Reviewed
by: BigAl
Genre:
Women's Fiction
Approximate
word count: 35-40,000
words
Availability
Click
on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes &
Noble, or Smashwords store
Author:
Kate
Moretti is a scientist working in the pharmaceutical industry by day
and a New York Times bestselling author in her spare time. She's
written two novels prior to this one, Binds
That Tie
an her NYT bestseller, Thought
I Knew You,
which was also a winner in the BigAl's Books and Pals Readers' Choice
Awards in 2013.
Description:
“Despite
Karen Caughee’s intense focus on her music, her life is drifting
out of its lane. Her mother is falling head-first into alcoholism and
her brother refuses to acknowledge it. Her love life and music career
have both stalled out. When she meets a charismatic but aloof
stranger in a bar, she is uncharacteristically smitten. He seems to
'get her' in a way no one else does, and she begins to second guess
everything she's ever held dear.
After
a tragic accident, Karen finds her support system in the unlikeliest
person imaginable. A shattering revelation brings her to a
crossroads, and she must face the full truth about who she loves and
who she has become.”
Appraisal:
While
You Were Gone
is billed as a companion novella to Moretti's NYT bestseller, While
You Were Out
and has a brief note at the beginning that explains the connection.
The extremely short version of that is one of the characters in the
first novel disappears and this story adds some perspective to what
happened. I read the note and immediately forgot it. It's been a few
years since I read the first book and I didn't go back and refresh my
memory until I was done reading. It turns out that you don't need to
remember the first to enjoy the second.
As
for the story itself, it's a good one. It explores themes of family,
love, and loss. It also delves into how we often start down a path in
life, not always through a conscious decision, and can become
committed to that path for no good reason. There's a lesson in there
for some of us.
FYI:
Some
adult language and mild adult situations.
While
described as a “companion novella” to Thought
I Knew You,
reading that book first isn't required to understand and follow this
story.
Format/Typo
Issues:
No
issues.
Rating: **** Four Stars
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