Memory Whispers

Is this a second chance at love or a chance to relive painful memories best forgotten?

Faith McCoy is trying to capture the essence of the town of Cripple Creek, Colorado. She is a photojournalist, and hopes that this photographic collection will meet the needs of the Colorado Historical Collection. There are quite a few buildings not included on their list, the casinos and the brothel, which is now a museum. It seems that they wish to ignore the town’s most colourful history. Faith is part of a group tour in the brothel when an eerie déjà vu feeling hits. The unopened door that they have just walked past is more than familiar to Faith. Since her adolescence, Faith has been haunted by a recurring dream. The door and its unique handle are quite prominent in her memory. She slips from the group and opens the lock with her credit card slipped up the side. Somehow she knows the room, the mirror, the trunk and its contents… a blue dress, amongst other things. Faith clearly sees her self wearing the dress, slowly undoing the many pearl buttons and gracefully undressing to the old-fashioned underwear. There is a glass window…a man is watching her, smoking a cigar and sipping bourbon. Then he is in the room, chastising her… he is her husband. Faith rouses swiftly from her daydream recollection, she is back in the dusty room. She knows without a doubt that this is the setting of her dreams.

Faith still cannot get the images out of her mind later that night. Through her open window she can hear male voices on the street below. From her darkened room she glimpses two men standing under a streetlight. The tall, broad man lights a cigar and looks up…it is the man from her dreams. He has no moustache but is so unmistakably familiar she drops back in shock. She wants to follow and see if it really is him, it is so frighteningly compelling.

Cordell Burke, Cord, is sure that he just glimpsed the woman he has often dreamed of. It is not until she runs barefoot into his casino that he clearly sees her face. Her copper hair and hazel green eyes are the same. How is it possible? In dreams, he has been intimate with her too many times not to recognise her fine features.

Faith and Cord have a connection that they both struggle with. It soon becomes clear that they are able to recall some very tragic events form the past. It is also clear that they are remembering a tremendous passion and very loving family life. Have they been brought back together for a second chance at love or will they again be thwarted by an unknown entity? As they struggle with the issues of the past, their own modern day personalities clash. Both are burning with desire but do not want to give their life to another, fearing it all may be a huge mistake. Their lovemaking is erotic but not graphic. Angel Smits is able to make her readers feel all of the lust and angst of her characters with her smooth dialogue. She very clearly recreates the feel of the small town, its historical past blending with the current occupants. Older members of the community also help complete the picture and provide an element of mystery. This very touching story will be fondly remembered for a long time. Memory Whispers is an extremely emotional book, the last chapters had this reader bawling as the secrets and sacrifices of the past were revealed. It is so good it gave me goose bumps and tingles – Thanks Angel Smits!

Reviewed by: Naomi