Recalled to Life

“Recalled to Life” by Grant Allen is a novel written during the late 19th century. The story revolves around the protagonist, Una Callingham, who suffers a traumatic event that causes her to lose all memories of her past, including her name and family. This catastrophic occurrence comes immediately after witnessing her father's murder, and the novel explores her psychological journey of rediscovering her identity and uncovering the truth behind her father's death. The opening of the novel introduces Una's first recollection, which is a vivid memory of the horrifying moment when she sees her father shot dead. As she grapples with the trauma and the effects of her shock, she describes her state as a ‘Second State,’ likening it to a newborn baby devoid of all memories. The narrative explains how she begins her life anew, struggling to reclaim her identity over the years, with flashes of her past haunting her. The beginning sets the stage for a psychological mystery, with the promise of exploring themes like memory, trauma, and the quest for truth, as Una slowly pieces together the fragments of her past while remaining burdened by a deep sense of horror.