delivery of the character’s inner monologues is so emotionally compelling that this audiobook will appeal not only to middle grade listeners but also to readers of all ages!
Maarleveld is a master of injecting the perfect amount of tension into her tone and pacing the story to match exactly what’s happening, especially during climactic scenes—her dynamic narration of the dialogue between Lavender and the Enchantress, from heartfelt to tense to threatening, is very impressive and will have listeners fully engrossed at all times! Another highlight of the performance is the dialogue between Lavender and her father—Maarleveld makes the barriers in their communities feel so real—and their eventual improved communication is very satisfying and authentic. Maarleveld also provides distinct voices for all the characters, including a very convincing voice and multi-dimensional performance for the Enchantress that will elicit a myriad of emotions from listeners!
Overall, Saskia Maarleveld’s outstanding narration greatly elevates this already compelling story and makes the audiobook the recommended reading format, especially for adult listeners who appreciate an expertly narrated performance with emotional depth, wonderful character portrayals, and good pacing! If you haven’t listened to Saskia Maarleveld’s narration before, this audiobook is a perfect opportunity to get acquainted with her work, and you’ll most definitely want to check out her incredible catalog of diverse titles afterwards!
Narrator Performace
The audiobook of The Memory Spinner is an enchanting, emotional listen narrated by award-winning powerhouse narrator Saskia Maarleveld.
Maarleveld does a sensational job bringing Lavender’s voice to life, infusing so much raw emotion, introspection, and authenticity into the performance. Her delivery of the character’s inner monologues is so emotionally compelling that this audiobook will appeal not only to middle grade listeners but also to readers of all ages!
Maarleveld is a master of injecting the perfect amount of tension into her tone and pacing the story to match exactly what’s happening, especially during climactic scenes—her dynamic narration of the dialogue between Lavender and the Enchantress, from heartfelt to tense to threatening, is very impressive and will have listeners fully engrossed at all times! Another highlight of the performance is the dialogue between Lavender and her father—Maarleveld makes the barriers in their communities feel so real—and their eventual improved communication is very satisfying and authentic. Maarleveld also provides distinct voices for all the characters, including a very convincing voice and multi-dimensional performance for the Enchantress that will elicit a myriad of emotions from listeners!
Overall, Saskia Maarleveld’s outstanding narration greatly elevates this already compelling story and makes the audiobook the recommended reading format, especially for adult listeners who appreciate an expertly narrated performance with emotional depth, wonderful character portrayals, and good pacing! If you haven’t listened to Saskia Maarleveld’s narration before, this audiobook is a perfect opportunity to get acquainted with her work, and you’ll most definitely want to check out her incredible catalog of diverse titles afterwards!
The audiobook of The Memory Spinner is an enchanting, emotional listen narrated by award-winning powerhouse narrator Saskia Maarleveld.
Maarleveld does a sensational job bringing Lavender’s voice to life, infusing so much raw emotion, introspection, and authenticity into the performance. Her delivery of the character’s inner monologues is so emotionally compelling that this audiobook will appeal not only to middle grade listeners but also to readers of all ages!
Maarleveld is a master of injecting the perfect amount of tension into her tone and pacing the story to match exactly what’s happening, especially during climactic scenes—her dynamic narration of the dialogue between Lavender and the Enchantress, from heartfelt to tense to threatening, is very impressive and will have listeners fully engrossed at all times! Another highlight of the performance is the dialogue between Lavender and her father—Maarleveld makes the barriers in their communities feel so real—and their eventual improved communication is very satisfying and authentic. Maarleveld also provides distinct voices for all the characters, including a very convincing voice and multi-dimensional performance for the Enchantress that will elicit a myriad of emotions from listeners!
Overall, Saskia Maarleveld’s outstanding narration greatly elevates this already compelling story and makes the audiobook the recommended reading format, especially for adult listeners who appreciate an expertly narrated performance with emotional depth, wonderful character portrayals, and good pacing! If you haven’t listened to Saskia Maarleveld’s narration before, this audiobook is a perfect opportunity to get acquainted with her work, and you’ll most definitely want to check out her incredible catalog of diverse titles afterwards!
