The Forgotten Memories of Vera Glass
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The Forgotten Memories of Vera Glass
But then I catch another look at his face. It's not just my joke that's bothering him. His eyebrows hang heavy with the weight of some unspoken sadness.
Riven must notice, too, because she says, “Why so glum, chum?”
Pete raises his heavy eyebrows in a who, me? kind of look, then lets them fall again as he says, “Dunno. I've just felt out of it the last couple days. Not sure why.”
“Is that why you weren't at church yesterday?”
“Not really. Well, sort of. We all slept in. My parents couldn't manage to drag themselves out of bed, either.”
I raise my own eyebrows. I've never known Pete or his parents to miss church just because they slept in. Pete has to be close to death before his parents let him stay home from church.
“I've been feeling out of sorts, too,” Riven says. “I think it's the fact that it's supposed to snow this week.”
Pete shrugs. Maybe that's it.
Maybe that's why I've been feeling so melancholy, too. What's it called? Seasonal affective disorder? Maybe we all have that. I know my cousin Beth struggles with it. She's described it to me before as having winter's darkness tied to her ankles, dragging heavily behind her with every step.
“Hi, everyone,” comes Bolu's voice from behind me. And then, “Pete, I brought this for you.”
I look up, expecting to see Bolu holding a spare calculator again or something similar. But in her outstretched hand is a single white rose.
“What's this for?” Pete asks.
Bolu shakes her head. “I don't know. I pass a flower shop on my way to school every morning, and today that flower called me in, and I knew right away it was for you.”
I expect Pete to make a joke or laugh or something, but instead he reaches out and gingerly lifts the stem from her hand, careful to avoid the thorns. He lifts it so the blooming white flower is in front of his face, like he expects to see his own face mirrored back at him. “Thank you, Bolu,” he whispers.
And for some reason, I have to choke back a sob.
Beside me, Riven grabs my arm. Clings to it.
Bolu grabs Pete's arm.
And then we're all clinging to one another – me and Riven and Bolu and Pete. Holding on to one another like if any of us let go, we'd lose them. Like we've already lost something.
But what, exactly, I couldn't tell you.
As this story begins, Vera and her older brother are preparing dinner together and discussing his new girlfriend. Then her parents arrive home. They thank her for preparing dinner for them by herself and suddenly their family consists of just Vera and her younger brother and sister. No one acknowledges that there ever was an older brother; Vera is the oldest sibling. But she has a strange, unsettled feeling, and her parents also seem oddly out of sorts.
And this phenomenon continues. Friends that she has a long history with suddenly just vanish. They disappear not just physically but also from the memories of everyone who knew them and seemingly from history itself: i.e., it is as if they never existed. Vera's unexplainable sadness and vague sense of loss persist and deepen, and she begins to realize that others are experiencing it too. But what is it? Does it have anything to do with the girls from her class who are known as The Witches? Is it somehow possible that they have cast a spell on her? If so, why? Could the Aptitude Research Institute, where both of her parents work, be involved somehow? With her penchant for puzzles, Vera is determined to figure out what is happening.
Mystery and magic realism combine in this story with its intriguing and unique premise. While the setting feels contemporary, the only notable difference is that everyone has some sort of magical gift, a variation in their DNA that gives them a certain extra ability: Vera has an unlocking aptitude while her mom has intuition magic, and her best friend Riven has a light aptitude. But Riven and Vera also share an affinity for logic puzzles. So when they both recognize that they, and seemingly others also, are experiencing inexplicable feelings of loss, they approach the situation as they would a logic puzzle. They make lists of notes and observations, they write down every possible explanation they can think of, no matter how outrageous it might seem, and they start to try to make sense of what little they do know.
From the very beginning, readers are able to see what Vera and the others do not: i.e., that characters are disappearing. The author skillfully leads Vera and her best friend Riven on their quest for answers, a task that is especially challenging given that they don't even know for sure what they are looking for. While readers do know that much, the mystery of what is happening is highly compelling. So, while the protagonists seek to understand what is causing the strange feelings they are experiencing, readers are anxious to know what is happening to the characters who keep vanishing.
In addition to the unusual and engaging plot, Priemaza has created a cast of relatable and highly sympathetic characters. The relationships are realistic and authentically depicted, both within Vera's family and the various friendships within the story, most notably Vera's circle of friends. The five of them are smart, fun, thoughtful teens who aren't particularly interested in parties and popularity but who still enjoy dressing up for Halloween and attending a youth group at Vera's church. Vera's faith is clearly an important part of who she is and how she sees the world without it being a significant part of the plot. And it is heartwarming to see that the close bond between Vera and Riven is in no way compromised by their differing beliefs (Riven is atheist). But it is also fascinating to see how personalities and relationships shift and change as characters disappear from the story, creating almost an alternate reality situation. This also raises the question of how will things change if/when the vanished characters return.
Finally, when Vera begins to understand what has been happening, she turns to her mother for help. The conversation that they have is earnest and heartfelt...and devastating as it raises important questions about ethics and sacrifice and the value of life. While everything may ultimately be resolved a little too neatly and easily in The Forgotten Memories of Vera Glass, the story nonetheless invites thoughtful reflection about many big questions while providing a thoroughly captivating mystery to keep readers turning pages.
Lisa is Co-Manager of Woozles Children’s Bookstore in Halifax, Nova Scotia.