The hollowness of amnesia coupled with reconnecting with a family changed almost beyond recognition nag at Lori Mendenhall. The reader senses something not quite right as well. How much is due to her amnesia and how much to her husband are hard to tell right at this moment. Her daughter seems alternately delighted to have her home from the hospital and reluctant to spend any time with her. Her husband abandons her for a client the moment he has her parked safely at home. What’s going on? Do they blame Lori for the accident that took her son and memory or has something else occurred to drive a wedge between her and her husband and remaining child?
Stories of amnesia force us to confront various questions. How much of what makes us human are our memories? How much of them do we rely on to make us capable of dealing with other people? What are our friends, family, coworkers and colleagues to us if we can’t recall them or the times we spent with them?
Lori’s nerves and simple gratitude to be home mean that she doesn’t ask herself these questions. We the reader must wait and see if she does, what answers she gets and whether they’ll fill the holes in her emotions.
Stories of amnesia force us to confront various questions. How much of what makes us human are our memories? How much of them do we rely on to make us capable of dealing with other people? What are our friends, family, coworkers and colleagues to us if we can’t recall them or the times we spent with them?
Lori’s nerves and simple gratitude to be home mean that she doesn’t ask herself these questions. We the reader must wait and see if she does, what answers she gets and whether they’ll fill the holes in her emotions.