This is such a beautifully written and compelling story. I really enjoyed it and I found it difficult when I had to put the book down and do something else.

I loved that I didn’t know how it would end, and I won’t ruin it for those of you who haven’t read it, but the book was suspenseful and emotionally moving from beginning to end.

I live in San Francisco and it is the main setting for the book and, unlike many books that supposedly take place in the city, the author got just about everything right here: the many neighborhoods and so many specific locations in each of them. So, that was great fun for me, and softened some of the painful feelings that came up for me because of the subject of the book.

This is a novel told first person by the fiancé and soon to be stepmother of a child who goes missing. I loved Abby’s voice and the story was so riveting. I cared about Abby, Emma, Jake, and several other characters in the book; even some of the peripheral characters are shown in some depth.

What I especially enjoyed was how information about photography and memory are interspersed with the story. The author either has much knowledge or did a lot of research about these subjects, and she writes very poetically about them. As someone who knows virtually nothing about photography, I learned quite a bit. There are quotes from books about memory and the contents were so fascinating that I put one of those books on my to-read list. Having the book go back and forth in time between Abby’s present and past also added immeasurably to the story.

I am eager to read all the other books by this author. My only regret is that this book would have been a good choice for my book club and I wish that I had waited, nominated it for one of our books, and read it with my book group. (Vegan Book Club members: I wouldn’t mind reading it again for one of our discussions. Or, you all might enjoy this one on your own.)