When we think of memories, often we think of happy times: a wedding, first steps, a treasured birthday present, maybe a first kiss (preferably not involving CPR). What happens when your memories are unspeakable experiences of violence and death?
Briar Rose answers this in a couple of different ways. There's Gemma, who just erases those memories altogether, and focuses on building a new life. But there are other characters who have been through the Holocaust, like Josef, who couldn't erase his memories if he wanted to. The implications play out in different ways, but both options mean a lot of pain for the people with those memories.
Hint: happy memories exist too. In this book and (we hope) in your life. Even Gemma's repressive tendencies and fairy tale obsessions can't change that.
Questions About Memory and the Past
- How does the author distinguish the chapters that are about the past from the chapters that take place in the present?
- What is the most interesting object in Gemma's box? Explain your answer.
- Why did Stan search for his birth mother?
Chew on This
As a book about Gemma's background, Briar Rose is a novel that centers on the past.
As a book about Becca's life, Briar Rose is a novel that centers on the present.