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The Act of Disappearing
"Hauntingly beautiful.”
—Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue
“A thrilling story, remarkably told.”
—Lara Prescott, New York Times bestselling author of The Secrets We Kept
Julia White is struggling: her bartending job isn’t cutting it and her first book has sold hardly any copies. She’s broke, barely able to make ends meet while drowning in her late mother’s medical bills and reeling after a one-night stand with her ex-boyfriend, who’s now completely ghosted her. Enter Johnathan Aster, world-renowned photographer, with a proposal: he has a never-before-seen photograph of a woman falling from a train bridge, clutching what appears to be a baby. And he wants Julia to research the story.
Alternating between present-day Brooklyn and Kentucky as it enters the 1960s, the story unfolds as Julia races to find answers: Who was the woman in the photograph? Why was she on the bridge? And what happened to the baby? Each detail is more propulsive than the last as Julia unravels the mystery surrounding the Fairchilds of Gray Station and discovers a story more staggering than anything she could have imagined.
—Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue
“A thrilling story, remarkably told.”
—Lara Prescott, New York Times bestselling author of The Secrets We Kept
Julia White is struggling: her bartending job isn’t cutting it and her first book has sold hardly any copies. She’s broke, barely able to make ends meet while drowning in her late mother’s medical bills and reeling after a one-night stand with her ex-boyfriend, who’s now completely ghosted her. Enter Johnathan Aster, world-renowned photographer, with a proposal: he has a never-before-seen photograph of a woman falling from a train bridge, clutching what appears to be a baby. And he wants Julia to research the story.
Alternating between present-day Brooklyn and Kentucky as it enters the 1960s, the story unfolds as Julia races to find answers: Who was the woman in the photograph? Why was she on the bridge? And what happened to the baby? Each detail is more propulsive than the last as Julia unravels the mystery surrounding the Fairchilds of Gray Station and discovers a story more staggering than anything she could have imagined.
400 pages, Paperback
First published May 28, 2024
175 people are currently reading
11539 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 441 reviews
November 22, 2023
In that age old tradition of authors reviewing their own books, I’d just like to say—thanks for being here and considering THE ACT OF DISAPPEARING.
This is obviously not an unbiased review, so forgive me. But my whole heart is in this book. The Act of Disappearing is a story about generational legacies, small-town secrets, and found family. It’s a story about the vicissitudes of mental health. It’s a story about how personal tragedy and communal loss are outweighed only by the mercies and forgiveness we give each other—and afford to ourselves. Above all, my hope is you’ll find it to be a riveting page-turner that delivers on its promise to captivate, surprise, and satisfy on many levels.
I’d be ever so grateful for your preorder/order—or if you would kindly request the title from your public library. Thanks for reading. I hope you love the book and will consider writing a review. 🙏💛
This is obviously not an unbiased review, so forgive me. But my whole heart is in this book. The Act of Disappearing is a story about generational legacies, small-town secrets, and found family. It’s a story about the vicissitudes of mental health. It’s a story about how personal tragedy and communal loss are outweighed only by the mercies and forgiveness we give each other—and afford to ourselves. Above all, my hope is you’ll find it to be a riveting page-turner that delivers on its promise to captivate, surprise, and satisfy on many levels.
I’d be ever so grateful for your preorder/order—or if you would kindly request the title from your public library. Thanks for reading. I hope you love the book and will consider writing a review. 🙏💛
December 16, 2024
Outlier alert! I don’t mind a slow burn mystery, but this was painfully slow and repetitive, especially the modern timeline. I persevered holding out for some surprising twists, but all three reveals I had figured out early. In fact the plot was straight out of an episode of one of my favourite TV shows. Not saying this author has seen it, and I know there’s only a certain amount of mystery plots and that there’s bound to be similarities. Also, I think this novel could’ve benefited from being 100 pages shorter, as some of the subplots were drawn out and had little to do with the mystery. It was a miss for me I’m afraid.
May 27, 2024
BOOK OF THE YEAR CONTENDER!
This book was incredible, and honestly, Fiona Davis said it best, the book was “hauntingly beautiful.” A combination of historical fiction and suspense had me hooked! The flashbacks learning about what was happening in real time, to the current timeline of trying to figure out what happened, was such a unique way to tell this story. It was dark, heartbreaking and beautiful and I will be thinking about this book for a long long time.
This book was incredible, and honestly, Fiona Davis said it best, the book was “hauntingly beautiful.” A combination of historical fiction and suspense had me hooked! The flashbacks learning about what was happening in real time, to the current timeline of trying to figure out what happened, was such a unique way to tell this story. It was dark, heartbreaking and beautiful and I will be thinking about this book for a long long time.
June 9, 2024
✰ 3.5 stars ✰
“The story will be real and imagined, history and myth. But I suppose that’s what all writers do. We don’t tell the facts; we tell the truth.”
It's the premise behind the idea of Nathan Gower's debut novel The Act of Disappearing that piqued my own insatiable curiosity for a compelling and satisfying mystery. It's said, 'A picture is worth a thousand words', and for struggling twenty-eight-year-old Julia White, that could not be further than the truth, when she's approached by world-renowned photographer, Jonathan Aster to investigate the story behind a never-before-seen photograph offering a hefty sum in money as compensation, as well as the unsuspecting connection of a truth she may not have been expected. And with Julia's own prospects looking particularly bleak - no clear job offer after a lucrative first book launch, significantly broke while tending bars to pay off her late mother's looming medical bills, and now grappling with the possibility of an unwanted, if not ill-timed pregnancy, she finds no reason really holding her back from delving deeper into the truths behind the startling image. It is one that foreshadows death in its wake, but also one that will open up doors to her own self that she wasn't quite prepared for, but will undoubtedly teach her a little bit more about herself to the person she can become. 😟
“For nearly two months, my mind has been a demolition derby of memory and anxiety and shame and denial: webs of inextricable grief tugging and pulling inside me until everything I feel is inseparable.
But right now, at least for this moment, none of that matters. I have a job to do. I have a story to tell.”
I'm pleasantly surprised at how easily I disappeared into the story - sorry, couldn't help myself - for there is truly nothing too humorous about the premise, itself. Described as 'hauntingly beautiful', I wouldn't exactly say so, but there was a certain ethereal feeling to it - one that was prevalent, especially in the past scenes that alluded to this lingering shadow of not only unpleasantness, but sadness that evaded into those who were a part of the photographs' history. 😥 The dual timelines shifts between Julia's investigative efforts in present day as she hones in on the truth behind the photograph, and various viewpoints of those in the past, associated with the woman hurtling to her death. While there was an imbalance in the division of the distinctive perspectives, surprisingly, it did not bother me too much, as it was necessary for a certain character's personality to be dwelled upon further - in order for the story to propel in the inevitable direction it was heading towards. 😔
“And I can’t explain it, but I’m beginning to believe I’m right on the edge of something— circling some key that will unlock the rest of the story, some clue that I’ve already discovered but haven’t figured out.”
Julia was a strong-willed girl - one whose values and morals were in the right place, thus, making her a character you would feel drawn towards. As much as it pained me how evasive Aster was in regards to certain reveals around the photograph and his lack of interference - 'the story must find itself. It’s truly the only way' - I enjoyed embarking on her search for the truth with her. 👍🏻 Not so much her naivete, but her innocence and non-involvement to the characters made her an easy person to navigate around; one where you can see her drive and commitment to being as in-depth as possible a convincing one. Despite the few hurdles she stumbled into, her emotional state upon some of the reveals hit me just as strongly, too. And to steadily watch her progress grow as a person - how she grew stronger and more assured of her own self-worth by reflecting on the memories and actions of the lives she was slowly becoming a part of - it was touched upon in a believable way that made me feel that she did genuinely care about it. That it wasn't merely now for a paycheck that she wanted to know what truly happened, but a chance to bring justice and peace to those who maybe never moved on from that moment forever frozen in time. 😢
“Some magic is just smoke and mirrors—nothing more than illusion, but every once in a while you see something truly magical—something that turns you inside out, some beautiful thing that reminds you: this cruel and lonely life is worth living.”
The story behind the photograph, itself - is a complicated one. ❤️🩹❤️🩹 The narrative of the 60s in closed-off Kentucky explores the complex dynamic of family and friendship, motherhood and yearning; mental health and the struggles that exist within a closed-off community that feels indebted to behave in certain ways - simply because of how society expects them to be. It depicts how humans are pushed to act upon their own hidden desires in ways that question their own morals and values and the sacrifices and decisions one makes to protect those that they love. 'It was in these moments when she best understood her mother, how the loneliness could creep in on you, how hard it was to simply exist in the dark.' 🥺 It is that incessant pull and need to do what is right, no matter how much it hurts, and how one bad act can have everything unravel in the most alarming and uncontrollable of ways that you can't do anything but watch it collapse - 'a heart can only swell so much before it bursts.' There is a fighting desperation haunting the past - one stricken to cover up the truth for as long as they, while also aching for the truth to be told, so that ghosts trapped in a photograph can be put at ease, as well as those in real life who are forever stilled in an unforgettable part of their pasts they have to move on from. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
“He deserves to know the truth. But how is such a thing to be said? How do you change a person’s entire history and then just walk away?”
And it kept me invested; granted, I didn't like that some clues were so easily shed light upon, but I understand why the author had to have them so blatantly spelled out the way that he did, otherwise one might say that they came out of nowhere. Although, you do have to be paying attention, otherwise - blink and you'll miss it. 🧐 But, the characters were well-fleshed out; created with their own distinctive voices and characteristics that made you empathize with each of their situations, and wonder how things could ever be resolved fittingly enough that things could work out well in the end. Perhaps, it was wrong to assume that it could - for if they had, why would Julia feel the need to find out the answers to the burning questions tied to the mysterious person in the photograph in a fitful act of disappearing from the past. 'You don’t have to know a person to know a person.' It wasn't a perfect read, but it was one that left me feeling both saddened and still pleasantly satisfied with how it ended and has gauged my interest enough that makes me tempted enough to keep an eye for the author's next work. 👏🏻👏🏻
“The story will be real and imagined, history and myth. But I suppose that’s what all writers do. We don’t tell the facts; we tell the truth.”
It's the premise behind the idea of Nathan Gower's debut novel The Act of Disappearing that piqued my own insatiable curiosity for a compelling and satisfying mystery. It's said, 'A picture is worth a thousand words', and for struggling twenty-eight-year-old Julia White, that could not be further than the truth, when she's approached by world-renowned photographer, Jonathan Aster to investigate the story behind a never-before-seen photograph offering a hefty sum in money as compensation, as well as the unsuspecting connection of a truth she may not have been expected. And with Julia's own prospects looking particularly bleak - no clear job offer after a lucrative first book launch, significantly broke while tending bars to pay off her late mother's looming medical bills, and now grappling with the possibility of an unwanted, if not ill-timed pregnancy, she finds no reason really holding her back from delving deeper into the truths behind the startling image. It is one that foreshadows death in its wake, but also one that will open up doors to her own self that she wasn't quite prepared for, but will undoubtedly teach her a little bit more about herself to the person she can become. 😟
“For nearly two months, my mind has been a demolition derby of memory and anxiety and shame and denial: webs of inextricable grief tugging and pulling inside me until everything I feel is inseparable.
But right now, at least for this moment, none of that matters. I have a job to do. I have a story to tell.”
I'm pleasantly surprised at how easily I disappeared into the story - sorry, couldn't help myself - for there is truly nothing too humorous about the premise, itself. Described as 'hauntingly beautiful', I wouldn't exactly say so, but there was a certain ethereal feeling to it - one that was prevalent, especially in the past scenes that alluded to this lingering shadow of not only unpleasantness, but sadness that evaded into those who were a part of the photographs' history. 😥 The dual timelines shifts between Julia's investigative efforts in present day as she hones in on the truth behind the photograph, and various viewpoints of those in the past, associated with the woman hurtling to her death. While there was an imbalance in the division of the distinctive perspectives, surprisingly, it did not bother me too much, as it was necessary for a certain character's personality to be dwelled upon further - in order for the story to propel in the inevitable direction it was heading towards. 😔
“And I can’t explain it, but I’m beginning to believe I’m right on the edge of something— circling some key that will unlock the rest of the story, some clue that I’ve already discovered but haven’t figured out.”
Julia was a strong-willed girl - one whose values and morals were in the right place, thus, making her a character you would feel drawn towards. As much as it pained me how evasive Aster was in regards to certain reveals around the photograph and his lack of interference - 'the story must find itself. It’s truly the only way' - I enjoyed embarking on her search for the truth with her. 👍🏻 Not so much her naivete, but her innocence and non-involvement to the characters made her an easy person to navigate around; one where you can see her drive and commitment to being as in-depth as possible a convincing one. Despite the few hurdles she stumbled into, her emotional state upon some of the reveals hit me just as strongly, too. And to steadily watch her progress grow as a person - how she grew stronger and more assured of her own self-worth by reflecting on the memories and actions of the lives she was slowly becoming a part of - it was touched upon in a believable way that made me feel that she did genuinely care about it. That it wasn't merely now for a paycheck that she wanted to know what truly happened, but a chance to bring justice and peace to those who maybe never moved on from that moment forever frozen in time. 😢
“Some magic is just smoke and mirrors—nothing more than illusion, but every once in a while you see something truly magical—something that turns you inside out, some beautiful thing that reminds you: this cruel and lonely life is worth living.”
The story behind the photograph, itself - is a complicated one. ❤️🩹❤️🩹 The narrative of the 60s in closed-off Kentucky explores the complex dynamic of family and friendship, motherhood and yearning; mental health and the struggles that exist within a closed-off community that feels indebted to behave in certain ways - simply because of how society expects them to be. It depicts how humans are pushed to act upon their own hidden desires in ways that question their own morals and values and the sacrifices and decisions one makes to protect those that they love. 'It was in these moments when she best understood her mother, how the loneliness could creep in on you, how hard it was to simply exist in the dark.' 🥺 It is that incessant pull and need to do what is right, no matter how much it hurts, and how one bad act can have everything unravel in the most alarming and uncontrollable of ways that you can't do anything but watch it collapse - 'a heart can only swell so much before it bursts.' There is a fighting desperation haunting the past - one stricken to cover up the truth for as long as they, while also aching for the truth to be told, so that ghosts trapped in a photograph can be put at ease, as well as those in real life who are forever stilled in an unforgettable part of their pasts they have to move on from. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
“He deserves to know the truth. But how is such a thing to be said? How do you change a person’s entire history and then just walk away?”
And it kept me invested; granted, I didn't like that some clues were so easily shed light upon, but I understand why the author had to have them so blatantly spelled out the way that he did, otherwise one might say that they came out of nowhere. Although, you do have to be paying attention, otherwise - blink and you'll miss it. 🧐 But, the characters were well-fleshed out; created with their own distinctive voices and characteristics that made you empathize with each of their situations, and wonder how things could ever be resolved fittingly enough that things could work out well in the end. Perhaps, it was wrong to assume that it could - for if they had, why would Julia feel the need to find out the answers to the burning questions tied to the mysterious person in the photograph in a fitful act of disappearing from the past. 'You don’t have to know a person to know a person.' It wasn't a perfect read, but it was one that left me feeling both saddened and still pleasantly satisfied with how it ended and has gauged my interest enough that makes me tempted enough to keep an eye for the author's next work. 👏🏻👏🏻
January 23, 2025
Women’s Mental Health has never been a priority in the US. This is an amazing gripping story of one woman, how she grew up with a mentally unstable mother, and her life and death.
# The Act of Disappearing
# 1/16/2025 ~ 1/18/2025
# 5.0 / 5.0
# The Act of Disappearing
# 1/16/2025 ~ 1/18/2025
# 5.0 / 5.0
March 15, 2024
I used to share all the books I recently read and loved with my grandfather. (He passed away in December 2023). I would love to hand him this book now and wait until we could talk about it, to hear him say, “That was a damn good book.”
May 23, 2024
Incredible book, one of my favorites of the year! It is dark, thrilling, heartbreaking and ultimately heartwarming.
Julia White is a bartender and struggling author. While at work, renowned photographer Johnathan Aster approaches her with a never-before-seen photo from the 1960s of a woman jumping off of a bridge with a baby in her arms. He wants Julia to find out what happened and write a book that tells this mystery woman’s story. From here we follow dual timelines, one detailing the events back in 1960 and the other following Julia’s work to solve the mystery.
One of the most intriguing plot summaries I’ve ever read, and the book completely delivers. I will be thinking about and recommending this book for a long time!
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and The Hive for sending me a physical ARC of this incredible book!
Julia White is a bartender and struggling author. While at work, renowned photographer Johnathan Aster approaches her with a never-before-seen photo from the 1960s of a woman jumping off of a bridge with a baby in her arms. He wants Julia to find out what happened and write a book that tells this mystery woman’s story. From here we follow dual timelines, one detailing the events back in 1960 and the other following Julia’s work to solve the mystery.
One of the most intriguing plot summaries I’ve ever read, and the book completely delivers. I will be thinking about and recommending this book for a long time!
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and The Hive for sending me a physical ARC of this incredible book!
February 24, 2024
Told in alternating timelines this is a story about love and loss and lives that aren't picture perfect. It's a story about motherhood in so many different ways. This is a story about mental health and the all to real affect it has on you and those around you. This is a story about acceptance and heartache. This story is a mystery to unravel. Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read my first book by Nathan Gower.
May 27, 2024
A troubled teen jumps to her death while clinging to her Infant. The act is caught on camera as well as witnessed by many residents in the small rural Kentucky town in 1960. Most believe the girl is insane, as was her mother. Their bodies were never found. This mystery is the bases of the novel.
There is a lot of dark circumstances connected to this tragedy. Mental illness and rape are part of the story. I found the beginning a bit difficult when trying to connect with the characters, but the story improved as I read on. Dual time lines are also part of the book. I was much more invested in the young teens story than in the more recent time line. This is a first time novel for this author, Nathan Gower, and I think he shows a lot of potential in his future novels.
There is a lot of dark circumstances connected to this tragedy. Mental illness and rape are part of the story. I found the beginning a bit difficult when trying to connect with the characters, but the story improved as I read on. Dual time lines are also part of the book. I was much more invested in the young teens story than in the more recent time line. This is a first time novel for this author, Nathan Gower, and I think he shows a lot of potential in his future novels.
June 16, 2024
This book was fantastic!
Five big fat stars for this masterpiece!
I loved this book so much and I am so glad that I chose it to read as my final book of the month.
This book has everything that a book lover will enjoy, starting with the short chapters, the drama, the suspense, heartbreak, twists, what else can I say? Just get yourself a copy and see for yourself!
I loved the characters, the writing style, the plot and everything else about it.
This was perfection
Five big fat stars for this masterpiece!
I loved this book so much and I am so glad that I chose it to read as my final book of the month.
This book has everything that a book lover will enjoy, starting with the short chapters, the drama, the suspense, heartbreak, twists, what else can I say? Just get yourself a copy and see for yourself!
I loved the characters, the writing style, the plot and everything else about it.
This was perfection
February 29, 2024
“The Act of Disappearing” by Nathan Gower was an absolutely brilliant book. This is one of just a few books in my reading life that had me thinking about it even when I wasn’t reading it. It is a story of a young author who is struggling through her life because of the loss of her mother and the failure of her first published novel. She is offered the job of writing a book about a haunting photograph of a woman jumping off a train trestle bridge holding a baby. As the mystery moves forward we become emotionally attached to the characters and become involved in each of their personal struggles. The themes in this book are powerful and relevant to the societal issues many face today. This beautifully written and compelling story had me tearing up in several places and especially at the end as I didn’t want to close the book! I loved this book and 5 stars are not enough,
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
June 1, 2024
My thoughts on this book..
1.) This is not a thriller which is what I normally read.
2.) I listened to the audiobook and I believe it helped me easily keep up with the timeline and who was who at all times. The audiobook was very well done.
3.) It is what a lot of you would call a slow burn from beginning to end but I never lost interest , never found myself wanting to skip forward. I don’t want to give anything away but it was a very moving story about three woman and a story that needed to be told. It does touch on several sensitive subjects but in a tasteful way. I highly recommend reading .
1.) This is not a thriller which is what I normally read.
2.) I listened to the audiobook and I believe it helped me easily keep up with the timeline and who was who at all times. The audiobook was very well done.
3.) It is what a lot of you would call a slow burn from beginning to end but I never lost interest , never found myself wanting to skip forward. I don’t want to give anything away but it was a very moving story about three woman and a story that needed to be told. It does touch on several sensitive subjects but in a tasteful way. I highly recommend reading .
June 3, 2024
4.25 Once this book got rolling I had to tell my husband to please stop talking and let me read haha, I couldn’t put it down. A mystery of a death occurring years ago is unraveled. Lots of twists and turns. There are some parts and topics that were upsetting. I really liked the way photography as an art form (not evidence) was the basis for the story.
May 24, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
A fantastic debut novel; a must read! It doesn’t get much better than this. I will be taking this story with me for a very long time.
I was hooked from the synopsis and it did not disappoint for a single second!
I have too many emotions and not enough words to perfectly describe how I’m feeling. This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. It’s such a simple story when you boil it down, but it also is so complex, there aren’t enough ways to describe it. I could talk about it for hours. I cannot wait to reread it as much as it will hurt me.
I cried on and off for the last 20 pages of the book, and was full on sobbing by the end of it.
The characters. Oh my the characters. Some I hated, most of them I loved.
I fell so deeply in love with Kathryn. My heart aches so badly for her, and despite everything she went through she had so much love in her heart. She means so much to me, I really don’t think words can describe.
I loved Sammy too so much. I was expecting him to be a stuck up jerk, but he was such a good man like Kathryn thought, and it killed me. I wish he could have had a happier ending, but that’s not how life is. Jack had a special place in my heart too. You really grow to love him extremely. I think that has to do with how much Katheryn loved him.
I loved Julia and Kyle together, which I wasn’t expecting! I honestly could have used more of them, but that’s not the point of the story. Quinn was such a fun character too, I’m glad she was in it as much as she was!
Slight spoilers here so skip this next paragraph if you haven’t read the book: I was surprised that so much of the story was not about Edith, but about Kathryn. Edith was the catalyst, but not the main plot, which I thought she would be. I wish we got more of her because what we got..wow was that a strong woman! The last scene we got of her, chills at the thought of it. She had such a tragic story though, my heart aches for her as well.
I could see where it was leading to, but I don’t even care because it was that good. The payoff was excellent. But there were also so many other things that I didn’t expect that made the story that much more exciting!
The amount of hatred I felt for a character in this book was like no other. I know that was the point, but I felt so much rage every time he spoke or did something. He doesn’t even deserve me to write his name.
You can’t help but wish things didn’t end the way they did as you are reading, especially from how much I fell in love with Kathryn. I didn’t want to believe that she jumped in the end. But it was still such a hopeful story too.
I feel like this would make an incredible movie. Horribly sad, but incredible. As I was reading I could picture everything vividly in front of me like I was these characters.
I will recommend this to anyone and everyone who will listen.
A perfect novel. No notes.
A fantastic debut novel; a must read! It doesn’t get much better than this. I will be taking this story with me for a very long time.
I was hooked from the synopsis and it did not disappoint for a single second!
I have too many emotions and not enough words to perfectly describe how I’m feeling. This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. It’s such a simple story when you boil it down, but it also is so complex, there aren’t enough ways to describe it. I could talk about it for hours. I cannot wait to reread it as much as it will hurt me.
I cried on and off for the last 20 pages of the book, and was full on sobbing by the end of it.
The characters. Oh my the characters. Some I hated, most of them I loved.
I fell so deeply in love with Kathryn. My heart aches so badly for her, and despite everything she went through she had so much love in her heart. She means so much to me, I really don’t think words can describe.
I loved Sammy too so much. I was expecting him to be a stuck up jerk, but he was such a good man like Kathryn thought, and it killed me. I wish he could have had a happier ending, but that’s not how life is. Jack had a special place in my heart too. You really grow to love him extremely. I think that has to do with how much Katheryn loved him.
I loved Julia and Kyle together, which I wasn’t expecting! I honestly could have used more of them, but that’s not the point of the story. Quinn was such a fun character too, I’m glad she was in it as much as she was!
Slight spoilers here so skip this next paragraph if you haven’t read the book: I was surprised that so much of the story was not about Edith, but about Kathryn. Edith was the catalyst, but not the main plot, which I thought she would be. I wish we got more of her because what we got..wow was that a strong woman! The last scene we got of her, chills at the thought of it. She had such a tragic story though, my heart aches for her as well.
I could see where it was leading to, but I don’t even care because it was that good. The payoff was excellent. But there were also so many other things that I didn’t expect that made the story that much more exciting!
The amount of hatred I felt for a character in this book was like no other. I know that was the point, but I felt so much rage every time he spoke or did something. He doesn’t even deserve me to write his name.
You can’t help but wish things didn’t end the way they did as you are reading, especially from how much I fell in love with Kathryn. I didn’t want to believe that she jumped in the end. But it was still such a hopeful story too.
I feel like this would make an incredible movie. Horribly sad, but incredible. As I was reading I could picture everything vividly in front of me like I was these characters.
I will recommend this to anyone and everyone who will listen.
A perfect novel. No notes.
February 4, 2025
4.75⭐️
The Act of Disappearing was absolutely incredible. Dual timelines ranging from Kentucky in 1960 to New York (present day).
Julia is a struggling author who is randomly approached by an older man, John Aster, to consider writing a book that tells the “story” about a photograph. In the photo, a woman is jumping off a Brooklyn bridge while holding her baby.
Julia hesitantly agrees to take on this assignment, and as the story unfolds, she discovers hidden secrets about the main characters at play, and becomes fully immersed in finding out the truth to this decades old story.
This was suspenseful, intriguing, and I loved the balance of family bonds, relationships between couples, and mental illness throughout this book.
I consider this a “must read” if you enjoy historical fiction as well as a solid mystery.
I am going to check out more books by Gower asap! This was beautifully done.
The Act of Disappearing was absolutely incredible. Dual timelines ranging from Kentucky in 1960 to New York (present day).
Julia is a struggling author who is randomly approached by an older man, John Aster, to consider writing a book that tells the “story” about a photograph. In the photo, a woman is jumping off a Brooklyn bridge while holding her baby.
Julia hesitantly agrees to take on this assignment, and as the story unfolds, she discovers hidden secrets about the main characters at play, and becomes fully immersed in finding out the truth to this decades old story.
This was suspenseful, intriguing, and I loved the balance of family bonds, relationships between couples, and mental illness throughout this book.
I consider this a “must read” if you enjoy historical fiction as well as a solid mystery.
I am going to check out more books by Gower asap! This was beautifully done.
September 27, 2024
DNF at 40%.
This was an advanced reader copy I received from NetGalley. I tried to really get thru it but it just wasn’t holding my attention.
This follows a girl who is a writer, and she gets approached by a man asking her to take a photo and make a story about it. So she starts researching about this woman in the photo in order to write a story.
It follows two different time lines, and every time it would switch to the past perspective I just got so bored and didn’t care. There were several moments that I got the major ick listening to some of the descriptions and I just didn’t want to continue anymore.
The present perspective was way more interesting and I was more invested in that character, but it wasn’t enough to carry on.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for my honest review.
This was an advanced reader copy I received from NetGalley. I tried to really get thru it but it just wasn’t holding my attention.
This follows a girl who is a writer, and she gets approached by a man asking her to take a photo and make a story about it. So she starts researching about this woman in the photo in order to write a story.
It follows two different time lines, and every time it would switch to the past perspective I just got so bored and didn’t care. There were several moments that I got the major ick listening to some of the descriptions and I just didn’t want to continue anymore.
The present perspective was way more interesting and I was more invested in that character, but it wasn’t enough to carry on.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for my honest review.
May 23, 2024
The Act of Disappearing by Nathan Gower. Thanks to @mirabooks @htpbooks @htphive for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Julia White is given a photograph and asked to investigate it. All the photo shows is a woman falling from a bridge, clutching what looks to be a child. Julia researches Kentucky in the 1960’s to learn about the woman in the photograph and what drove her to desperation.
This was quite the story and investigation. At times it was slow for me but there was no question of not finishing it. I had to find out what happened to Kathryn. Anyone interested in journalism and finding out the truth of an old and sad story, this is for you. There are dual time lines but the chapters are short and the back and forth merges well.
“It was true: the world had not been kind to Edith Fairchild. The world hates what it doesn’t understand.”
The Act of Disappearing comes out 5/28.
Julia White is given a photograph and asked to investigate it. All the photo shows is a woman falling from a bridge, clutching what looks to be a child. Julia researches Kentucky in the 1960’s to learn about the woman in the photograph and what drove her to desperation.
This was quite the story and investigation. At times it was slow for me but there was no question of not finishing it. I had to find out what happened to Kathryn. Anyone interested in journalism and finding out the truth of an old and sad story, this is for you. There are dual time lines but the chapters are short and the back and forth merges well.
“It was true: the world had not been kind to Edith Fairchild. The world hates what it doesn’t understand.”
The Act of Disappearing comes out 5/28.
September 28, 2024
How deep is a mother’s love? What is she willing to do? How far can she go to protect her child? A young woman’s death and what led to it is unraveled in a, sometimes, torturous manner. Mental illness, its helplessness and hopelessness are suffered by mother and daughter and this has an extraordinary impact on the novel’s trajectory.
January 17, 2025
3.5 star rating
March 7, 2024
This beautifully written novel is perfect for fans of of both literary fiction and mysteries alike.
Spanning dual timelines, the story centers around the mystery of a photograph taken decades ago. Who is the woman jumping from the bridge with a baby bundled in her arms? Why did she jump? Where and when was it taken? These are all questions the main character sets out to answer, and along the way she confronts the questions and struggles of her own life.
As I made my way through the book, I found myself ruminating on themes around womanhood, friendship, identity, community, and what we owe our parents as well as our children. The characters are flawlessly developed and unforgettable. I quickly grew to love this small cast of quirky and three-dimensional people, all of whom were facing their own struggles and demons.
This is a poignant and riveting story that I couldn't put down—I highly recommend it.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy, which was provided to me in exchange for my honest review.
Spanning dual timelines, the story centers around the mystery of a photograph taken decades ago. Who is the woman jumping from the bridge with a baby bundled in her arms? Why did she jump? Where and when was it taken? These are all questions the main character sets out to answer, and along the way she confronts the questions and struggles of her own life.
As I made my way through the book, I found myself ruminating on themes around womanhood, friendship, identity, community, and what we owe our parents as well as our children. The characters are flawlessly developed and unforgettable. I quickly grew to love this small cast of quirky and three-dimensional people, all of whom were facing their own struggles and demons.
This is a poignant and riveting story that I couldn't put down—I highly recommend it.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy, which was provided to me in exchange for my honest review.
March 14, 2024
I loved this book so much. I had a feeling I knew where the story was taking me, and I trusted the writing to bring me there without disappointment. It was a really beautiful experience.
May 31, 2024
Unexpectedly good. I listened to the audiobook, I was hesitant to get it, as it had few reviews. I will admit, as far as mystery/thriller books go, I am a bit hard to please. I was pleasantly surprised. It was slightly predictable but very well written.
December 17, 2025
I absolutely couldn’t put this book down and read it in a day going to bed after it was finished at one in the morning. The book begins with an old man meeting a young woman who has written a book. He met her, shared he liked the book and had a project he wanted her to complete for him. His project was to discover the story behind a picture that was dear to him. It was from the 60s of a young girl jumping off a train bridge with a bundle in her arms.
June 10, 2024
The Act of Disappearing is a poignant story of discovery that highlights the strength of women through multiple generations and generational biases. Told from multiple points of view, in dual timelines, we dive deep into the lives of struggling author Julia White in the present, and the Fairchild family in the past. The characters feel like real people with real-world struggles and the plotting is exquisite with secrets both good and bad gradually unravelled. This is one of my favorite books of 2024.
August 31, 2024
Thank you Harper Collin’s for sending me an ARC for this book. I was so excited to read this and it had such glowing reviews but I could noooooot with this book. I DNFd at 95% because I really did try to make it to the end but why is this so long??? I literally couldn’t do it anymore 😭😭 this is a such a long dragged out mystery book. I didn’t care about what was going on. Nothing that was happening had me on the edge of my seat wondering and questioning what was going on. It just wasn’t for meeeeee
December 11, 2023
This elegantly written story weaves through multiple generations of women, examining what it means to be a woman and a mother, all with a compelling mystery at its center. The Act of Disappearing is an incredible debut, and I cried real tears (always a mark of an excellent book!) as Gower brought this heart-aching story to its beautiful and painful conclusion. Can't wait to see what this author writes next!!
February 9, 2025
4.25 ⭐️
A remarkable debut novel!! Nathan Gower wrote a beautifully melancholic story of discovery in The Act Of Disappearing. This was a poignant tale that highlighted the strength of women through multiple generations and generational biases. In this novel, Julia was asked to research a photograph of a woman falling from a train bridge. She tried to find out who the woman was, why she was on the bridge, and what happened to the baby. As she slowly unfolded the mystery, she discovered a story more staggering than anything she could have imagined. To say the least, I was immersed in this intricately plotted cold-case historical fiction mystery.
I loved how this story took an in depth look into the lives of struggling author Julia White in the present, and the Fairchild family in the past. I found the alternating timelines between the past and present extremely captivating and beautifully depicted. The ornate storylines were woven together seamlessly and formed a deeply moving work of historical fiction. This was not only a tale of sadness but also a plaintive exploration of resilience and hope.
As depressing as The Act of Disappearing sounds, it was equal parts comforting and heartbreaking. I was engrossed from the beginning until the bittersweet culmination. I thought Gower took a harrowing look at generational mental health, and the stigma and shame that was often associated with mental health struggles in the 1960s and 1970s.
The characters were indelible and charismatic. Moreover, their personas were so vivid and authentic that it was hard not to become emotionally attached to each of them and their stories. Each thread & character of this story was well developed and woven with a finished portrait in mind. Each with strengths and flaws tied to their own unique position in the history of their lives.
For being Gower’s first novel, I was extremely impressed by the development and sophistication that lie within this intimate look into motherhood, mental health, and the cost of withholding the truth from one generation to the next. All said, I highly recommend this uniquely intimate and remarkably told story.
*Thank you to my dear friend Kimmy for recommending and loaning me this memorable novel.
A remarkable debut novel!! Nathan Gower wrote a beautifully melancholic story of discovery in The Act Of Disappearing. This was a poignant tale that highlighted the strength of women through multiple generations and generational biases. In this novel, Julia was asked to research a photograph of a woman falling from a train bridge. She tried to find out who the woman was, why she was on the bridge, and what happened to the baby. As she slowly unfolded the mystery, she discovered a story more staggering than anything she could have imagined. To say the least, I was immersed in this intricately plotted cold-case historical fiction mystery.
I loved how this story took an in depth look into the lives of struggling author Julia White in the present, and the Fairchild family in the past. I found the alternating timelines between the past and present extremely captivating and beautifully depicted. The ornate storylines were woven together seamlessly and formed a deeply moving work of historical fiction. This was not only a tale of sadness but also a plaintive exploration of resilience and hope.
As depressing as The Act of Disappearing sounds, it was equal parts comforting and heartbreaking. I was engrossed from the beginning until the bittersweet culmination. I thought Gower took a harrowing look at generational mental health, and the stigma and shame that was often associated with mental health struggles in the 1960s and 1970s.
The characters were indelible and charismatic. Moreover, their personas were so vivid and authentic that it was hard not to become emotionally attached to each of them and their stories. Each thread & character of this story was well developed and woven with a finished portrait in mind. Each with strengths and flaws tied to their own unique position in the history of their lives.
For being Gower’s first novel, I was extremely impressed by the development and sophistication that lie within this intimate look into motherhood, mental health, and the cost of withholding the truth from one generation to the next. All said, I highly recommend this uniquely intimate and remarkably told story.
*Thank you to my dear friend Kimmy for recommending and loaning me this memorable novel.
April 17, 2024
This book hooked me and reeled me in from the very beginning. It is chockfull of secrets upon secrets and the ride to the end was a fascinating and intriguing one. Julia is a kind of down on her luck writer working as a bartender to make ends meet. One night she is approached by a famous photographer named Johnathon Astor. He shows her a photograph of a woman jumping to her death off a bridge holding a baby that he has never offered to the public. He offers her money to research the photograph and the story behind the woman. He wants her and her alone to write a book about the woman, he does not even tell her the woman's name. After deliberating Julia agrees and travels to Gray Station, Kentucky and begins her research. The novel jumps back and forth in time between the present day and 1963 and we are introduced to many characters that will become part of Julia's world. This book is wonderful, I loved it. So much mystery, so many discoveries, and such a good story. Julia is going to discover more than she could ever have imagined about the woman in the photo and in the process, her self. I will definitely be looking for more titles by Nathan Gower, a very talented writer. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA for a chance to read an ARC of the spellbinding novel.
Many thanks to Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA for a chance to read an ARC of the spellbinding novel.
April 3, 2024
There's a photo that has been published over and over by Robert Wiles. It's a beautiful woman, lying on top of a damaged car. It's been called 'the most beautiful suicide' because of how striking it is. The life of Evelyn McHale, the beautiful woman, has been speculated since the photo was first published in 1947.
The Act of Disappearing by Nathan Gower takes this idea, of a mysterious death, and turns it into a beautiful story of love, of want, of not fitting in, and one of sacrifice. It's the story of two women at a crossroads. Julia is floundering after her first book was published. She's picking up shifts at a bar and recently hooked up with her college ex, who is now ignoring her. Katherine has dealt with the rumors about her family her entire life. Her mother has been in and out of the state hospital for years.
Julia is approached by a world-famous photographer, Johnathan Aster. He's a fan of her book and has a proposition. He wants her to write a book, to find out the truth behind a photo. In the never-before-seen photograph from his collection, a woman is falling from a train bridge, clutching what appears to be a baby. Julia travels to Kentucky to dig into this story, and find much more than a photograph.
I loved this book. Julia was a tiny bit annoying at first, but her development was nothing unfamiliar to me. The theme of women coming into their own has been done again and again. Nathan Gower has taken this and added the history of another woman, of Katherine and her mother. Of Margot. Of Sammy, George, and Jack.
The growth of each character was so well done. Jack, in particular, was wonderfully written. He both broke my heart and made me happy at the same time.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and Nathan Gower for the opportunity to read and review this book.
The Act of Disappearing by Nathan Gower takes this idea, of a mysterious death, and turns it into a beautiful story of love, of want, of not fitting in, and one of sacrifice. It's the story of two women at a crossroads. Julia is floundering after her first book was published. She's picking up shifts at a bar and recently hooked up with her college ex, who is now ignoring her. Katherine has dealt with the rumors about her family her entire life. Her mother has been in and out of the state hospital for years.
Julia is approached by a world-famous photographer, Johnathan Aster. He's a fan of her book and has a proposition. He wants her to write a book, to find out the truth behind a photo. In the never-before-seen photograph from his collection, a woman is falling from a train bridge, clutching what appears to be a baby. Julia travels to Kentucky to dig into this story, and find much more than a photograph.
I loved this book. Julia was a tiny bit annoying at first, but her development was nothing unfamiliar to me. The theme of women coming into their own has been done again and again. Nathan Gower has taken this and added the history of another woman, of Katherine and her mother. Of Margot. Of Sammy, George, and Jack.
The growth of each character was so well done. Jack, in particular, was wonderfully written. He both broke my heart and made me happy at the same time.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and Nathan Gower for the opportunity to read and review this book.
September 7, 2024
What can I say about this amazing, mesmerizing, wonderful book. I am so glad my friend recommended it to us in our book club. I bought the audiobook, and the narrator with her accent made the travel between the past and the present a smooth journey. I caught my self several times holding my breath and waiting to hear the next line to reveal the magic of its actions.
The descriptions of the events in the book especially the Hospital scene where Kate got the flashbacks of that painful Halloween night were so vivid I could almost picture it happening in front of me.
The language of the book was vibrant and its content was not predictable at all, which brought me back the love of mystery books.
I was on the edge of my seat the whole time while I was listening to the book.
I really hope it turns into a movie because IT IS A WELL WRITTEN BOOK.
Thanks Mr. Gower. Please continue mesmerizing us. I can’t wait for your next book.
The descriptions of the events in the book especially the Hospital scene where Kate got the flashbacks of that painful Halloween night were so vivid I could almost picture it happening in front of me.
The language of the book was vibrant and its content was not predictable at all, which brought me back the love of mystery books.
I was on the edge of my seat the whole time while I was listening to the book.
I really hope it turns into a movie because IT IS A WELL WRITTEN BOOK.
Thanks Mr. Gower. Please continue mesmerizing us. I can’t wait for your next book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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