Review: Can A Person Fall into the Same River Twice?
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 1, 2013
How much does Memory shape personality?  Connor wakes in hospital after he's caught in a bridge collapse.  He can remember general things, like how to tie his shoe-laces, but nothing at all about himself or his past.  He finds himself a stranger to his wife, his home, his job, his friends, everything.He goes to a support group for other amnesiacs and meets Nathan, who becomes Connor's only friend.  Nathan is truly without ties to his old life, as no friends or family have stepped up to claim him.  In some ways he is freer than Connor who is caught up in a lift that is no longer his... and which he finds he no longer likes.  Connor is surprised, but more receptive than he expects when Nathan tries kissing him.Are there answers to be found in the past?  Or as Nathan says, the past is useless as neither one of them are the person they once were?Set in small-town Britain, with its quirky safety-nets for the jobless, homeless, and disabled, Connor and Nathan's futures are limited but not without hope.  They have their few fellow sufferers to interact with, if not the rather useless group counselor.  But Connor has to find out who he is now as well as who he was in order to move ahead.There are twists and turns, and well-drawn, if brief, character portraits for secondary characters.  And a fair amount of suspense in the mystery of their pasts.  And just day-to-day dealing with something so life-disrupting and strange.  The book was worth reading just for that.  Despite my wondering about just how many people had problems with amnesia that there would be a local support group, the tale felt realistic; the writing and characters interesting and believable.I read many, many m/m books, so it's wonderful to encounter the ones that really stick out in a good way.  I will be looking forward to more by this author.