Imperfect Memories by Lenore Manderson is an interesting collection of short essays written by 23 different Australian writers.
The idea for the book was born during the peak of COVID. With lockdowns and isolation, it was a time for reflection and nostalgia. Being able to tell stories built connections in a time when there were so few opportunities for physical connections.
The collection contains poems, artworks, memoirs and fictional pieces.
We are taken on a journey of recollections, experiences and memories by a diverse range of authors. There are recollections of historical times and present times in Australia and overseas. Childhood memories and memories in old age are shared. There are stories of loss, grief, love and new beginnings.
Some stories are shared in a powerful way where you feel their grief, and other stories you connect to as you have suffered in a similar way. Then there are those that leave you inspired by their resilience.
My favourite was a story where three siblings had come together to write the eulogy for their father’s funeral. They all remembered a specific family event. However, each remembered the same event very differently.
This made me reminisce about situations in my own life and question how memories can be so different.
I was unfamiliar with most of the writers and found it a bit hard to connect with the book at the start. I then Googled each contributor prior to reading their work and then found I engaged with each story. However, if I had flicked through to the end of the book I would have found the section titled “About The Authors”. I like to think I got to know them more with my search!
The artwork on the front cover by Susan Wald draws you in to question its origin and meaning.
There is such a range of memories and thoughts and writing styles that there is something to suit all tastes. Each story is short and the total book is not long.
I found Imperfect Memories very interesting and quite thought-provoking.
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club members are reading Imperfect Memories by Lenore Manderson. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.

I love to read, any book on any topic. I now love ebooks as they are easier to store, I was running out of bookshelves! My other interests are family, gardening and our beautiful King Charles spaniel dog who is my reading companion.
I am finding it difficult to write a review of this book because it contains so many different heartfelt stories written by different authors. The personal and collective experiences are beautifully expressed so that the reader can experience a wide range of emotions. I think the author Lenore Manderson has masterfully selected the stories from writers who are skillful in exploring their own memories so that the end result is a great little compact book of interesting, entertaining, emotional reflections. I really do love the cover painting.
This book was not my usual genre which made it a bit hard to get into at first. But I persevered and enjoyed some of the stories but not all.
It was an interesting idea to collect these stories, poems and art into one. I’m not very into short stories and would rather one longer story to get into, however this book would be great for people who do enjoy them.
I quite enjoyed the short stories, all different and with individual elements. It was nice to just have different stories to read each day and be able to enjoy them.
Imperfect memories is a great title for the content.
This was a bit out of my comfort zone but it was nice to read something different and really enjoy most of the little stories that were put into the book. It did make me think on how we all recall things a different way and all tell the same story a different depending on where you fit into it. Enjoyable book and very clever idea to put together a book of short stories and poems by other authors