Memories of the Lost

A Novel

By: Barbara O'Neal

Narrated by: Sarah Zimmerman

“Magnificent! The writing is lyrical, the story is mesmerizing. Perfection from start to finish.”—Susan Mallery, New York Times bestselling author of For the Love of Summer.

An unsuspecting artist uncovers her late mother’s secrets and unravels her own hidden past in a beguiling novel by the USA Today bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids.

Months after her mother passes away, artist Tillie Morrisey sees a painting in a gallery that leaves her inexplicably lightheaded and unsteady. When a handsome stranger comes to her aid, their connection is so immediate it seems fated, though Liam is only visiting for a few days.

Working on her own art has always been a refuge, but after discovering a document among her mother’s belongings that suggests Tillie’s life has been a lie, she begins to suffer from a series of fugue states, with memories surfacing that she isn’t even sure are her own. As her confusion and grief mount, and prompted by a lead on the painting that started it all, Tillie heads to a seaside village in England. There, she hopes to discover the source of her uncanny inspirations, sort out her feelings about Liam, and unravel truths that her mother kept hidden for decades.

The fluidity of memory, empowering strength of character, beauty of nature, and love of family braid together in this artful tapestry of a novel.

©2024 Barbara Samuel. (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Eloquent, original, and a fully engaging read from cover to cover, with Memories of the Lost, novelist Barbara O'Neal deftly intertwines the fluidity of memory, the empowering strength of character, the beauty of nature, and the love of family to braid together in an artful tapestry of a story that will linger in the mined and memory of the reader long after the book has been finished and set back upon the shelf. Unreservedly recommended…” —Midwest Book Review

“Just when I thought Barbara O’Neal couldn’t get any better…she does. Memories of the Lost is a study in pitch-perfect storytelling; an intriguing mystery and a tender love story, meticulously woven around a pair of protagonists who feel so wonderfully real I suspect I’ll miss them for a very long time. I couldn’t read this novel fast enough and yet the story never felt rushed, and ends just as beautifully as her characters—and her readers—deserve.” —Barbara Davis, bestselling author of The Keeper of Happy Endings and The Echo of Old Books

“Memories of the Lost is everything I love about Barbara O'Neal's novels—dreamy, artistic, hopeful, magical. Its dash of mysticism boldly explores the power of art, the power of love, and discovering who you really are. Barbara has a poet's touch, an artist's eye, a chef's palate, and a romantic soul. She truly makes the book world a better place.” —Sarah Addison Allen, New York Times Bestselling author of Other Birds

Intriguing story but felt like I wanted to more.

Dry detailed start. Made you wanted to listen more. But seemed unfinished at the end.

Not my favorite of hers

I will always read whatever Barbara O’Neal writes. Unfortunately, this one didn’t work as well for me. The insta love prevented me from fully connecting with these characters or the storyline apart from the romance. That said, this has rave reviews so I’d suggest giving it a try if it’s been on your radar.

Great story and ending

Wonderful listen! It’s a love story with a family mystery. Narrator does a good job of the different characters.

Great story line and intrigue

In the beginning, the story was very strange and I wasn’t sure that I was gonna be able to get into it but after listening just a little more I found I couldn’t leave it. The interwoven lives and the search for the main character to find out what was going on in her lifewas great. The ending was super.

Lovely read

This was a lovely story. I was not sure how it was going to finish up in the time that was allotted, but it did so beautifully.