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Inventing Memory (Hardcover)

by Anne Harris (Author) "Shula sat on the wall of Erech, gutting fish and watching the world be born ..." (more)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Tor Books (8 April 2004)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0312865392
  • ISBN-13: 978-0312865399
  • Product Dimensions: 24.4 x 16.4 x 3.1 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 1,847,338 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Shula is a slave in fabled Sumer - until Inanna, Queen of Heaven, appears before her. Chosen by the Goddess for reasons she cannot begin to fathom, Shula is freed from bondage and set upon an uncertain path toward a new and mysterious destiny. But the attention of the gods is a dangerous thing...Wendy Chrenko is an overworked graduate student, researching her dissertation on "Remnants of Matriarchy in the Ancient Sumerian Inanna Cycle." Still recovering from a failed love affair, Wendy is determined to prove that men and women once lived together in perfect harmony, even if it means volunteering for a bizarre and dangerous scientific experiment. Separated by millennia, Shula and Wendy are two very different women, leading completely separate lives. Or maybe not.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating story set in ancient Sumer and modern America, 30 July 2007
By Helen Hancox "Auntie Helen" (Essex, England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Inventing Memory (Paperback)
This is a unique book that weaves together the legends of ancient Sumer with the story of a modern young woman whose days as a school misfit aren't entirely behind her. Initially it feels like the reader is experiencing two distinct books; the first section follows the story of Shula, a slave in Sumer who worships the goddess Inanna although Shula is also experiencing a lot of strange miracles and is aware that there were goddesses before Inanna who appear to be taking an interest in Shula. Shula's life is hard, even when she follows Inanna's will, and lots of decisions that she makes seem to cause her life to go downhill. We leave Shula's story as she is being punished for breaking her vows as a temple virgin.

The second part of the story switches to the life of Wendy Chrenko as she lives through her schooldays as a misfit, teased by other schoolchildren because of her rather wacky nature. She eventually finds something of a soulmate in Ray Mackie but as their lives move on and Wendy spends more time researching the role of women in ancient Sumer whilst Ray gets involved in some rather dodgy employment they no longer see eye to eye. Wendy's life is a quest to discover a true matriarchal society in history but in this search she is also a misfit. Wendy eventually becomes involved in a virtual reality experiment to see if she can discover the truth of her belief that women and men initially lived together as equals.

Both parts of this book are interesting and make you want to keep reading. The third part of the book brings the threads together as we discover the ways in which Shula and Wendy are linked and as both women discover the truth of their searches. Ray also has a role in learning what is important to him and acknowledging the relationship between him and Wendy.

What's fascinating about this book is the opportunity to peek into ancient Sumer (around 2000BC) and the lives of the people there. There is a great deal of historical detail and the characters are mostly those found in historical documents (such as the Epic of Gilgamesh). It is fascinating to read about the difficult lives, particularly of a slave girl, although the gods and miracles and magic that are part of Shula's life make the story rather unbelievable. Shula's life events are also partially mirrored in Wendy's 21st century life and the timeless themes of love, disappointment and lack of understanding of the path of life are excellently described. Overall it is an uplifting book and one that it is very difficult to categorise except for saying that it is simply a good read.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book, www.curledup.com. © Helen Hancox 2007
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