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The Vanishing of Katherine Sullivan
When Matthew Sullivan's elderly uncle is told he needs to clean his property or lose it, Matt begrudgingly begins to help the hoarder start organizing his home. As he cleans, he discovers references to a grandmother the family never discusses. His curiosity piqued, Matt asks his uncle what happened to her and receives stubborn silence.
Confused and curious, Matt begins to dig into his family's history. As he scrapes the surface he receives a phone call from an estranged family member who is running for President of the United States and is told to stop immediately. The call only galvanizes his need to discover what really happened to his grandmother, Katherine Sullivan.
Matt's investigation leads him to a small town in West Virginia, deep in the mighty Allegheny mountains, where he begins to uncover the terrifying truth of what really happened on that fateful day in 1948.
Confused and curious, Matt begins to dig into his family's history. As he scrapes the surface he receives a phone call from an estranged family member who is running for President of the United States and is told to stop immediately. The call only galvanizes his need to discover what really happened to his grandmother, Katherine Sullivan.
Matt's investigation leads him to a small town in West Virginia, deep in the mighty Allegheny mountains, where he begins to uncover the terrifying truth of what really happened on that fateful day in 1948.
300 pages, Paperback
First published January 19, 2015
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413 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 14, 2015
Matt Sullivan received a shock when his Uncle Lucas was placed in a hospital with heart problems. At the same time, Matt was handed a letter stating his uncle’s property had to be cleaned up in two weeks or else. As a by-product of the Great Depression, Uncle Lucas horded everything. Matt faced down his uncle and got clearance to begin cleaning up the home under one condition. He was not to touch the dining room or den. Matt agreed and with the help of his brother Samuel and nephew Stephen, they began to tackle the disaster.
Curious, Matt went into the dining room to find out what was so important to his Uncle Lucas. In there, he found old newspapers with names underlined and circled. He also came across a box of old letters from his grandmother and grandfather. After making a point to his nephew and sister about their hoarding tendencies, Matt decided to venture into the attic of his home, which used to belong to his parents, now deceased. Up there, he found all of his father’s treasures. In looking around, he found a notebook with the same names his uncle had been so interested in. He also came across an old family Bible that smelled of smoke. Inside, he found the names of his grandparents and their children. His grandfather, Samuel, had the year of his death recorded, but nothing for his grandmother. Realizing he knew nothing about his family, Matt decided to dig into his family’s past and find out what happened to his grandmother Katherine. With absolutely no help or encouragement from his Uncle Lucas or Uncle Henry, who was running for President of the United States, he set out to find the truth.
Following clues, he ended up in a small town in West Virginia, where he found nothing but hostility and closed mouths. His only help was the feisty librarian and school teacher, Selma Greeley. Only a death bed confession gave him any insight into the plight of his grandmother. Determined to follow it through to the end, Matt faces terrible trials and dead ends to bring closure for his uncles and himself.
Christina wrote a truly touching story about a young woman who lived in the hills of West Virginia and married a city man to escape her family. Matt’s search for her is long and intense and shows great devotion to family and a history he had no idea even existed. This story is heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once. I’m not even sure I can begin to convey how much this book touched me. She shared a beautiful picture of the life of this amazing woman and a small town who did nothing but belittle her and her family. She did an amazing job weaving the search Matt was doing in present times with glimpses of the past.
While there were a few errors in the editing, that shouldn’t be a hindrance. Her story is a powerful one and definitely worth a read.
Curious, Matt went into the dining room to find out what was so important to his Uncle Lucas. In there, he found old newspapers with names underlined and circled. He also came across a box of old letters from his grandmother and grandfather. After making a point to his nephew and sister about their hoarding tendencies, Matt decided to venture into the attic of his home, which used to belong to his parents, now deceased. Up there, he found all of his father’s treasures. In looking around, he found a notebook with the same names his uncle had been so interested in. He also came across an old family Bible that smelled of smoke. Inside, he found the names of his grandparents and their children. His grandfather, Samuel, had the year of his death recorded, but nothing for his grandmother. Realizing he knew nothing about his family, Matt decided to dig into his family’s past and find out what happened to his grandmother Katherine. With absolutely no help or encouragement from his Uncle Lucas or Uncle Henry, who was running for President of the United States, he set out to find the truth.
Following clues, he ended up in a small town in West Virginia, where he found nothing but hostility and closed mouths. His only help was the feisty librarian and school teacher, Selma Greeley. Only a death bed confession gave him any insight into the plight of his grandmother. Determined to follow it through to the end, Matt faces terrible trials and dead ends to bring closure for his uncles and himself.
Christina wrote a truly touching story about a young woman who lived in the hills of West Virginia and married a city man to escape her family. Matt’s search for her is long and intense and shows great devotion to family and a history he had no idea even existed. This story is heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once. I’m not even sure I can begin to convey how much this book touched me. She shared a beautiful picture of the life of this amazing woman and a small town who did nothing but belittle her and her family. She did an amazing job weaving the search Matt was doing in present times with glimpses of the past.
While there were a few errors in the editing, that shouldn’t be a hindrance. Her story is a powerful one and definitely worth a read.
January 29, 2015
Great story, very intriguing
The story kept me on the edge and kept my interest about what might happen next. When I got half ways into it I couldn't put down and had to finish it. Great story.
The story kept me on the edge and kept my interest about what might happen next. When I got half ways into it I couldn't put down and had to finish it. Great story.
December 3, 2015
I really enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down. It exceeded my expectations and I look forward to more by this author.
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May 6, 2021Such a great story! I loved so much about this book: the pace, the characters, the imagery, and most of all, the story. Excellent read. It was the perfect addition to my relaxing weekend.
October 15, 2025
What an incredible story! I loved how the plot weaves between past and present, keeping me guessing until the shocking reveal. Matt’s determination to uncover his family’s hidden past felt raw and real. The small-town atmosphere in West Virginia was hauntingly vivid, you can almost feel the tension in the air. This is one of those books that stays with you long after the last page.
March 11, 2015
You will not find a synopsis or a spoiler ending in the following, just my simple observations of Christina Weaver's debut novel.
As a character driven reader, The Vanishing of Katherine Sullivan, was an entertaining read. There was good conflict: a little mystery, action, and subtle romance. But the highlight for me was the diverse characters. Great use of slang and dialect within the dialogue enhanced the realistic characters and their interactions displayed individual personality and temperaments.
This plot is well developed and I enjoyed the way Ms. Weaver displayed the past with the present (chapter placement) in the ultimate unfolding and understanding of the overall Sullivan history.
The reason my rating choice isn't higher, outside of the multiple typos and missing or additional wording, is the repetitive introduction of Uncle Henry's management of Uncle Lucas' investments revealed in dialogue; as if the author forgot the scene had already been written. My first thought was that my Kindle had somehow taken me backwards in the story. And... a plot hole in the solution, alas, NO ending spoilers.
Early on in the novel, poor formatting in type-size caused some interruption in the reading flow, as it did not appear to have a purpose within the plot. These old eyes do not adjust well from small to tiny... this I did not perceive as an author error, but is frustrating and DOES affect the enjoyment of the reader. (Update: it is my understanding the publisher has now corrected the formatting.)
I am looking forward to more creative novels from this new author.
As a character driven reader, The Vanishing of Katherine Sullivan, was an entertaining read. There was good conflict: a little mystery, action, and subtle romance. But the highlight for me was the diverse characters. Great use of slang and dialect within the dialogue enhanced the realistic characters and their interactions displayed individual personality and temperaments.
This plot is well developed and I enjoyed the way Ms. Weaver displayed the past with the present (chapter placement) in the ultimate unfolding and understanding of the overall Sullivan history.
The reason my rating choice isn't higher, outside of the multiple typos and missing or additional wording, is the repetitive introduction of Uncle Henry's management of Uncle Lucas' investments revealed in dialogue; as if the author forgot the scene had already been written. My first thought was that my Kindle had somehow taken me backwards in the story. And... a plot hole in the solution, alas, NO ending spoilers.
Early on in the novel, poor formatting in type-size caused some interruption in the reading flow, as it did not appear to have a purpose within the plot. These old eyes do not adjust well from small to tiny... this I did not perceive as an author error, but is frustrating and DOES affect the enjoyment of the reader. (Update: it is my understanding the publisher has now corrected the formatting.)
I am looking forward to more creative novels from this new author.
July 5, 2015
I enjoyed the lapses back into Katherine's view point. The characters were well developed, and the plot line was not only interesting, it was new. I haven't read a book like it. For a first publishing, I think this book was a fantastic start and I look forward to seeing more from this author!
March 2, 2015
Great story
This book keeps your interest, fast moving, great plot and loved the ending. Can't wait for the next book by this author.
This book keeps your interest, fast moving, great plot and loved the ending. Can't wait for the next book by this author.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews