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The Disappearance

by Efrem Sigel (Goodreads Author), Anthony Heald (Narrator)

3.24 · rating details · 50 ratings · 27 reviews

When Joshua and Nathalie Sandler's only child, fourteen-year-old Daniel, disappears one day in a town in western Massachusetts, their world changes in an instant. Over the next year, Joshua neglects everything else to search ceaselessly for their son, while Nathalie, a gifted cellist, withdraws into herself, unable to play a note of music.

With lyrical prose and building su

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Compact Disc, 9 pages

Published August 1st 2009 by Blackstone Audiobooks (first published February 1st 2009)

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Jan 21, 2009

Allison rated it

· review of another edition

I was delighted to receive this novel through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program. From the first paragraph of lush, gorgeous prose, in which Sigel describes Joshua running toward the light in The Hollow, I knew this would be a heartbreaking, yet uplifting book. The title is a bit misleading, as the mystery behind the disappearance of 14-year-old Dan Sandler plays second fiddle to its aftermath in the lives of his parents, Joshua and Nathalie. I knew what the resolution to the disappearance...moreI was delighted to receive this novel through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program. From the first paragraph of lush, gorgeous prose, in which Sigel describes Joshua running toward the light in The Hollow, I knew this would be a heartbreaking, yet uplifting book. The title is a bit misleading, as the mystery behind the disappearance of 14-year-old Dan Sandler plays second fiddle to its aftermath in the lives of his parents, Joshua and Nathalie. I knew what the resolution to the disappearance would be, but that’s not the point, and the flawless pacing made The Disappearance extremely difficult to put down. The suspense is relentless, fueled by dips into the past that begin to shed frustrating shafts of light on a mystery that at first is in absolute darkness. No one saw anything the day that Dan disappeared. There is no physical evidence of any kind. Over weeks and months, as hope fades and Nathalie and Joshua fall apart both separately and as a family, pinpoints of light reveal murky connections and slim clues. I’m normally resigned to reading in fits and starts, but I desperately wanted to shut myself in my room and read this book in one go. I stayed up far too late to find out if Joshua and Nathalie would find closure, or at the very least, a way to move on.

The Sandlers are newcomers to their summer home of The Hollow, a hamlet outside the little town of Smithfield, Massachusetts. When they return to their real lives in New York after the disappearance, Joshua throws himself into work while maintaining a grueling schedule of investigation in The Hollow: calling the police chief twice a day, spending his weekends interrogating neighbors. Nathalie’s cello sits untouched as she plunges into depression. Their opposing responses to uncertainty and grief push them further and further apart. The struggle of parents following a child’s death or disappearance is a story that’s been told a thousand times, but Sigel’s portrayal is fresh and realistic, and Nathalie and Josh are shown so clearly that their agony is almost unbearable. It is a credit to Sigel that I, too, held out hope for a happy ending to Dan’s disappearance.

The small town is drawn beautifully. The police chief, Sammons, is not the usual bumbling hick portrayed in small-town law enforcement. He is thorough and determined, and most importantly, he cares deeply and never gives up on finding answers for the Sandlers. Information about the townspeople is dribbled out in a realistic, non-intrusive fashion. Coupled with Sigel’s gift for description, this makes for a richly nuanced image of The Hollow and its inhabitants.

In The Disappearance, Efrem Sigel has crafted a haunting, beautiful novel of tragedy’s aftermath, with deeply human characters and a satisfying resolution.

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Feb 18, 2009

Clark Isaacs rated it

· review of another edition

The Disappearance by Efrem Sigel is a gripping novel about a search for truth and what is behind the mysterious disappearance of Dan Sandler. Sigel presents a powerful main character, Joshua Sandler, who relentlessly pursues what happened to his son. Efrem Sigel is an award winning author who wrote The Kermanshah Transfer and five books of non-fiction.

Joshua, Nathalie, and Dan Sandler seemed to have the idyllic life. Joshua a busy New York businessman and his wife a former celli...moreThe Disappearance by Efrem Sigel is a gripping novel about a search for truth and what is behind the mysterious disappearance of Dan Sandler. Sigel presents a powerful main character, Joshua Sandler, who relentlessly pursues what happened to his son. Efrem Sigel is an award winning author who wrote The Kermanshah Transfer and five books of non-fiction.

Joshua, Nathalie, and Dan Sandler seemed to have the idyllic life. Joshua a busy New York businessman and his wife a former cellist had retreated to their summer home called The Hollow. This is a small town in western Massachusetts with a population of 160 people.

Dan, the Sandler’s only child, suddenly disappears from their home on a warm summer August day. Over the next year, events that follow are haunting and portray many hidden secrets in this unique town.

Incessantly driven, Joshua and Chief Sammons interrogate townspeople, but very few clues are developed. Many intriguing characters try to help, but no one has seen a thing. Dan’s so-called friends appear to have solid excuses for the day that he was last seen and these troubled teens have a way of hiding the truth.

The story moves quickly as interrogation and search continue. Uncertainty becomes more focused than what may have really happened. The gravity of emotional grief becomes unbearable for the parents resulting in the unraveling of their marriage.

Some missteps occur. An interesting dark-haired woman complicates Joshua’s life with her secrets and is drawn into his search. A mean-spirited town leader also has something to hide and holds a vicious campaign against a newly planned resort for the community. Joshua wonders if the resort is somehow related to his missing son. Now, the plot gets cloudy. An overlooked clue eventually helps in the resolution of this mystery.

Sigel beautifully depicts the inhabitants of The Hollow with realism and weaves a powerful story about a family’s struggle for their missing child. Joshua and Nathalie’s marriage is challenged by the ongoing investigation.

A highly charged book that will keep you guessing as the story unfolds to its conclusion while displaying an unrelenting love by a father for his son. A great read and highly recommended.
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Apr 25, 2009

Jennifer rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, mystery, marriage, grief

Basic Overview
The Disappearance is about every parent's worst nightmare -- the unexplained disappearance of a child. The Sandler family is a happy, affluent family spending the summer in the small Massachusetts town of Smithfield. The two parents -- Joshua and Nathalie -- dote on their 14-year-old son Daniel. Nathalie thrives as a cellist for the New York Philharmonic. Joshua has taken over the family business and made it successful -- enough so that he is able to invest in a new resort be...moreBasic Overview
The Disappearance is about every parent's worst nightmare -- the unexplained disappearance of a child. The Sandler family is a happy, affluent family spending the summer in the small Massachusetts town of Smithfield. The two parents -- Joshua and Nathalie -- dote on their 14-year-old son Daniel. Nathalie thrives as a cellist for the New York Philharmonic. Joshua has taken over the family business and made it successful -- enough so that he is able to invest in a new resort being built near Smithfield. And Daniel is a parent's dream -- smart, athletic, personable. Although Daniel and Joshua have begun to butt heads as Daniel begins to establish himself as his own man, the family is essential happy and loving. So, one ordinary afternoon, when Joshua and Nathalie run a mundane errand into town and leave Daniel behind, they have no reason to think twice about it. But when they return, Daniel is gone. With no real reason to worry, they believe he has gone out with his friends or for a walk. But as the hours pass and Daniel doesn't show up, Joshua and Nathalie begin to worry. They begin calling Dan's friends, checking with neighbors and searching their small town. But Daniel doesn't come home, and Joshua and Nathalie become increasingly concerned and frantic. They call the police, and the search for Daniel begins in earnest. Days pass and no trace of Daniel is found. Joshua -- increasingly frustrated by the police's failure to find his son -- takes matters into his own hands and begins conducting his own investigation. He is unable to sit still knowing that Daniel might be out there somewhere. And as days turn to weeks and weeks into months, Joshua becomes obsessed with finding answers. He is always in motion, always looking for new avenues to explore. By contrast, Nathalie shuts down -- barely able to take care of herself. Her beloved cello sits neglected. She drops out of life. The strain on their marriage takes a toll. And, then, the mystery of what happened to Daniel is solved -- but is it too late for Joshua and Nathalie?

My Thoughts
When I first started this book, I thought I was getting a standard-issue whodunit: "A boy goes missing. What happened to him?" But I found so much more. The mystery of what happened to Daniel is really almost secondary to the primary story -- which is how Daniel's disappearance affects Joshua, Nathalie and their marriage. In fact, the mechanics of solving the mystery of what happened to Daniel were the least satisfying aspects of the book. Of course you want to know what happened, but I felt the driving force of the book is not solving this mystery. Instead, the book is a well-written character study of Joshua and Nathalie and how Daniel's disappearance affects them.

I've always read that the death or disappearance of a child usually affects each parent differently -- to the point where marriages are often destroyed rather than cemented by a common grief. Joshua's need to take action contrasts strongly with Nathalie's withdrawal from the world. Their marriage suffers, and the mystery of whether they would be able to find each other again was as compelling to me as finding out what happened to Daniel. This was a well-written character study of how grief and tragedy affect people differently and how such a traumatic event can affect even the strongest marriage.

I think it is also worth mentioning that the town of Smithfield is a bit of a character of its own. It is an effective setting for this book, and it provided Sigel with the opportunity to have Joshua do a bit of his own detective work without that seeming unrealistic. Also, I liked how the author wrote about Nathalie and her love for her music. It made me wonder if he was a bit of a musician himself.

Finally, it goes without saying that a book like this makes you think about your own reactions if something like this happened to your own child. I never want to go through what this family did, and I don't know if I would react more like Joshua or Nathalie. I hope I never find out.

Final Thoughts
The Disappearance was a well-written character study of parents dealing with the disappearance of a child. Although the mystery of the disappearance is a major part of the book, the book is more of an examination into a marriage and two good parents dealing with a terrible tragedy. I found the ending to be satisfying. However, if you are looking for a riveting "whodunit" type of mystery, I don't think this book would satisfy you.
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Aug 16, 2010

Andrea rated it

· review of another edition

JOSH, NATALIE AND THEIR SON DANIEL LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY - BUT KEEP A SUMMER HOME NEAR THE BERKSHIRES IN MASSACHUSETTS. THEY ARE THERE WHEN DAN, THEIR 14 YEAR OLD SON FAILS TO SHOW UP FOR DINNER.

THE DISAPPEARANCE FOLLOWINGS JOSH AND HIS MANIA TO QUESTION EVERYONE IN THEIR TOWN ABOUT HIS SON. HE ALSO HAS AN AFFAIR WITH A LOCAL RESTAURANTURE.

NATALIE GOES INTO A SORT OF COOMA - SHE IS A CELLIST WITH THE NEW YORK SYMPHONIE AND WILL NOT EVEN PRACTICE. SHE SELDOM SPEAKS OR...more

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Feb 26, 2009

mari rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, mystery

Joshua and Natalie Sandler come home one day to find their 14 year old son, Dan, gone. The police, their community and friends have no idea what has happened to him-dead or alive, kidnapped or a runaway-there are no answers. The book focuses on how Dan's parents deal with this terrible situation.

How would you deal with it? Would you ever give up your search for answers? Would you completely shut down and forget all about the other people and things you love in your life? What hap...more

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Mar 22, 2009

Robyn rated it

· review of another edition

*Disclaimer: The author of this book is the husband of one of my Mom's dear college friends. That fact has no bearing on my review (although it was the impetus for me picking up the book in the first place).

The Disappearance is different from the average 'missing kid' book (of which I've read a lot in my time). While many books focus on the child's aspect of things, Sigel's book takes you into the lives of 2 grieving parents who are trying to figure out how to live life when their ...more

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May 03, 2009

Jennifer rated it

· review of another edition

This is another story of a family continuing on after the strange disappearance of their 14 year old son. I didn't mind the grim material. I didn't mind the vaguely scooby doo-ish moments. But I did mind how SLOW this book was. I felt like I could have skipped 100 pages in the middle without missing any plot points.

To the book's credit, there were some lovely scenes, and the author did a great job tapping into the emotions of the grieving mother. But still, getting through this one ...more

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Apr 18, 2011

Jan rated it

· review of another edition

I thought this book was just a low OK -- slow moving - not really suspenseful even though it was billed that way -- I think the problem was that you never met the 14 year old that disappeared so there was no build up to feeling sorry for his plight -- I took this book (2 stars) and Fate Will Find Their Way by Hannah Pittard (no stars) on vacation so I was stuck reading one very mediocre book and one awful one -- not the type of books I like to enjoy on vacation.

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Jan 28, 2009

Permanent Press added it · review of another edition

"The Disappearance is a gripping, suspenseful and lyrically moving novel about the ultimate domestic nightmare: the vanishing of one’s child.Sigel knows how to sustain tension but more so, how to get inside the heads and hearts of good people overwhelmed by catastrophe. The Disappearance is, finally, a love story, all the more powerful for its complex exploration of how human beings can endure the savage pain of loss." -The Independent

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Oct 03, 2009

Grace rated it

· review of another edition

The story of a marriage trying to survive the disappearance of their 14-year old only child, a son. Over the next year, Joshua Sandler spends most of his time searching for their son while his wife Nathalie withdraws into herself. There is a resolution in the end, but it seems very repetitive getting there.

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Feb 24, 2009

Alissa rated it

· review of another edition

Writing is good. Description of how distraught parents would be at the disappearance of their child was good. Didn't like the interactions with the teenagers. Boring. And was disappointed that the child was dead, and that was that.

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Jun 15, 2009

Jamie rated it

· review of another edition

It's well-written and compelling, but it's also depressing and sloooow! I don't mind some serious subject matter (14 year-old boy goes missing) but the middle 100 pages I could've done without.

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Apr 21, 2009

Laurie rated it

· review of another edition

Well-written book, and I feel bad about not rating it higher, but it's such a depressing plot (child disappears; the parents' marriage suffers, etc.) that I can't recommend it as escape reading.

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Jan 02, 2012

Barbara rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

Efrem Sigel has skillfully crafted this novel recounting the disappearance of a fourteen year old boy. The anguish and frustrations of his parents are clearly and sensitively spelled out to the conclusion. He has also created an aura of suspense, even while focusing on the progression of the investigation. The landscape and weather of the Western Massachusetts town are vividly and beautifully portrayed.

Sigel displays both sensitivity and complexity with his spare, yet v...more

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May 08, 2009

Carol rated it

· review of another edition

This was a disturbing yet compelling novel. What would you do if your teenage son disappeared and how far would you go to find out the truth?

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Apr 11, 2009

Linda rated it

· review of another edition

What would happen to your family if everything you held sacred, your husband, your child, your professional life, your safe haven was torn apart? How long and how hard would you fight to get it back? The Disappearance asks just these questions and more.

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Feb 23, 2009

Wisteria added it · review of another edition

2009-Winter,contemporary fiction,mystery,relationships,grief,marital relationships

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Jul 01, 2009

Lee rated it

· review of another edition

Probably a pretty good window into the world of a couple whose only child turns up missing - the frustration, fear, anxiety, emotion, and irritation with those around them who cannot possibly understand what they're going through.

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Feb 13, 2009

Holly rated it

· review of another edition

Full review at: http://hollybooknotes.blogspot.com/2009/...

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Mar 23, 2010

Linda rated it

· review of another edition

Excellent story. Slow to get into, but very entertaining.

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Mar 22, 2009

Susan rated it

· review of another edition

Pretty good book. A quick read for me. I couldn't put it down.

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Mar 15, 2009

Kay marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: cyber-gifts

Cyber gift - Birthday 2009 - Corinna

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Apr 05, 2009

Janet rated it

· review of another edition

I couldn't bear to get into this one altho it got good reviews. It was written by the husband of one of our ex-trustees and from the beginning I felt like somehow I was peaking into their private lives, because, as they say, write what you know. Ewww, I just couldn't stomach it.

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Jul 27, 2009

Sherri rated it

· review of another edition

Another 3.5. The book was intriguing - waiting to find out what happened to a boy who disappears and the family that is searching for him. On the other hand, there were a few loose ends at the end - portions of plot that seemed to fall by the wayside. A good read overall.

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Mar 16, 2009

Ann rated it

· review of another edition

Here is a link to my book review for Internet Book Review.

http://internetreviewofbooks.com/mar09/t...

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Nov 30, 2010

Emily rated it

· review of another edition

excellent book. amazing description of places and people. highly rec.

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Jul 05, 2009

Susan rated it

· review of another edition

bound galley-arc

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Dec 17, 2011

Vicki marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: to-get, cyber-gifts

Dec 08, 2011

Kirsten marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Dec 06, 2011

Larry marked it as to-read · review of another edition

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