This book has been sitting on my shelf for months. I think I picked it up at a great used bookstore, Gene’s books, in Sanibel Island over Christmas break. A few weeks ago, I was looking for a twisty immersive thriller and this book fit that bill perfectly. The main character is Christine Lucas, a woman who loses all of her memory every night and awakens each morning unsure of who she is. She doesn’t recognize herself, her home or even her husband, Ben. Every morning, Ben explains everything, telling Christine that she had a bad accident years ago which robbed her of her memory. What Ben doesn’t know is that Christine has been secretly seeing a therapist, Dr. Nash, who has told her to keep a journal. Christine begins recording her thoughts, feelings and discoveries—the journal substituting for her damaged memory. Every morning, Dr. Nash calls to remind Christine where the journal is hidden. As the days pass, Christine learns more about who she is, and soon discovers that Ben may have things to hide. This is an exhilarating thrill ride that kept me turning pages right up to the shocking conclusion.

After I finished the book, I found the movie on Hulu. I was excited to see how this unusual story was adapted to the screen. Instead of a journal, Christine keeps video diaries, much more suited for the film treatment. Otherwise, the movie is quite similar to the book. Nicole Kidman is perfectly cast as Christine—she’s so good at playing the wounded victim and Colin Firth is a stellar Ben. He always the sap, so you’re inclined to trust his friendly face. I loved everything about this movie, and especially the tender and perfect ending. I highly recommend, but definitely read the book first!