Thanks so much to NetGalley, the publishers Spiegel & Grau, and Janelle Brown for granting my wish to read and review this book! 4.5 stars - I really liked this one!
Set in Berkley, CA, Billie, Jonathan and Olive are a somewhat-typical family. Billie and Jonathan are seemingly happily married, although Jonathan has become a workaholic and Billie is getting tired of that. Teenaged Olive is attending a private girls high school, smart but never quite fitting in. Then Billie goes off on a solo hike and doesn't return. Only her boot is found.
What happens when someone just disappears? Are they dead or missing? After a year, Jonathan petitions to have his wife declared dead so they can begin to move on and he can collect her badly-needed life insurance. Jonathan's words at Billie's memorial service go viral and he is offered a book deal to write about their life and her death. Interspersed in this book are short snippets of the book that give us a glimpse of background.
Olive begins having "visions" of her mom and starts questioning whether or not her mom is really dead, which puts her at odds with her dad.
At the heart of this book, it's a great character study. How well do we know ourselves and others? Can we come to grips with the path we've chosen in life? What secrets do we keep or share?
I couldn't put this one down - highly recommended!
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