Joined at birth, then pulled apart, Selina and Zora’s relationship is marked by a pattern of
closeness and separation. Growing up in 50s’ and 60s’ London under the shadow of
Enoch Powell, they are instinctively dependent on each other, and yet Zora yearns for
her own identity. But in the eyes of the people around them, the twins are
interchangeable.
They come as a pair.
They are Selzora.
Now in her seventies and living with the early stages of dementia, Selina is tracing shards of memory. She is intent on untangling the traumatic events of the past that changed the twins’ lives. Perhaps Lydia, who has reintroduced herself to Selina with sharp, cool charisma, will help her find answers. But even as Selina struggles to make sense of her memories, it’s all too clear that Lydia is hiding something.
In Memory of Us is a profound evocation of memory, and the strategies employed for
illusion and survival in the wake of racism. It offers an often-overlooked insight into life as a Black Briton after the Windrush generation.
What does it mean to remember?
PRAISE
'A heartstring-tugging exploration of memory, grief and race in Britain. Roy's prose
drips with poignancy and elegance; her characters come to life on the page and you
have no choice but to surrender your heart to their journey’
Elvin James Mensah, author of Small Joys

Published: 2 Jan 2025 

In Memory of Us Jacqueline Roy