The Memory of Things

The Memory of Things

• Genre: Fiction; young adult contemporary
• Originally Published: 2016
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 680L; grades 7-12
• Structure/Length: 8 parts; 37 chapters; approximately 278 pages; approximately 6 hours, 47 minutes on audio
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: On the morning of September 11, 2001, as the World Trade Center collapses, 16-year-old Kyle Donohue rescues a girl covered in ash and wearing costume wings who has lost her memory. The central conflict revolves around Kyle’s attempt to help the girl remember who she is while dealing with his own family’s crisis and the collective trauma of the city around them.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Terrorism; depiction of a national tragedy; emotional trauma and loss; the events of 9/11; mentions of potential suicide; mentions of death of parents; mentions of genocide and rape; profanity in dialogue and interior monologue

Gae Polisner, Author

• Bio: Born 1964; American author known for her young adult novels; often explores complex emotional landscapes, dealing with themes of grief, loss, and the journey toward understanding and healing
• Other Works: The Pull of Gravity (2011); The Summer of Letting Go (2014); In Sight of Stars (2018)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• The Many Forms of Courage
• The Ephemerality of Life
• The Function and Complexity of Memory

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Develop an understanding of the historical and psychological contexts regarding New York City residents and others impacted by the events of 9/11, which directly incite the major internal and external conflicts of Kyle and Hannah.
• Analyze paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of The Many Forms of Courage, The Ephemerality of Life, and The Function and Complexity of Memory.
• Draft and share a scene that reveals a reunion between Hannah and Kyle one year later that demonstrates an understanding of the novel’s characterization, setting, conflicts, and plot points based on textual details.
• Analyze and evaluate plot and character details to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding Uncle Matt’s circumstances, the motif of memory, and other topics.