The Memory of Things

By Gae Polisner

A boy finds a mysterious girl amid chaos. Can he uncover her past before losing her?

3.9/5 Goodreads · 3,286 ratings

279 pages· 59,621 words· Est. 5.5 hour read

$18.99Save 7%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

On September 11, 2001, Kyle flees the chaos of New York City, stumbling upon a mysterious girl covered in ash. With no memory of her identity, she becomes a puzzle he feels compelled to solve. As they navigate a city in turmoil, Kyle faces a dilemma: help her find her past or keep her in his present. Their journey unfolds in a world forever changed, where friendship and first love blossom amidst tragedy. Can Kyle unravel her mystery, or will the bond they form alter his path forever?

From the publisher

[A] gripping, emotional story set in the part of history we’ll never forget. - New York Daily News On the morning of September 11, 2001, sixteen-year-old Kyle Donohue watches the first twin tower come down from the window of Stuyvesant High School. Moments later, terrified and fleeing home to safety across the Brooklyn Bridge, he stumbles across a girl perched in the shadows, covered in ash, and wearing a pair of costume wings. With his mother and sister in California and unable to reach his father, a NYC detective likely on his way to the disaster, Kyle makes the split-second decision to bring the girl home. What follows is their story, told in alternating points of view, as Kyle tries to unravel the mystery of the girl so he can return her to her family. But what if the girl has forgotten everything, even her own name? And what if the more Kyle gets to know her, the less he wants her to go home? The Memory of Things tells a stunning story of friendship and first love and of carrying on with our day-to-day living in the midst of world-changing tragedy and unforgettable pain–it tells a story of hope.

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