Synopses & Reviews
Its 1956, and working-mother Ava Lark and her son, Lewis, have rented a house in a less-than-welcoming Boston suburb. There, Lewis finds he is only able to befriend the other fatherless kids on the block, Jimmy and Rose. But when Jimmy goes missing, neighborhood paranoia ramps to new heights, further ostracizing Ava and Lewis.
Lewis never recovers from the loss of his childhood friend. In his twenties, he is a failure in love, living without direction, estranged from his mother. When Jimmys disappearance is unexpectedly solved, however, Lewis, Rose, and Ava are thrown together once more to try to untangle the remaining pieces of the puzzle and reclaim something of what they have lost.
Review
“With wit and a perfect eye into the human heart, Caroline Leavitt has given us a truly unique story of love, loyalty, loss, betrayal, secrets, healing.”
—Sue Monk Kidd, bestselling author of The Secret Life of Bees Sue Monk Kidd
Review
"Exquisite. . . . with characters so real they feel technicolor, a plot that beats like a racing pulse, and prose so lovely that sometimes I found myself repeating the words out loud."
--Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of The Storyteller and Lone Wolf Jodi Picoult
Review
“This tale of domestic suspense builds to a shocking climax and will appeal to anyone immersed in suburban lore.”
—Library Journal [HC starred review] Vanity Fair
Review
“Leavitt has a way of crafting the loveliest novels out of tragedy. . . . Its her examination of loss, grief, and disappointment that will engross readers.”
—Booklist AudioFile
Review
“Compelling work explores how a tragedy casts a shadow. . . . Life isnt always what we expect, a fact that is thoughtfully explored in this beautifully rendered tale.”
—BookPage Mixed Media Reviews
Review
Review
“Xe Sands has a talent for capturing the essence of the characters in Leavitts story. . . . [Her] performance subtly evokes the varied personalities of adolescent boys, the wistful longing of a youthful divorcée, the lazy drawl of a jazz musician, the anxiety of frantic parents, and the judgmental overtones of nosy neighbors.”
—AudioFile [Earphones Award Winner]
Review
“The audio version . . . enhanced the tension and anticipation.”
—Mixed Media Reviews
Synopsis
A story staged during the age of Cold War politics and McCarthyism, Leavitts riveting and powerful work explores how our darkest fears can poison our world—if we let them.
About the Author
Caroline Leavitt is the award-winning author of eight novels. Her essays and stories have been included in
New York magazine,
Psychology Today,
More,
Parenting,
Redbook, and
Salon. She's a columnist for the
Boston Globe, a book reviewer for
People, and a writing instructor at UCLA online.
XE SANDS is a published audiobook narrator with more than a decade of experience bringing stories to life through narration and performance. From poignant young adult fiction to powerful first-person narrative, Sands’ characterizations are rich and expressive and her narrations evocative and intimate.