The Memory Thief

August 1, 2012
Madeline Kimble falls hard when she meets Aidan James, a mountain climber who recites poetry and makes a woman lose all reason with his crooked grin. They marry and have a child, but it's not enough to keep Aidan from risking his life, leaving Maddie with nothing to hang onto but his promise to return. When an avalanche claims him, Aidan's best friend, J. C., who harbors his own love for Maddie, provides the steady shoulder she needs. As Maddie and J. C. vacillate between feelings of grief, guilt, and attraction, clear across the country a man survives a motorcycle accident, his memories replaced by a yearning to find the woman and child he knows only in his dreams. This absorbing first effort brings to mind the mountaineers of a Jon Krakauer read, the tenderness of a Nicholas Sparks novel, and the enduring love story of Charles Martin's The Mountain between Us (2010), all sprinkled with a heady dose of passion. Colin is an author to watch and savor.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)