The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson

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The Impossible Knife of Memory
By Laurie Halse Anderson

One of the books I read this week was Laurie Halse Andersonn’s The Impossible Knife of Memory,  a problem novel concerning living with a father who has PTSD. In it, the main character Hayley Kincain is dealing with a rough transition to high school. For the past 5 years, she had been “homeschooled” by her father as they drove place to place in an 18 wheeler rig. Her dad, Andy, was mostly running from the ghosts that haunt his dreams, after multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. The novel takes place a little after Andy has been arrested for a “drunken disorderly” charge, which puts an end to his truck driving days. He decides to move the two of them back into the house his mother owned, and Hayley is forced to try to make a new life for herself at Belmont High. Through her one friend, Gracie, Hayley meets Finn, editor of the fledgling school newspaper. He badgers her into writing an article for him and his paper, and the two eventually starts dating. Little by little, Hayley lets down her guard with Finn and as she does, she must confront her past that she so desperately sealed away in the back recesses of her memory. As the book progresses, Hayley slowly realizes that Andy is getting worse, rather than better. He continues to self-medicate with whiskey, beer, and pot, rather than seek help from the VA hospital. Eventually, Hayley come to realize that Ms. Benedetti, the school counselor, is actually trying to help her get ready for college and life after school by expressing an interest in her home life and the causes for her poor grades and attendance.

Like is common in problem novels, the supporting cast of characters have problems of their own: Gracie’s parents are divorcing on account of his repeated infidelity, while Finn’s parents are having a difficult time with his older sister, who has substance abuse problems. The climax of the book takes place with a traumatic standoff at the local quarry, when Andy has finally decided to kill himself to put an end to the suffering. Hayley is able to intervene just in time, and the book ends on an optimistic note, not “happily ever after” but “good enough for today.”

The book reads well and balances the growing relationship of Hayley and Finn with the backdrop of her troubled home life with Andy. The characters are reasonable well fleshed out, realistic, and relatable, so the reader empathizes with their respective issues. Hayley’s perceptions of Trish, the woman who raised her from ages six to twelve, is originally very negative. It’s only as the book unwinds that you discover Trish’s positive role in Hayley’s childhood, and her honest desire to help two people she loves. Hayley makes it through the end of the book and provides a glimmer of hope for teens reading this book that might have similar issues with a parent struggling with PTSD. I really enjoyed the pacing of the book, and the slow reveal of Hayley’s past, learning along the way about Hayley’s mother, Rebecca; her grandmother; and ultimately Trish. This is the second book by Anderson I’ve read recently, and I’ve enjoyed them both. I look forward to reading Speak and other titles by this author.