On the Trail of the Memory Keeper with Abigail Johnson

Submitted: 17th June 2026

On the Trail of the Memory Keeper

One of the things I love the most about reading is the way that books can transport us to other places, and so I’m delighted to share some of the real locations that inspired me to write The Memory Keeper. When we meet Gracie, she is about to turn fifty and wonders how it is that her world has become so small. However, despite not venturing far from home, her horizons expand as she realizes she’s capable of more than she ever thought.

Map of locations in The Memory Keeper

The Memory Keeper Abigail Johnson

Map of locations in The Memory Keeper

I began writing this story after seeing the huge public outcry following the deliberate felling of the Sycamore Gap tree. This iconic landmark was a part of the Northumberland landscape for nearly 200 years, and many people were moved to respond to its loss by sharing their photos, memories and stories – of family reunions, special birthdays and even marriage proposals beneath the tree! It inspired me to consider how trees can be a symbol of hope, how communities can be brought together and how many of us feel a powerful connection to nature and the landscape around us.

Sycamore Gap (c) Wikipedia

Map of locations in The Memory Keeper

However, the seed of this story began way before this – with a love of trees and my own back-garden in Birmingham. When I was five years old, I was fascinated by the huge oak tree outside my primary school. One afternoon, I picked up an acorn and took it home to plant in my garden in the hope that I would have my very own tree.

Map of locations in The Memory Keeper

As I dug a hole in the lawn with a spoon I’d taken from the kitchen, I can remember thinking how surprised everyone would be when a tree sprang up the next day. I can still recall my acute disappointment when I didn’t find a tree waiting once the next morning came around. I’m not sure if that acorn ever did grow into a tree, but if it did it makes me smile to think of it, planted in the most awkward spot right in the middle of the lawn, next to the path!

Midland Oak (c) Wikipedia

Map of locations in The Memory Keeper

In choosing where to set the novel, I considered a number of locations before settling on Leamington Spa in Warwickshire. As well as being an area I know as it’s reasonably local to me, during my research, I discovered it is home to the Midland Oak, a historical landmark said to be the centre of England. The original oak tree, centuries old, was cut down in 1967; the oak now standing there, planted in 1988, was grown from an acorn saved from the original tree. I love how a little bit of history is reflected in the themes of my story.

Map of locations in The Memory Keeper

As Gracie’s friendships begin to blossom, she arranges a visit to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, where widowed Erin begins to regain her confidence. The Gardens covers fifteen acres and is a tranquil haven, just minutes from the busy city centre. Its beautiful Victorian glasshouses, Japanese garden and rolling lawns make it one of my favourite places in Birmingham and I just knew I had to include it in the book!

Map of locations in The Memory Keeper

Gracie has always dreamt of visiting the museums and art galleries of Paris, Florence and Rome. At the beginning of the novel she is planning to visit them with her husband, and I enjoyed writing her imagined itinerary, beginning with their arrival in the beautiful Île de Re, ‘where the invigorating smell of salt marshes and pine trees would strip them of at least ten years.

Map of locations in The Memory Keeper

They would hire bicycles, even though she hadn’t ridden one since she was a girl. Max would carry a long baguette under his arm, and she would have a basket brimming with cheese and croissants as they rode past whitewashed, shuttered houses and soft, sandy shores.’ I have holidayed north of here, in Noirmoutier-en-l’Île, and used my memories of the stunning beaches, forests and salt-water marshes when planning Gracie’s travels.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about the places that led me to write The Memory Keeper, and that you feel very much a part of Gracie’s journey when you read her story!