Firstly, please buy some tissues before you read this book... because you'll need them!

We meet our main character Isabel, who is a hospital chaplain and who we come to realise, is struggling to come to terms with something she refers to as That Day. She has pushed away her family and friends and is merely existing. Something happens in work one day and she ends up caring on a temporary basis for a Opal, an elderly woman with dementia and we go on an emotional life-affirming journey with Isabel throughout this story.

This book is so, so emotional and raw. The author really pulls everything together so beautifully well that the grief that Isabel was feeling almost felt voyeuristic. This is a wonderful book for anyone who likes contemporary fiction, romance or a book that can make you cry!

Emotional. Uplifting. Sweet.

A deeply touching story of a woman and her sisters deep relationship. A voyage of self-discovery and facing painful truths. Any further detail could lead fo spoilers.
There’s love, caring and facing the truth in this lovely book.

This is such a wonderful story, I could not put this down. Isabel, a hospital chaplain went through a severe trauma 2 years and 2 months ago that is referred to as "That Day". She has shut everyone who matters out of her life. She has one connection left, her sister Chantel. Isabel takes a "leave" from the hospital to be a caregiver for Opal, a dementia patient,

This book was so on point with the stages of dementia and how it affects ones family. I was in tears remembering family members who have suffered this awful illness. The author did an amazing job capturing all the feels with this.

Isabel also forms a bond with Evan, Opal's grandson, she learns to trust again and begins to open up. We eventually learn Isabel's trauma in a surprising twist which brought more tears.

This was such a well written book that will stay with me for a very long time.

This author will be on my radar for future books.

Isabel suffered trauma two years prior and she decided to shut out the world. That includes her family and friends. She decides to change her scenery and takes a job as a caretaker to a dementia patient. While taking care of this patient she starts to reexamine her life and the choices she had made. An exceptionally written story about a woman finding her destiny and freeing herself.

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The first thing that strikes me about this book is how sensitive and caring and respectful it is, about all the topics involved, including social anxiety, mental health, physical illness, loss, grief, childbirth, and most of all, dementia. It is a gentle book with gentle words.

I lost my Nan to dementia in 2016 and so many of my experiences were shown in this book. Luckily, she always seemed to know who I was, but seeing the woman who helped my parents raise me, the woman with whom I spent so much time, the woman who gave me my love of books and reading, and who really was my best friend deteriorate like that, it is horrible. In morbid comparison, I lost my dad the year after from cancer and as hard as that was, he was still himself to the day before he died. Dementia doesn’t give you that. It robs you of the person long before their death and it’s horrible. Sarah has captured this so perfectly - and I wonder if she has had personal experience - it is like looking into a time machine. It is beautiful and had me crying on more than one occasion.

There’s no getting around the fact that this is an emotional punch of a book. I wasn’t expecting the turns it would take and it got to me. The way she is able to depict grief in 300 pages is just beautiful.

I felt Isabel was a good main character. She’s so human, with doubts and hope, joy and sadness. She’s not perfect but she wants to try. I also loved Opal (unsurprisingly, she reminded me of my Nan) and I really liked Keely and Evan. They were great with Isabel and helped her story progress. I don’t think there was a bad character amongst them.

If you’re like me, you’ll find yourself fighting off tears for a majority of the time. In sadness and grief, heartbreak, love and happiness; it’s just a really lovely, beautiful book.

I read it one sitting. It was torrential rain outside, I curled up on the sofa with a cup of tea, and just lost myself in the story. It is my first book of hers but I’ll definitely be reading more.

Wow. This book! What an incredible story.
It absolutely broke my heart, but in the best possible way!
The story follows Isabel, a hospital chaplain who is all sorts of struggling. An incident at work leads Isabel to be a caretaker for Opal, an 88 year old dementia patient. Isabel gets to know a lot about Opal, Opal’s family, and herself as well. We follow Isabel as she learns to cope, grow emotionally, and mend relationships that may be irreparable.

What We Remember follows the life of Isabel, a hospital chaplain. We become aware early in the novel that she has suffered a traumatic event 2 years prior however, we are not told what has occurred. She has shut out her friends and family and lives an isolated life between work and home. Things begin to unravel for her at work when she loses her temper and is suspended from work for months. She is now out of a job and requires money to pay her rent. She becomes a caregiver an elderly woman with dementia, Opal. Caring for Opal allows Isabel to see the influence of family and importance in nurturing family relationships. Eventually, the tragedy is revealed, and we discover more information and secrets that change what I thought happened throughout the book. This book was a heartwarming, tear jerker. I highly recommend it. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first book by this author but it won’t be my last! I was drawn in Immediately to Isabel’s story and felt connected to her throughout. I kept trying to imagine what That Day (trauma) held for her but I was completely wrong and I like that because it bodes for good storytelling!

I also enjoyed the emotional depth and accuracy that the author gave to the characters (not just Isabel but also Anna and Ethan and Isabel’s parents. I loved the character of Opal and found her to be a grounding presence throughout the story.

I did find it strange, though, as a hospital chaplain with faith before That Day, that Isabel didn’t seek help until more than two years later. But I did like how most people in her life gave her permission to let her grief journey be what it was.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is so enjoyable. The characters were quirky and lovable. I just loved Opal and her gin martinis. This book is about love and loss and I truly enjoyed it. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

The plot of this book is excellent - with especially great treatment of how to love a family member struggling with Alzheimer’s and what happens when one friend abandons another. I feel like the author dove deep into these two subjects and the thoughts and choices of her characters kept me turning pages. I think the book would have been even better with more editorial guidance - there were a few inconsistencies, a bit of repetition, and the dialogue was awkward in some places. But I’ll take a great plot over elegant dialogue any day, so I can cheerfully recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book.

Poignant and sweet read about relationships, the loss of loved ones, illness and death—and how our hearts deal with the trauma. The characters in What We Remember are lovable and kind. Isobel is hurting and finds comfort in caring for Opal. Eventually we learn what happened on “That Day”, as Isobel has come to call it. The story continues as Isobel works through her grief with help and support from family and friends.

Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

Different than the other books that Sarah Echavarre has written before - definitely a good difference! There is more heart, more honesty, and more human tenderness on the page than in her previous books, and it makes for sweetness in book form that is hard to find! It reminds me of that feeling when you find the perfect book, and clouds are coming in off the water, and you just are happy to curl up with your read all day long.

Interfaith Chaplain, before and after storytelling, stories about loss and love, those are a few of the jobs, themes, and devices used in the book, and they are used well. Each character is developed, the plot moves in a steady fashion, and the story tugs at your heart.

This was a joy to read!

Thank you to Net Galley, and the publishers for sharing an ARC with me.

What We Remember
A Novel
by Sarah Echavarre

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I love this book. YES, LOVED. This is absolutely amazing book, full of heavy heart and teary eyes. It is one of the best books I have read in a long time. Family sometimes is not easy, but loss and family have lessons.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Publication: January 10, 2023

I think it's safe to say that I have found a new auto-buy author! This book hit right in the feels for me especially as someone who has had "That Day" (as most people can relate to). The writing was easy to follow and sucked me right into Isabel's story. I resonated so deeply with her struggles and grief.

The only thing that held this back from a five star read, in my opinion, is that I found the story to be repetitive in some places plus a lot of "telling" in other places. The repetition would jar me out of the story and I would have felt more response if there was a bit more "showing" of Isabel's feelings.

Overall, an easy but very powerful read that I think everyone will love!

Perfect for fans: women's fiction, Colleen Hoover, character driven story, Hallmark movies

I have read two of Sarah's books, Faker and Three More Months. This book was a unique spin and different from those awesome reads. I truly enjoyed this book and I think it is the fastest I've ever read a book! I enjoyed it that much and it was such a pleasant and easy read. The story is well told, good pace. It focuses on the main character Isabel and her experiences and hardships she is facing. You meet her family and her coworkers and some special characters in the new opportunity that arises based on some work circumstances. This is a journey of love, loss, family ties, and changing your course of life and opportunities/prospects and the need arises. Isabel really did some transforming and growing as a main character and that was a refreshing read. I really found myself reflecting on my own life journey and relationships and how I have grown or what would like to accomplish in my life. Like I said a really good, must-read, easy- read. So happy I had the opportunity to read this first before release and share my review. I look forward to continuing to do this. To be honest I think this was my first real book review, and for sure the first one for NetGalley. Enjoy and please pick up Sarah's book What We Remember and her other famous titles too!

An emotionally laden and beautifully immersive book about loss, love, memories. Do not fret, this book may seen emotionally heavy but I guarantee you that this book will be the best read.

This was one of the most beautifully written books I have read in a while. I don't normally pick up books that are emotional and heavy but I am so glad I was gifted this book to review. Following Isabel as a hospital chaplain struggling to deal with an event that is later revealed in the book, was a journey that left me in tears but also warmth. This is a book I will be thinking about for a long time.

Wow a moving novel about hope, loss, the power of memories, and the enduring bonds of family.
It was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

A truly beautiful story with so many challenges it is presenting, you become very invested in the story. Each time you think you know what has happened, something makes you question it all again.