The Map of Lost Memories

A Novel

By: Kim Fay

Narrated by: Karyn O'Bryant

Edgar Award Finalist for Best First Novel by an American Author

“Captivating . . . has qualities any reader would wish for: adventure, romance, history and a vividly described exotic setting.”—The Washington Post

In 1925 the international treasure-hunting scene is a man’s world, and no one understands this better than Irene Blum, who is passed over for a coveted museum curatorship because she is a woman. Seeking to restore her reputation, she sets off from Seattle in search of a temple believed to house the lost history of Cambodia’s ancient Khmer civilization. But her quest to make the greatest archaeological discovery of the century soon becomes a quest for her family’s secrets. Embracing the colorful and corrupt world of colonial Asia in the early 1900s, The Map of Lost Memories takes readers into a forgotten era where nothing is as it seems. As Irene travels through Shanghai's lawless back streets and Saigon’s opium-filled lanes, she joins forces with a Communist temple robber and an intriguing nightclub owner with a complicated past. What they bring to light deep within the humidity-soaked Cambodian jungle does more than change history. It ultimately solves the mysteries of their own lives.

Praise for The Map of Lost Memories

“In The Map of Lost Memories, Kim Fay draws us into a universe as exotic, intense, and historically detailed as the ancient artifacts her unforgettable heroine seeks. It’s a deliciously unexpected journey: Indiana Jones meets Somerset Maugham meets Marguerite Duras.”—Jennifer Cody Epstein, author of The Painter from Shanghai

“A thrilling mix of adventure and personal discovery . . . [Kim] Fay crafts an intricate page-turner that will keep readers breathless and guessing.”—Publishers Weekly

“A ripping good tale . . . mysterious Asian locations . . . a driven young American heroine . . . an era no longer remembered but faded to romantic imagination . . . The Map of Lost Memories pulls the components together in a story that intrigues and rewards.”—Lincoln Journal Star

“Fay’s extraordinary novel has everything great historical-adventure fiction should—a strikingly original setting, exhilarating plot twists, and a near-impossible quest.”—Booklist (starred review)

Could not care about the characters

Couldn't make myself care about the characters or even finish the book. The main characters were all self-absorbed and flawed in uninteresting or distasteful ways. Too bad, because the plot would have been interesting, but the characters couldn't handle the heavy lifting of moving the story along.

Young female who grew up in a museum (without credentials) is kicked to the curb when she hopes to step into an important role in the organization. Stung by the rebuff, she decides to leave the museum to prove herself to the establishment. She flounces off on an expedition to locate certain undiscovered antiquities in Asia. She has insider information on the location, but requires the help of a mysterious drug-addled woman who is reluctant to participate in the venture because of an evil, controlling husband. Unfortunately, I didn't get much farther into the book after the two clueless women bumble into a messy solution to the husband's roadblock to the expedition. Just couldn't make myself care enough for the characters to keep slogging through the story.