In the House of Memory

About the Book

For his second novel, In the House of Memory, Clifford Davidson has turned to some seminal questions in our society: alienation of the dying, impersonal and badly managed nursing homes, Alzheimer’s and/or stroke sufferers, unreliable memories, and the disconnect with traditional spirituality. Everything is reported through the consciousness of Davidson’s protagonist, who is no longer able to remember his own name. He has bitter memories of childhood, and his unreliable recollections of adult life involve being a double agent during the Cold War. Such ambiguities are frequently reported of terminally ill persons, especially those who feel a strong sense of guilt and despair. It is a moving and terrifying book, comparable to the very best American writing in recent decades.

About the Author

Clifford Davidson, an internationally recognized scholar associated with the prestigious Medieval Institute at Western Michigan University, published his first novel, The Apocalyptic Adventures of Private Winfred Scott Biegle in a limited edition in 1991. Born in Minnesota, Davidson spent his childhood during the Depression and World War II on a farm, and is an army veteran. After receiving his advanced degrees he pursued a vigorous career of teaching, research, and editing. In addition to his extensive work as an editor, he is the author of numerous scholarly books as well as more than a hundred articles published in the U.S. and abroad over the past forty years.