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Then She Was Gone was the first book I have read by Author Lisa Jewell. The story revolves around a parent’s worse nightmare. One day your life is going along as it always does and the next minute your child is gone. We follow the story of Laurel Mack whose 15-year-old Daughter Ellie disappeared without a trace. I chose as my November Book Club pick.
Fast forward, her marriage falls apart, she becomes estranged from her remaining children and chooses to rebuild her life. This is when by happenstance Laurel meets a charming single father named Floyd. Thinking that this would be the turning point in her life, she jumps into a relationship and doesn’t look back. It’s when she meets Floyd’s precocious child Poppy that things begin to take a dark turn. Poppy is the spitting image of her missing daughter Ellie. How can that be?
I can’t divulge more of the plot as you will need to read the book yourself to get the full understanding. Then She Was Gone will have you on the edge of your seat. Laurel is a character that you will find relatable and realistic. You will root for her and hope that she can repair all of the brokenness in her life and family. Reading this made me realize when a tragedy like this happens within a family that the remaining children suffer on so many levels. Laurel’s eldest Daughter was left feeling that she was not enough for her mother and she could never live up to the expectations that were in place for her missing sister. Not only were her son and daughter not able to fully grieve, but they were also made to feel that their mother wished they were in Ellie’s place. Floyd comes into Laurel’s life at the right time. When she meets his Daughters, she sees firsthand the strained relationship they have with their Father. I thought Laurel saw this an opportunity to redeem herself and right her past wrongs that she made with her own children. At certain points in the book, Laurel’s naivety toward the relationships in her life will leave you scratching your head. That to me is what makes this book so enjoyable.
This story will pull at your heartstrings and keep you guessing until the very end. If you still have lingering questions, everything is summed up correctly in the epilogue.
If you read Then, She Was Gone let me know what you think! It can be found on Amazon in both paperback, and Kindle versions.
