Synopses & Reviews
An enthralling portrait of one family in the aftermath of a daughter's disappearance.
It was the summer of her Chevette, of J.P. and letting her hair grow, It was also the summer when, without warning, popular high school student Kim Larsen disappeared from her small Midwestern town. Her loving parents, her introverted sister, her friends and boyfriend must now do everything they can to find her. As desperate search parties give way to pleading television appearances, and private investigations yield to personal revelations, we see one town's intimate struggle to maintain hope and, finally, to live with the unknown.
Stewart O'Nan's new novel begins with the suspense and pacing of a thriller and soon deepens into an affecting family drama of loss. On the heels of his critically acclaimed and nationally bestselling Last Night at the Lobster, Songs for the Missing is an honest, heartfelt account of one family's attempt to find their child. With a soulful empathy for these ordinary heroes, O'Nan draws us into the world of this small American town and allows us to feel a part of this family.
Review
"Taut prose and matter-of-fact detail enrich this compelling portrait of teenage life in small-town Ohio.... A novel in which every word rings true." Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Review
"O'Nan brings each character to life so perceptively, the reader becomes completely enmeshed in this sad story." Booklist
Synopsis
On the heels of the critically acclaimed and bestselling "Last Night at the Lobster" comes this honest, heartfelt account of one family's attempt to find their missing child. O'Nan's novel begins with the suspense of a thriller and soon deepens into an affecting family drama of loss.
Synopsis
Returning again to the theme of working-class people and their wrenching concerns,
Songs for the Missing begins with the suspenseful pace of a thriller, following an Ohio community?s efforts to locate a young woman who has gone missing. It soon deepens into an affecting portrait of a family trying desperately to hold onto itself and the memory of a daughter whose return becomes increasingly unlikely. Stark and honest, this is an intimate account of what happens behind the headlines of a very American tragedy.
About the Author
Stewart ONan is the author of eleven novels, most recently Last Night at the Lobster, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a story collection, and two works of nonfiction.