From a "perceptive writer whose work makes us painfully aware of our
human follies and acknowledges our lovely humanity" (Audrey Niffenegger,
bestselling author of The Time Traveler's Wife) comes suspenseful
novel about a missing girl whose disappearance rocks her community.
Six years after the traumatic disappearance of Etta Messenger, it's
clear that none of the members of her middle-class family have finished
mourning. Gaping emotional wounds have been poorly addressed. Etta's
mother, Meg, anxious to find closure and make what she can of the rest
of her life, has organized a memorial service to mark the painful
anniversary. Newton, Etta's erstwhile high school sweetheart, a disabled
Afghanistan veteran with anger issues, uses the impending anniversary as
a convenient excuse to spin out of control. Charlie, Etta's earnest
blue-collar father, takes stock of his life and is reminded how he
failed to protect his daughter. Her younger brother, Townes, who was the
last of them to see Etta and is convinced his emotional outburst drove
his sister away, has his fragile hermetic cocoon threatened by the
heightened emotions of the day.
On the day of the memorial, a snowstorm threatens the city, and a chance
observation on a commuter train entangles Townes in a dangerous
situation that recall the events surrounding Etta's loss. The characters
are shaken from their mournful routines by an unrelenting chain of
events, including Newton's arrest, Townes' dangerous heroics, Charlie's
recognition of his own shortcomings, and Meg's shocking discovery. The
action moves from the seemingly serene suburbs to the heart of a
dangerous Chicago neighborhood.
Will this ensemble of damaged characters pull themselves together in
time, or will new stresses rip their tattered lives to shreds...