So Far Away is the story of three women (well, technically, two women and a teenage girl). Kathleen works at the Archives and is missing her only child, Susannah, who ran away years ago. Natalie is dealing with cyberbullying (victim, not perpetrator) and is looking into her ancestry. The third, Bridget, was a servant in the 1920s. Natalie finds her journal and brings it to Kathleen. So...what connects these three people?

I wanted to read this book because now anything that contains a journal will always make me think of Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. That is a double-edged sword because it will make me want to read the book and it will ensure that I will be disappointed.

Still, although this book is not Revolution, it is still incredibly interesting. I loved Natalie and also liked Kathleen instantly. (Generally if there are multiple points of view, I tend to prefer one immediately, even though I usually grow to like the other one, too. In this case, I loved Natalie and Kathleen immediately. The diary entries by Bridget are also incredibly interesting.)

I tend to love stories about women (and/or teen girls) and I think that's because (as this novel shows) our problems are timeless. While yes, cyberbullying is a new phenomenon, we all struggle with where to fit in and peer pressure and similar concerns. It doesn't matter what "class" you are or when you're living, the problems your grandparents, parents and siblings had are likely the same problems you have and probably the same problems your kids will have.

That's depressing but it's also kind of comforting because you'll get past it just as they did and just as your kids will.

This was such a fun book (even though the review took a bit of a serious turn) and I think it'd be a great book club book. There are a lot of possible discussions.