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Giveaway & Review WHEN SHE WAS GONE by GWENDOLEN GROSS @GalleryBooks @GwendolenGross

March 18, 2013 By Mary



Book Description

Release date: March 19, 2013

What happened to Linsey Hart? When the Cornell-bound teenager disappears into the steamy blue of a late-summer morning, her quiet neighborhood is left to pick apart the threads of their own lives and assumptions.

Linsey’s neighbors are just ordinary people—but even ordinary people can keep terrible secrets hidden close. There’s Linsey’s mother, Abigail, whose door-to-door searching makes her social-outcast status painfully obvious; Mr. Leonard, the quiet, retired piano teacher with insomnia, who saw Linsey leave; Reeva, the queen bee of a clique of mothers, now obsessed with a secret interest; Timmy, Linsey’s lovelorn ex-boyfriend; and George, an eleven-year-old loner who is determined to find out what happened to his missing neighbor.

As the days of Linsey’s absence tick by, dread and hope threaten to tear a community apart. This luminous new novel by the acclaimed author of The Orphan Sister explores coming of age in the shadows of a suburban life, and what is revealed when the light suddenly shines in. . . .

About the Author
Gwendolen Gross is the author of five critically acclaimed novels, including The Orphan Sister and The Other Mother. She has worked with porcupines and kinkajous as a science demonstrator, on mountain tops as a naturalist, as an editor, opera singer, writing instructor, and mom. She lives in Northern New Jersey with her husband, daughter, and son.

SOURCE: PUBLISHER

MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT


Linsey is scheduled to start at Cornell and right before her family is to drop her off, she vanishes.  No one thought anything was wrong with her, except she just broke up with her boyfriend at her mother’s insistence and  there is no evidence of foul play.  The last person to see her is the piano teacher, Mr. Leonard, who lives across the street.  The story recount the next ten days while the small community searches for her.  As her mother goes door to door searching for information, she learns more about her neighbors  than she ever expected about her neighbors.   

The are certainly a lot of characters in this book and each has something to hide.  Mr. Leonard,  has cancer with just a few months to live, and has a few unspeakable habits that explains why he never married.  Reeva, the lady one street over, is having an affair with a young man that is just a few years older than Linsey.  Her younger twin brothers, Cody and Toby, who seem a bit glad that she is gone in a weird way.  Geo, the eleven year old that lives behind Linsey, should have been the star of this story, and in a way he is.  He is quirky and unique with a bit of baggage that would bother most boys his age but he takes it all in stride.  

Even though Linsey is the main character of this book, she is almost entirely absent from it except in the beginning and the end.  I really adore Gross’s unique style of writing and I enjoyed The Orphan Sister .   I know quirky books like this don’t appeal to everyone, but you should give this one a try.  It is everything you ever expected in a small town but would never be able to learn on your own.





WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK?
Contest is open to anyone with a US mailing address and ends 3.28.13
Sorry, no PO Boxes
Winner will be chosen by Random.org  –  Void Where Prohibited.
Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen
This giveaway is sponsored by the publisher and TWO copies are available. 

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Comments

  1. Ethan says

    March 18, 2013 at 1:23 pm

    This sounds like an interesting read!

  2. Bethie says

    March 18, 2013 at 9:43 pm

    Thanks!

  3. Karen B says

    March 18, 2013 at 11:00 pm

    This sounds fascinating – thanks!

    kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

  4. Jilleen says

    March 19, 2013 at 3:36 am

    i LOVE Gwendolen Gross – she is such a sweet person. I would absolutely LOVE to her latest book! Thanks for the chance to win.

    Jill at Seaside Book Nook

    seasidebooknook at yahoo dot com

  5. Mona says

    March 19, 2013 at 5:56 pm

    Sounds like a great read — thanks 🙂

  6. Karen B says

    March 19, 2013 at 7:03 pm

    Entry for 3/19 – thanks!

    kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

  7. Karen B says

    March 20, 2013 at 1:57 pm

    Entry for 3/20 – thanks!

    kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

  8. Darlene Ysaguirre says

    March 21, 2013 at 4:12 am

    Thanks For The Giveaway!
    darleneysaguirre @yahoo.com

  9. Karen B says

    March 21, 2013 at 2:20 pm

    Entry for 3/21 – thanks!

    kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

  10. Sandra says

    March 21, 2013 at 3:37 pm

    Bet this is a great read!

  11. GW 65 says

    March 22, 2013 at 3:04 pm

    Sounds like a great book.
    gloriawalshver@yahoo.com

  12. Karen B says

    March 22, 2013 at 4:36 pm

    Entry for 3/22 – thanks!
    kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

  13. Karen B says

    March 23, 2013 at 4:07 pm

    Entry for 3/23 – thanks!
    kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

  14. Karen B says

    March 24, 2013 at 9:35 am

    Entry for 3/24 – thanks!
    kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

  15. Karen B says

    March 25, 2013 at 1:59 pm

    Entry for 3/25 – thanks!
    kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

  16. holdenj says

    March 25, 2013 at 2:08 pm

    Daily entry 3/25, thanks!
    JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

  17. Anita Yancey says

    March 25, 2013 at 5:32 pm

    Sounds like a great story. I would love to read it. This is a new author to me but I am going to check out her other work. Thanks for this chance.

    ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net

  18. Karen B says

    March 26, 2013 at 1:02 pm

    Entry for 3/26 – thanks!
    kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

  19. Kenia says

    March 26, 2013 at 7:43 pm

    Sounds interesting! Thanks for the giveaway.

    linda_flor019 [at] hotmail [dot] com

  20. Karen B says

    March 27, 2013 at 7:19 am

    Entry for 3/27 – thanks!
    kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

  21. Mona says

    March 27, 2013 at 11:07 pm

    This book sounds great. I love suspense/thrillers.
    Thanks 🙂

    https://mobile.twitter.com/Kulmona/status/317049693714669570

  22. holdenj says

    March 27, 2013 at 11:34 pm

    Daily entry 3/27. Thanks!
    JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

  23. Karen B says

    March 28, 2013 at 4:44 pm

    Entry for 3/28 – thanks!
    kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

  24. Holly Bryan says

    March 30, 2013 at 3:02 am

    Thanks, Mary! Just happened to see this book on Goodreads, then saw your view when I went to the book’s page, and your note that you were giving the book away! And lo and behold I squeezed in here a mere 1 hour before it’s over 🙂 serendipity!! This actually sounds like something I would normally pick up, although I hadn’t heard of it before tonight. I must have missed reading my daily email from you on the day you posted this!

  25. Mary BookHounds Jacobs says

    March 30, 2013 at 10:23 pm

    winners!
    Sea Side Book Nook
    Amber!

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