Almost a year ago, I discovered and joined a Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt. It was not only fun, but also introduced me to a host of new-to-me authors. I signed on for several author newsletters and that is how I first came to know about Joanna Davidson Politano's books. I borrowed The Curious Inheritance of Blakely House from my library. Sadly, my stack of current reads kept me from it and other readers in the hold line were eager for their turn. When she mentioned a launch team for The Life She Forgot in her newsletter, I jumped at the chance.
The Life She Forgot is an Edwardian dual-timeline historical mystery set on the Cornish coast. It is the first book in Politano's House on the Edge of the Cliff series. You can pre-order the Kindle version and it will be auto-delivered on April 21, 2026.
It is 1913 and Merryn cannot remember who she is or where she is from. Three years ago, Lady St. Laurent took her in, grateful that Merryn saved her 7-year-old grandson Cecil from being hit by a car (the act that brought on her amnesia). At Lady St. Laurent's death, her will stipulates that Merryn will receive a small fortune and guardianship of the boy. However, Lady St. Laurent's daughter Sabine will receive the house. Sabine feels cheated and is determined to have Merryn declared unfit and sent to an asylum.
Merryn's only hope seems to be in proposing marriage to the young man she met at the park three weeks ago, A.J. Winthrop. She doesn't know herself, let alone anything about this young man, but she is desperate to retrieve her memory and prove her ability to care for Cecil. Can she trust A.J.? Will he help her restore her memories? Then, memories of another man and another wedding begin to surface. She hopes a trip to Cornwall will bring clarity, but she is being followed and time is running out.
In 1947, William Thatcher is plagued by memories of the war. He leaves his wife behind (thinking it is in her best interest) when he inherits Dunn Cottage on the Cornish coast. He doesn't even know Anwen Dunn. Why would she leave him the cottage? He is drawn to a painting of a woman and determined to find out the story and value of the portrait. Can he prove its provenance and secure enough funds to send back to his wife? Why does he think she'd be better off without him?
Although there are several storylines and characters to keep track of, the two timelines interweave, even to the point of sharing ending and beginning lines in chapters. I enjoyed so many things about this novel. On the one hand, memories can plague a person. On the other hand, losing memory is like losing the essence of yourself. Multiple questions lure the reader and ramp up the plot repeatedly. Merryn is in a race against time to retrieve her memory so she can save herself and Cecil.
This book considers identity, parenting, greed, and marriage. Both William and Merryn have made mistakes in the past that haunt them in the present. Both struggle with their marriages. I loved the line, "Marriage is the Russian Roulette of humanity--deposit yourself firmly in the arms of another and hope they deign to catch you every day of your life." We all enter marriages unaware of what the future holds. Sometimes we wound one another. Sometimes we save one another. If you're looking for a Christian historical novel full of intrigue in a beautiful coastal setting, The Life She Forgot, will woo you and win you.
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