The Weight of Memory — Jennifer Paddock

In The Weight of Memory, memory is the common thread running through the storylines of Chandler, Sarah, and Leigh (characters from A Secret Word). All three girls are from the same hometown, witnessed the death of a boy they all loved in high school, have complicated relationships with their fathers, and ride out Hurricane Katrina together in Destin, Florida. The character of Walker from Point Clear is also featured as he struggles with psychogenic amnesia, a memory disorder where he often loses personal memories. Leigh is searching for her father, who is a Cherokee Indian, and learns of her ancestry and how important it is to preserve the memories of the Cherokee people. Sarah is separated from her husband, but hoping for reconciliation, especially after learning she is pregnant. She is beset by memories of a faltering marriage, a troubled relationship with her father, and her failed acting and singing career in New York. Chandler is betrayed by her husband, divorces him, falls madly in love with Walker, but finds new challenges in the form of his memory disorder. Memories of Chandler's father, who committed suicide ten years earlier, are all too clear.