BOOK DESCRIPTION
Where is he? Where’s my beloved child with his father’s blue eyes and a halo of golden curls? My little boy is out there on his own. Please keep him safe, I silently beg, please, please just keep him safe.
‘Your son is missing,’ they say, and life as I know it is over. ‘Where would he go?’ the police ask. ‘Where would he be?’ my daughter begs.
My heart races as images flash in my mind. The cabin we rent every autumn, surrounded by fiery red maple trees. Voices raised. Tears falling. A marriage falling apart. And worst of all my husband telling our child, Theo,to run.
The rest is a blank in my memory. If I close my eyes I can almost see it. A betrayal that has left me alone, in tatters, grieving for what we had.
It wasn’t meant to be like that. It should have been precious time as a family, with boardgames, walks in the mountain and pancakes for breakfast.
Instead my little one is has vanished. ‘They are looking for him,’ the nurse told me, ‘but the storm is slowing down the search.’
The police think Theo has the answers, that he knows what tore our family apart. But I have no idea where he is. No clue if he is safe. I won’t survive unless I bring him home. But if I do, and the truth comes out, will I survive that?
A completely gripping, beautifully written and totally heartbreaking page-turner, which examines what happens behind closed doors, and the secrets that can shatter a family. Fans of Jodi Picoult, Diane Chamberlain and Liane Moriarty will be totally addicted to this breathtaking novel.
‘Your son is missing,’ they say, and life as I know it is over. ‘Where would he go?’ the police ask. ‘Where would he be?’ my daughter begs.
My heart races as images flash in my mind. The cabin we rent every autumn, surrounded by fiery red maple trees. Voices raised. Tears falling. A marriage falling apart. And worst of all my husband telling our child, Theo,to run.
The rest is a blank in my memory. If I close my eyes I can almost see it. A betrayal that has left me alone, in tatters, grieving for what we had.
It wasn’t meant to be like that. It should have been precious time as a family, with boardgames, walks in the mountain and pancakes for breakfast.
Instead my little one is has vanished. ‘They are looking for him,’ the nurse told me, ‘but the storm is slowing down the search.’
The police think Theo has the answers, that he knows what tore our family apart. But I have no idea where he is. No clue if he is safe. I won’t survive unless I bring him home. But if I do, and the truth comes out, will I survive that?
A completely gripping, beautifully written and totally heartbreaking page-turner, which examines what happens behind closed doors, and the secrets that can shatter a family. Fans of Jodi Picoult, Diane Chamberlain and Liane Moriarty will be totally addicted to this breathtaking novel.
Being the parent of a child who is autistic can be difficult at times especially if you also have other children. It's very often a case of finding the right balance and trying to divide your time equally between all the members of your family. Sometimes, you subconsciously find yourself favouring the child that you feel needs your care the most which can,inevitably result in others feeling neglected. My daughter has mentioned, in the past that it sometimes appears as if I favour our son Thomas who is on the autism spectrum so I could fully understand and empathise with both Cecelia and Kaycee's conflicting feelings,emotions and how relations within the family had become so strained. Cecilia and her husband Nick's marriage certainly appeared to have its issues but were things really so bad behind closed doors that Cecelia had been forced to stab him? Had she really lost the ability to speak or was she lying to protect herself....or somebody else? Why had Nick instructed a vulnerable young boy to run out into the rain lashed,freezing cold wilderness without proper clothing or any shoes?
Nothing adds more tension to a story than have a vulnerable child as one of the main characters. I thought that young Theo was a wonderful character and although I don't know what goes on inside the head of someone who has autism,I thought that the author's portrayals of Theo's thoughts,actions and behaviour came across as realistic and believable. There was parts of Theo's story that have me a better insight and understanding of some of my own son's actions and behaviour.
Rose was a wonderful character who lived in a isolated cabin in the woods and spent a lot of her time talking to a picture of her dead sister Mary. Rose was a kind and caring individual who had experience with dealing with someone who had autism due to her brother Lionel being on the autistic spectrum when he was alive. Sadly,when Rose was younger, people who had any type of disability where treated very badly,ridiculed and called horrible names. The way that Lionel was treated by both the residents of the nearby town and the staff of the care home who were supposed to take care of him was very shocking but sadly very realistic for the times. As the story unfolded,we discovered that Rose had a secret,something from her past that she didn't like thinking about. A shocking event that,although it had happened a long time ago could possibility be connected to events that were unfolding in the present day.
As with all Nicole Trope's books this is a beautifully written, emotionally charged story that causes the reader to experience a myriad of emotions and pulls at your heart strings at times. It's not a fast paced story but it's a enthralling page turner which has a added dash of mystery that keeps the reader guessing. Despite the fact that we now live in the 21st century, autism still has many grey areas and I thought that the author had written about the subject with care and sensitivity. I thought this was a very enjoyable read and it's very highly recommended.
Author Bio:
Nicole Trope went to university to study Law but realised the error of her ways when she did very badly on her first law essay because, as her professor pointed out, ‘It’s not meant to be a story.’
She studied teaching instead and used her holidays to work on her writing career and complete a Masters’ degree. In between raising three children, working for her husband and renovating houses, she has published six novels. She lives in Sydney, Australia.
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