How to Live Your Best Life – The Memo

Jul 15, 2024 by Two Sues On the Aisle

By Two Sues on the Aisle, Susie Rosenbluth and Sue Weston

Ever fantasize about what life could have been had you made better choices? In The Memo, a novel by Rachel Dodes and Lauren Mechling, the protagonist, Jenny Green is preparing to attend her college reunion. Jenny sees herself as a failure, stuck in a go-nowhere relationship with a cheating boyfriend, wasting time in a meaningless job, while her friends are all successful. She is presented with a chance to rewrite her life before her 36^th birthday, which is just weeks away.

Jenny’s grandmother would call this ‘fakakta’ but Jenny is tempted.

The Consortium Associates

The protocol for leading a better life was developed by The Consortium Associates, an organization of women whose objective is to close the gender gap. They select women who attended Coleman, a college located in Sequoia Falls, New York, Jenny’s Alma Mata, and guide them to prominent careers by sending them DMs containing specific instructions. Participants agree to follow these directions exactly without question, and never disclose information about The Consortium.

Jenny had rejected the opportunity to follow guidance from The Consortium when she was in college. As her 36th birthday approached, she was selected to travel back in time and correct her mistakes. If it works she would set in motion the ‘flywheel of magnificence’ and realize her full potential, while at the same time helping other women.

Life Reimagined

Jenny had made one major mistake which resulted in her burning down a bakery, losing her internship, and returning home from Italy demoralized. Jenny gave up on herself, and her chance to become a James Beard acclaimed baker. She returned to her parent’s home, ashamed and devastated, while her classmates were successful in their careers. 

The Consortium classified Jenny as a failure, using their ‘Disparity Meter’ to measure the difference between a person’s potential and their reality.  They selected her as a test subject to reverse her destiny. By taking advantage of advances in the study of the soul, they guided Jenny back in time to decision points, changing her behavior and altering her destiny.

But changing the past comes at a price.

Making Choices

By following The Memo, participants give up their freedom of choice and independence. Jenny is torn.

When Jenny was approached by The Consortium in college, they instructed her to drop out of school right before graduation. She chose not to listen, confident in her instincts and abilities. But she made one mistake which derailed her career and stalled her life.

When she looked at her successful friends, she was envious, their lives seemed so perfect.

The Impact of Her Decision

As Jenny followed advice from The Memo, her actions impacted the lives of people around her.  Subconsciously she craved connection with friends, even as her destiny changed. This suggests that some relationships are b’shert, meant to be.

She always wanted to live a life that involved baking bread, prioritizing good friends, and finding a significant other she loved. But the life laid out by The Memo had different ideals, it reversed her mistakes but, in the process, she lost her best friend, and abandoned her passion for baking. In exchange, she gained material wealth and fame.

The Consortium’s approach favored strategies that have worked for men. Prioritizing career over family, putting making money above finding a meaningful career, and giving relationships less significance, essentially changing women’s behaviors to be like men’s. Were they suggesting that gender differences were holding women back?

A Fanciful Tale

The book pokes fun at people who appear to have it all, but lose their soul in the process. It is a comical critique of gender differences and what is important.

When Jenny discovered how many women from her college had followed directions provided in their ‘Memo’ and became successful she was jealous and resentful. It upset her that friends had not encouraged her to follow the program. Yet, once she began to listen to The Memo, she discovered success was not as sweet as it looked from afar.

The Memo is a fanciful story, with a happy ending and the moral lesson that the grass is not always greener on the other side. Jenny discovered the importance of trusting friends and making decisions that are right for her.

Until the very last page we kept wondering ‘Would she or wouldn’t she?’ The story shows the impact of seemingly insignificant decisions and the importance of believing in yourself.

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Two Sues on the Aisle bases its ratings on how many challahs (1-5) it pays to buy (rather than make) to see the play, show, film, book, or exhibit being reviewed.

The Memo – received 5 Challahs