Interview

Our interview is with Eva Lesko Natiello author of The Memory Box (4.2 stars, 207 reviews). Before the interview a brief book description: What would you do if you searched your own past and uncovered something shocking? In this page turner suspense, a group of privileged suburban moms amuse themselves by Googling everyone in town, digging up dirt to fuel thorny gossip. Caroline Thompson, devoted mother of two, sticks to the moral high ground and attempts to avoid these women. She’s relieved to hear her name appears only three times, citing her philanthropy. Despite being grateful that she has nothing to hide, a delayed pang of insecurity prods Caroline to Google her maiden name—which none of the others know.

The hits cascade like a tsunami. Caroline’s terrified by what she reads. An obituary for her sister, JD? That’s absurd. With every click, the revelations grow more alarming. They can’t be right. She’d know. Caroline is hurled into a state of paranoia—upending her blissful family life—desperate to prove these allegations false before someone discovers they’re true.

The disturbing underpinnings of The Memory Box expose a story of deceit, misconceptions, and an obsession for control. With its twists, taut pacing, and psychological tenor, Natiello’s page turning suspense cautions: Be careful what you search for.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

What was unique about the setting of the book and how did it enhance or take away from the story?
There are a couple of reasons I chose Farhaven, a suburban town which is loosely based on the town New Jersey town I live in. I’ve always been intrigued by stories which have beautiful, upscale settings which juxtapose a dark, subversive storyline. The Stepford wives introduced me to this idea. It provides the first misconception to the reader, that only upstanding people could live in a place like this. The other reason it seemed right for the story was when I started to write The Memory Box, I was relatively new to the suburbs. I had just moved to New Jersey from New York City. It presented an instant learning curve. With my young children starting school, I was plopped into a new social circle of suburban moms. There is a definite way things are done in the suburbs that’s different from the way they’re down the city. I knew instantly that I wanted to set this psychological suspense in a bucolic, upscale suburb where the community of stay-at-home moms, a sub-culture all its own, would help highlight the juxtaposition of conformity and deception.

What specific themes did the author emphasize throughout the novel? What do you think he or she is trying to get across to the reader?
One of the themes that is carried through both implicitly or explicitly is “control.” Caroline, the main character, says at one point in the book, “I am the architect of my own destiny.” Certainly she proves without a shadow of a doubt that she believes nothing happens by chance. Read more »