The most obvious social issue dealt with in Memory is the treatment of the elderly, especially those with debilitating illnesses, in this case Alzheimer's disease. When Jonny first encounters Sophie in the parking lot, she is the all-too-familiar bag lady, although she declares that she is the angel of wisdom. The details of the revolting smell of her house, the dirt that gives Sophie an olive complexion, the cheese used for soap, the incredible number of cats, Sophie's confusion about who Jonny is, all give a realistic picture of Sophie's disease. But Mahy does not flinch from presenting more unsettling manifestations of the disease such as Sophie's scurrying around on all fours, naked except for a sweater and a tea cosy on her head, or her appearance at Jonny's bedside in the middle of the night, naked and longing for her lost love, Alva.

Once Jonny...