This book has a very interesting premise. A million people vanish off the earth in what is deemed a "Rapture like" event. The world is torn. Christians decide it couldn't have been the true Rapture because all sorts of people disappeared, not just God fearing Christian types. This book takes place three years after the event when people are trying to return to their normal lives. "The Leftovers" primarily highlights a family of four; however, there are other characters who are also explored in detail. In "The Leftovers," Perrotta comments on our collective ability to forget tragedies, and continue to play on our adult softball leagues, get our eyebrows waxed, and choose produce at the grocery store.
I found that I cared about these characters, and I enjoyed thinking about the implications of such an event. Also, I think the book makes a relevant point about how we so easily forget the tragedies of our human existence. The theme of loss, in general,is sensitively portrayed.
The ending is a killer, though. I would have liked to have learned more about what happens to these characters.