The One Memory of Flora Banks

When Flora Banks was 10, her family had a horrific car accident. Her only clear memories now, as a 17-year-old, are of the years before the crash. Sometimes she can only recall events for a few minutes. She writes messages to herself on her arms to remind her where she is and what she’s doing. One message tattooed on her arm reminds her to be brave. She doesn’t remember how it got there.

Her childhood friend Paige remains in her life. Flora finds herself at a going away party for Paige’s boyfriend, Drake, who has decided to study in the Arctic. After the party, Flora runs into Drake on the beach. He tells her he’s always liked her and kisses her passionately. He invites her to spend the night with him, but she reminds him her mother will be looking for her.

Drake apologizes, and they part ways. The moment has been so profound for Flora that she remembers it the next day. She relives the kiss again and again in her head, writes it down in story form and decides she loves Drake. She still can’t retain any other information, but the fact that she has one recent memory gives her hope.

Shortly after the kiss, Flora’s brother in Paris becomes deathly ill with kidney cancer. Flora’s parents quickly arrange for Paige to stay with Flora at their English home, while they visit Jacob. Just before they leave, Paige reads notes Flora has written to herself about kissing Drake.

Paige is angry and refuses to stay with Flora, although she doesn’t tell Flora’s parents. When Flora’s parents leave, Flora finds herself living on her own for several weeks. She writes herself notes so she’ll be reminded of her parents’ whereabouts when she wakes each day.

Despite some struggles, she manages to survive fairly well. She begins exchanging emails with Drake. They say they love each other, and he says he wants to have sex with her. His messages eventually suggest they should cut off the relationship because she can’t be there with him.

Flora decides to travel to Svalbard and find him. Leaving herself numerous notes and using the credit card her parents have left, Flora books the trip. She accidentally leaves her medicine at home. In her attempt to locate Drake, she experiences the beauty of a new part of the world and meets many interesting people. Flora hasn’t told Drake she’s coming because she wants to surprise him. He’s stopped answering messages so she can’t get his address. While Flora is in the Arctic, she texts her parents so they think she’s safe in England with Paige.

When Flora finally finds Drake’s home, she discovers he’s having an affair with an older woman. He tells Flora she’s crazy and shouldn’t have come. He insists he never communicated with her by email, and she shows him the emails they exchanged. It’s quickly obvious by looking at the email thread that she wrote the entire conversation herself. When Flora realizes this, she is stunned by what she’s done. Drake also tells her he never kissed her the night of the party.

Some of the kind residents Flora has met in Svalbard contact her father. He comes to bring her home. Paige makes up with Flora once she’s returned to England. Paige has discovered a photo that proves Drake did kiss Flora the night of the party. This shows that Flora’s memory of that night is legitimate. Drake had tried to take advantage of Flora because he thought she’d forget the incident.

Jacob dies, and Flora receives a long letter from him, via his boyfriend, explaining the truth about her memory loss. While she’d always been told it was a medical problem, Jacob says her memory loss was the result of a crash. Their mother was driving.

Jacob also received injuries that left him scarred. Jacob says their mother’s guilt led her to be overprotective and fearful. He says he doesn’t believe Flora needs the numbing medicine that their parents make her take, especially if she can travel on her own and even retain a memory.

He gives her the name of a neurologist in Paris that he hopes she will visit once she becomes a legal adult. He has contacted Paige, who will start swapping out Flora’s medication with sugar pills. Then, if and when Flora is old enough and ready, Paige will help her travel to Paris to see Dr. Epstein.

Flora and Paige eventually go to Paris. Flora agrees to let the doctor treat her and feels hopeful. According to Jacob’s letter, she had run away to visit him in Paris a few years earlier. At that time, he’d introduced her to Dr. Epstein. Jacob had also helped her get the tattoo reminding her to be brave.