If you're looking for that book to transform your reading experience into more than just an escape, but something above and beyond, then look no further. Emma Scott knocks it out of the park and into the next stratosphere with this one, A Five Minute Life. There aren't sufficient words to describe the complexity, intricacy and delicate beauty of this one.
Thea James has a personality that is larger than life. She is exuberant, charismatic and full of warmth. She has aspirations to be an artist and her talent is off the charts. But then a tragic car accident injures her brain permanently. It is the second worst documented case of amnesia where Thea experiences life in 5 minute intervals. After that, her memory does a hard reset and she starts all over again. Two years later, she's living in a sanitarium, spending her days doodling with pen and paper and asking the same questions every 5 minutes.
Enter Jim Whelan, the new orderly at the sanitarium. Jim grew up in foster care without much love or support and was bullied. He is completely taken by Thea, but once he realizes that she's a resident and what her condition consists of, his heart breaks for her. Because in those first five minutes, he felt chemistry and a connection with her, like they were the building blocks to something bigger between them. Her vibrance speaks to something deep inside of him that seems to awaken a part of him that felt long, lost and nonexistent. She's sweet and flirty and even sees a part of him that no one else can see. Until she wipes the slate clean and they start over from ground zero again. But every time, she still elicits a reaction in him that no one else can. With her, he can have normal length conversations without stuttering, he sings and plays guitar without embarrassment, and instead of being ridiculed, he becomes a protector.
There's so many ways this story could go. I had no idea what to expect, but loved every bit of the journey because it had me wondering what would happen next and I was constantly surprised. My emotions were scattered everywhere. I adored Jim and Thea. Together, they fit perfectly with their imperfections. However, I wasn't sure what the future would hold for either of them since the initial setup seemed bleak and towards the end, I was turning the pages while holding my breath in anticipation. Thea is proof that the mind may be confined, but still has so much activity just waiting to be set free even through art. Jim is an example of how the good natured heart in a person can overcome the negative voice that holds him back. Whether or not you believe in dreams coming true or miracles actually happening, there is always a thread of hope underneath it all. That things can and will be better by just hanging on and going after it with stubborn resolve. This is the kind of story that burrows deep into your heart and Emma Scott couldn't have written it more beautifully and flawlessly. A Five Minute Life should definitely be on your to-read list.
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About the author
LOoooved It!
Following Emma Scott's career has been like walking behind a writer that is constantly spilling diamonds from her pockets. A Five Minute Life definitely is a rare gem in that regard and is the first of its kind as far as romance plots go. The central framework of the story is built on whether we are just a collection of our memories or is there something more to our identity and existence? Scott tries to resolve this dilemma through her two main characters; Thea and Jimmy. Thea, due to a traumatic brain injury, is stuck in five minutes loops of time, having lost the ability to bridge connection between the recent past to the immediate present. The etch-a-sketch of her memory is constantly shaken, wiped clean and she has to start over. It’s a dehumanizing experience to say the least, robbing Thea of her identity as an artist and seen as a burden by her older sister Delia. The only person who knows that there is more to Thea than this physically broken patient is Jimmy; the new orderly that tries to tap into her emotional recollection. Thea also sees beyond Jimmy’s limitations; the softer, deeper parts hidden under self protective stoicism. A child of the foster care system and a victim of bullying Jimmy still carries the pain of being abused and ignored emotionally on the tip of his tongue... until he meets Thea. We are more than what we have suffered I guess is the message. I don’t want to give away the whole story but I want to add that there is a lot of poetic, haunting and poignant imagery in this book. The most wonderful is the vast Egyptian desert, its sand seemingly filling Thea's five minute hourglass, the pyramid tombs of the pharaohs that is a metaphor of her beige prison, the tale of Cleopatra and the asp that signifies a grieving lover, a woman that reached the edge of madness and drank from the cup of sorrow upon being told her Marc Antony died. Scott‘s imagination knows no bounds and I loved the history and mysticism behind the metaphors. (Side note: I am used to Scott’s books being slow burns but let’s just say A Five Minute Life is more explosions and fireworks lit on a shorter chapter fuse. I was very happy with the “stylistic shift.”) A Five Minute Life is an amalgam of hope, loss, sacrifice, art, music, torment, magic, and love that transgresses the limitations of time and memory. I think Emma Scott has a magical typewriter in her house and when her fingers dance on the keys these beautiful gut wrenching sensitive stories come out like nothing I’ve read before. This one is a treat for the imagination and heart... it’s under lock and key in my memory forever.
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2019
Top reviews from other countries
- Sarah - Kindle and KoffeeReviewed in the United Kingdom on October 26, 2020
Absoluteky breathtaking story
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- Kindle CustomerReviewed in India on September 26, 2021
If you don't cry while you are reading then you r a robot
