Teenager Rose disappears from the
garden during a summer afternoon. There
are no answers and no peace for her parents Sandra and Don Taverner and younger
sister Anna.
In the present, Sandra seems to be
unravelling at the prospect of finally moving home and losing the last point of
connection with Rose.
The gradual unveiling of the family secrets by moving backwards and forwards in time shows how snap decisions and thoughtless actions create family drama and tensions in the future.
The gradual unveiling of the family secrets by moving backwards and forwards in time shows how snap decisions and thoughtless actions create family drama and tensions in the future.
The author skilfully portrays the hurt
and pain of not knowing and the impact this has on all involved. At first I found Anna, now in her thirties,
to be an unsympathetic character, as she appears selfish, a bit of an outsider
who is unwilling to commit. However as
the story unfolds and the reader is able to see the damage that Rose’s
disappearance has done and the effect of continuous guilt and remorse, this
drives her need to find answers and to resolve her ambiguous feelings towards
Rose.
I don’t feel able to say much more
without spoiling the slow build for others.
An emotional and thought-provoking read.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld for my review copy.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld for my review copy.
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