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Always There, Always Gone: A Daughter's Search for Truth
For fans of Natasha Trethewey and Maggie Smith, a mother-daughter story of multigenerational trauma, grief, discovery, and love, with the backdrops of an historic American tragedy and an iconic family business, written in lyrical, fragmented form
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In 1960, six years before Marty Ross-Dolen was born, her maternal grandparents were killed in an airline disaster involving the collision of two commercial jets over New York City. They were traveling from Columbus, Ohio, to seek placement for their family’s iconic magazine, Highlights for Children, on the newsstands. Their daughter—Marty’s mother—was fourteen years old at the time. This genre-bending memoir tells Marty’s story of being raised by a mother in protracted mourning.
The fragmented narrative explores Marty’s journey, from personal ways of coping as a child to the evolution of a mother-daughter relationship that matured over time. It is also about her longing to know her maternal grandmother, and through saved letters and photographs from her grandmother’s life, she enters a fantastical relationship that serves to replace one that otherwise could never exist. Ultimately it is about the discovery of truth, in unearthing the story of her grandparents’ deaths and her mother’s acute loss, in freeing her grandmother’s image from the weight of a tragic death, and in Marty’s own delivery from darkness. Beyond that, it is about universal life choices, the ways human beings unknowingly determine their destinies, and the healing powers of truth and love.
In 1960, six years before Marty Ross-Dolen was born, her maternal grandparents were killed in an airline disaster involving the collision of two commercial jets over New York City. They were traveling from Columbus, Ohio, to seek placement for their family’s iconic magazine, Highlights for Children, on the newsstands. Their daughter—Marty’s mother—was fourteen years old at the time. This genre-bending memoir tells Marty’s story of being raised by a mother in protracted mourning.
The fragmented narrative explores Marty’s journey, from personal ways of coping as a child to the evolution of a mother-daughter relationship that matured over time. It is also about her longing to know her maternal grandmother, and through saved letters and photographs from her grandmother’s life, she enters a fantastical relationship that serves to replace one that otherwise could never exist. Ultimately it is about the discovery of truth, in unearthing the story of her grandparents’ deaths and her mother’s acute loss, in freeing her grandmother’s image from the weight of a tragic death, and in Marty’s own delivery from darkness. Beyond that, it is about universal life choices, the ways human beings unknowingly determine their destinies, and the healing powers of truth and love.
- GenresMemoirNonfiction
235 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 6, 2025
7 people are currently reading
103 people want to read
About the author
Marty Ross-Dolen
1 book6 followersMarty Ross-Dolen is a graduate of Wellesley College and Albert Einstein College of Medicine and is a retired child and adolescent psychiatrist. She holds an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Prior to her time at VCFA, she participated in graduate-level workshops at The Ohio State University. Her essays have appeared in North Dakota Quarterly, Redivider, Lilith, Willow Review, and the Brevity Blog, among others. Her essay entitled “Diphtheria” was named a notable essay in The Best American Essays series. She teaches writing and lives in Columbus, Ohio.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
June 24, 2025
I am an outlier on this one. It was fine but that's about it. As a child, I loved the Highlights For Children Magazine and begged for a subscription, which I got for 1 year. Also, as a classroom teacher, I subscribed to the magazine for my class. A great magazine for children. When I heard about this book, about the founders of Highlights, I had to read it. It is sad and you feel deeply for the family but it was not what I thought it would be. Just ok for me.
June 12, 2025
Always There, Always Gone: A Daughter’s Search for Truth
By: Marty Ross-Dolen @martyrossdolen
Pub Date: May 6, 2025
Publisher: She Writes Press @shewritespress
Tour: @suzyapprovedbooktours
Always There, Always Gone: A Daughter’s Search for Truth
By: Marty Ross-Dolen @martyrossdolen
Pub Date: May 6, 2025
Publisher: She Writes Press @shewritespress
Tour: @suzyapprovedbooktours
5🧩🧩🧩🧩🧩
As a child of the 60’s, I grew up on Highlights. I would spend hours reading stories, coloring and doing puzzles.
🧩
This is the story of the great-granddaughter of the couple who founded highlights, Garry Sr. and Caroline. Garry Jr. and Mary were executives with the company, who tragically were killed in airplane leaving behind five children.
🧩
This is poignant story of the great-granddaughter whose mother did not talk about the event and Marty wanted to learn more about her grandparents. She shares letters, a diary, pictures and stories about her grandparents. She also shares her childhood and how if affected her immediate family.
🧩
Thank you Suzy and the author for this emotional, but moving book.
By: Marty Ross-Dolen @martyrossdolen
Pub Date: May 6, 2025
Publisher: She Writes Press @shewritespress
Tour: @suzyapprovedbooktours
Always There, Always Gone: A Daughter’s Search for Truth
By: Marty Ross-Dolen @martyrossdolen
Pub Date: May 6, 2025
Publisher: She Writes Press @shewritespress
Tour: @suzyapprovedbooktours
5🧩🧩🧩🧩🧩
As a child of the 60’s, I grew up on Highlights. I would spend hours reading stories, coloring and doing puzzles.
🧩
This is the story of the great-granddaughter of the couple who founded highlights, Garry Sr. and Caroline. Garry Jr. and Mary were executives with the company, who tragically were killed in airplane leaving behind five children.
🧩
This is poignant story of the great-granddaughter whose mother did not talk about the event and Marty wanted to learn more about her grandparents. She shares letters, a diary, pictures and stories about her grandparents. She also shares her childhood and how if affected her immediate family.
🧩
Thank you Suzy and the author for this emotional, but moving book.
May 5, 2025
I received an advance copy of this memoir and am grateful for the opportunity to read it early. Marty Ross-Dolen's memoir is a heartfelt journey that hit home for me. In this beautifully written account, Marty explores her grief over the loss of her grandmother, someone she never got to meet, and how that loss ripples through generations.
What stood out to me was her exploration of generational trauma and her efforts, both conscious and unconscious, to protect her mother from the weight of her loss. The desire to understand our parents and their history is strong. This generally unfolds naturally in our relationships with our parents and grandparents as stories and anecdotes are shared. Marty illustrates this well in her memoir as she recounts a memory from a school concert that she and her mother pieced together through their shared recollections of the event. The loss of her grandmother, however, removes that opportunity to fill in the gaps in their shared stories naturally.
Marty's writing style is engaging and relatable, making it easy to become engrossed in the book as she attempts to know her grandmother better. If you're looking for a book that will make you think and feel deeply about family and connection, I highly recommend this book.
What stood out to me was her exploration of generational trauma and her efforts, both conscious and unconscious, to protect her mother from the weight of her loss. The desire to understand our parents and their history is strong. This generally unfolds naturally in our relationships with our parents and grandparents as stories and anecdotes are shared. Marty illustrates this well in her memoir as she recounts a memory from a school concert that she and her mother pieced together through their shared recollections of the event. The loss of her grandmother, however, removes that opportunity to fill in the gaps in their shared stories naturally.
Marty's writing style is engaging and relatable, making it easy to become engrossed in the book as she attempts to know her grandmother better. If you're looking for a book that will make you think and feel deeply about family and connection, I highly recommend this book.
April 7, 2025
I received an ARC of this wonderful memoir, and I feel privileged to have had the chance to read it early. Marty Ross-Dolen has written a fascinating memoir about her grandmother, who died in a tragic accident before she was born. As the author studies her family's vast store of photos and letters, she develops a visceral sense of her grandmother--for whom she was named--and thereby creates a loving and consoling relationship with both her grandmother and her long-grieving mother. The author imagines conversations and times she might have spent with her grandmother and in doing so, she fills her previous sense of void with a new picture of the loving, full life her grandmother lived. The techniques Ross-Dolen uses--speculation, imagination, erasure, and experimentation--will inspire other memoir writers who might be struggling to fill similar empty spaces. I offer my highest recommendation for Marty Ross-Dolen's fascinating and lyrical memoir.
August 5, 2025
Beautiful title, compelling premise.
The idea that someone you never met can shape your life so profoundly is deeply intriguing. I was especially interested to see how the author might explore ways of moving beyond that inherited grief and curiosity.
The passages describing her mother's sadness during childhood are particularly moving. You really feel how palpable that sorrow was - how children sense so much even when nothing is said out loud. At the same time, there are moments where the author's preoccupation with her family's grief feels overwhelming, perhaps even bordering on obsessive.
When she writes, "I am not a survivor, which complicates things," I found myself wishing she'd chosen her words more carefully. Grief can absolutely be all-consuming, but comparing one's experience of inherited or secondhand loss to surviving trauma firsthand can be a slippery and even harmful parallel. It's important for writers - especially on such sensitive subjects - to be mindful of the emotional weight of certain terms.
As someone who tends to see the world through a melancholic lens myself, I deeply empathize with the pull of generational sadness. But at times, it felt like every frustration or emotional moment in her life was traced directly back to her grandmother's absence. The section about the family summer camp - when she doesn't go, but then joins her daughter later - was a moment that made me wonder how her daughter experienced that decision. I would have loved more insight into how this inherited grief impacts the next generation in return.
There are parts where the author's reverence for her grandmother feels a bit intense, bordering on idealization. The book's tag phrase "search for the truth" suggests some dramatic family mystery, but in the end, it's a very human and relatable curiosity about someone we never got to know. Many of us go through this - piecing together stories, letters, or photos to understand those who came before us.
That said, her reflections on phantom grief and the idea of shadow work were some of the book's strongest points. Those insights were thoughtful and important.
Overall, while there were definitely powerful themes and emotional resonance, I felt this might have worked even better as a long-form essay rather than a full-length book. It's clear the author had a lot to get out of her chest - and much of it is valuable - but a more concise format might have allowed her ideas to shine more clearly.
The idea that someone you never met can shape your life so profoundly is deeply intriguing. I was especially interested to see how the author might explore ways of moving beyond that inherited grief and curiosity.
The passages describing her mother's sadness during childhood are particularly moving. You really feel how palpable that sorrow was - how children sense so much even when nothing is said out loud. At the same time, there are moments where the author's preoccupation with her family's grief feels overwhelming, perhaps even bordering on obsessive.
When she writes, "I am not a survivor, which complicates things," I found myself wishing she'd chosen her words more carefully. Grief can absolutely be all-consuming, but comparing one's experience of inherited or secondhand loss to surviving trauma firsthand can be a slippery and even harmful parallel. It's important for writers - especially on such sensitive subjects - to be mindful of the emotional weight of certain terms.
As someone who tends to see the world through a melancholic lens myself, I deeply empathize with the pull of generational sadness. But at times, it felt like every frustration or emotional moment in her life was traced directly back to her grandmother's absence. The section about the family summer camp - when she doesn't go, but then joins her daughter later - was a moment that made me wonder how her daughter experienced that decision. I would have loved more insight into how this inherited grief impacts the next generation in return.
There are parts where the author's reverence for her grandmother feels a bit intense, bordering on idealization. The book's tag phrase "search for the truth" suggests some dramatic family mystery, but in the end, it's a very human and relatable curiosity about someone we never got to know. Many of us go through this - piecing together stories, letters, or photos to understand those who came before us.
That said, her reflections on phantom grief and the idea of shadow work were some of the book's strongest points. Those insights were thoughtful and important.
Overall, while there were definitely powerful themes and emotional resonance, I felt this might have worked even better as a long-form essay rather than a full-length book. It's clear the author had a lot to get out of her chest - and much of it is valuable - but a more concise format might have allowed her ideas to shine more clearly.
June 13, 2025
Full transparency: Author Marty Ross-Dolen is a good friend. She's a wife, mother, daughter, and successful psychiatrist who went back to get her MFA during COVID when she decided to tackle writing about a family tragedy. She's smart, funny, self-effacing, and easy to be with and work with.
More transparency: My youngest sister's husband was killed in a plane crash when they were just 26 and newly married. My connection to this book included kindred memories of loss and grief as well as insights into what happens after a plane crash.
I read this book with my school librarian hat on: focused on language, looking for consistency, following the plot, connecting to the characters and expecting to be dazzled by a phrase or sentence. I was not disappointed. The initial part of the book explains the author's use of what she calls wisps - "Wisps of time, wisps of hope, wisps of imagination, wisps of despair" to tell the story. I personally enjoyed reading this memoir in this style, since it distilled the very essence of the emotions being shared (the easy ones and the difficult ones).
The memoir details the generational trauma of the death of the author's maternal grandparents in a mid-air collision over NYC in 1960. Marty's mother was 14 at the time. If you were living in NY or Columbus at the time, it was a big deal.
There's also a beautiful connection to music in this book. Summer music camp at Interlochen (MI) was a generational experience for the author's family. Using the records from the camp and as well as family documentation, she pieced together a nearly day-by-day chronicle of her grandmother's young music camp experiences.
Over the course of her life, the author experiences being raised by a mother living in protracted grief, becoming intertwined with her mother's responses to the tragedy. And, of course, never knowing those grandparents.
I found the book to be wise, insightful, sometimes painful, and yet uplifting. I can highly recommend it with the caveat that you will be exposed to the impact of the great grief and loss suffered by the author and her mother. I thought it was a spare and exquisitely crafted story of love and healing.
More transparency: My youngest sister's husband was killed in a plane crash when they were just 26 and newly married. My connection to this book included kindred memories of loss and grief as well as insights into what happens after a plane crash.
I read this book with my school librarian hat on: focused on language, looking for consistency, following the plot, connecting to the characters and expecting to be dazzled by a phrase or sentence. I was not disappointed. The initial part of the book explains the author's use of what she calls wisps - "Wisps of time, wisps of hope, wisps of imagination, wisps of despair" to tell the story. I personally enjoyed reading this memoir in this style, since it distilled the very essence of the emotions being shared (the easy ones and the difficult ones).
The memoir details the generational trauma of the death of the author's maternal grandparents in a mid-air collision over NYC in 1960. Marty's mother was 14 at the time. If you were living in NY or Columbus at the time, it was a big deal.
There's also a beautiful connection to music in this book. Summer music camp at Interlochen (MI) was a generational experience for the author's family. Using the records from the camp and as well as family documentation, she pieced together a nearly day-by-day chronicle of her grandmother's young music camp experiences.
Over the course of her life, the author experiences being raised by a mother living in protracted grief, becoming intertwined with her mother's responses to the tragedy. And, of course, never knowing those grandparents.
I found the book to be wise, insightful, sometimes painful, and yet uplifting. I can highly recommend it with the caveat that you will be exposed to the impact of the great grief and loss suffered by the author and her mother. I thought it was a spare and exquisitely crafted story of love and healing.
August 5, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A moving memoir of loss, memory, and healing
Marty Ross-Dolen’s Always There, Always Gone is a powerful memoir that traces three generations of grief. Ross-Dolen was born six years after her maternal grandparents died in a mid-air collision in 1960 while promoting Highlights for Children. Their daughter—Marty’s mother—was only fourteen at the time, and the weight of that loss shaped their family deeply.
The book’s structure unfolds in five sections composed of brief vignettes—letters, snapshots, imagined conversations—that mirror the nature of memory. Marty uses these fragments, which she calls “wisps,” to reconnect with a grandmother she never met, guided by family archives and long-preserved letters and photos.
The title comes from a passage comparing memories to ocean waves—“filtering through the spaces between my fingers like water thickened with sand, equal parts solid and liquid, always there, always gone.” That line echoes throughout the memoir, reflecting grief’s constant presence and absence.
This is a thoughtful exploration of inherited trauma and the role of storytelling in healing. Marty navigates her mother’s silence and her own identity, creating a portrait of resilience and love. Her voice is clear and specific; scenes linger—of old letters, glassy photos, sudden memories.
If you appreciate memoirs that break form and move emotionally—this is a must-read. Always There, Always Gone offers a poignant reflection on legacy, loss, and the subtle ways we carry our past forward..
Marty Ross-Dolen’s Always There, Always Gone is a powerful memoir that traces three generations of grief. Ross-Dolen was born six years after her maternal grandparents died in a mid-air collision in 1960 while promoting Highlights for Children. Their daughter—Marty’s mother—was only fourteen at the time, and the weight of that loss shaped their family deeply.
The book’s structure unfolds in five sections composed of brief vignettes—letters, snapshots, imagined conversations—that mirror the nature of memory. Marty uses these fragments, which she calls “wisps,” to reconnect with a grandmother she never met, guided by family archives and long-preserved letters and photos.
The title comes from a passage comparing memories to ocean waves—“filtering through the spaces between my fingers like water thickened with sand, equal parts solid and liquid, always there, always gone.” That line echoes throughout the memoir, reflecting grief’s constant presence and absence.
This is a thoughtful exploration of inherited trauma and the role of storytelling in healing. Marty navigates her mother’s silence and her own identity, creating a portrait of resilience and love. Her voice is clear and specific; scenes linger—of old letters, glassy photos, sudden memories.
If you appreciate memoirs that break form and move emotionally—this is a must-read. Always There, Always Gone offers a poignant reflection on legacy, loss, and the subtle ways we carry our past forward..
February 24, 2025
When do human beings stop defining themselves by their tragedies? Survivor, victim, hero, warrior. Widowed, orphaned, wounded, missing. When will I stop being the girl whose grandparents were killed in an airplane accident. Oh, that’s right. I know the answer. Never. from Always There, Always Gone by Marty Ross-Dolen
I was instantly drawn into this poignant memoir. Partly because of my own interest in family genealogy, but mostly because of the poetic voice and the psychological depth, the unique presentation.
Before her birth, the Marty Ross-Dolan’s grandparents died in a plane crash while on a trip for their business, Highlights Magazine when her mother was in her early teens. She spent her life haunted by the shadows of people she never knew, aware of her mother’s ever present, unspeakable grief.
Ross-Dolen researched her grandparent’s lives, read the letters her grandmother sent from Interlochen National Music Camp in the 1930s, the letters from during her college years exchanged with beaus and her future husband. She found news articles, finally learning details of the tragic accident.
The presentation in “wisps” of memories and feelings, documents illuminating pinhole insights, and family photographs, culminate in a beautiful portrait of a vibrant woman whose loss impacted generations.
A heart-wrenching and beautiful memoir.
Thanks to Caitlin Hamilton Summie Marketing and She Writes Press for a free book
I was instantly drawn into this poignant memoir. Partly because of my own interest in family genealogy, but mostly because of the poetic voice and the psychological depth, the unique presentation.
Before her birth, the Marty Ross-Dolan’s grandparents died in a plane crash while on a trip for their business, Highlights Magazine when her mother was in her early teens. She spent her life haunted by the shadows of people she never knew, aware of her mother’s ever present, unspeakable grief.
Ross-Dolen researched her grandparent’s lives, read the letters her grandmother sent from Interlochen National Music Camp in the 1930s, the letters from during her college years exchanged with beaus and her future husband. She found news articles, finally learning details of the tragic accident.
The presentation in “wisps” of memories and feelings, documents illuminating pinhole insights, and family photographs, culminate in a beautiful portrait of a vibrant woman whose loss impacted generations.
A heart-wrenching and beautiful memoir.
Thanks to Caitlin Hamilton Summie Marketing and She Writes Press for a free book
May 1, 2025
“Always There, Always Gone” is a captivating, thought-provoking and intriguing memoir by Marty Ross-Dolen. The Genres for this novel are Death and Grief, Grief and Bereavement, Memoir and Non-Fiction. There is some historical background that is included in this book. Marty Ross-Dolen is on a journey to learn more about her family. This reminds me of My Heritage, where people look up their family dynamics. The author’s grandparents, who were in charge of Highlights Magazine, were killed in an airplane collision. Although the author never met her grandparents, she notices how this has affected her mother, who was a young girl when they passed away.
The author uses pictures, postcards, letters , interviews, and her imagination to connect with her grandparents. The author discovers that several generations of her family went to a camp. There were musically invested, and shared that love. Marty- Ross Dolen also realizes that her mother needed closure and acceptance for what happened. I appreciate that the author uses dignity , empathy, and shows and grief, and love are intertwined with family. I recommend this thought-provoking memoir.
The author uses pictures, postcards, letters , interviews, and her imagination to connect with her grandparents. The author discovers that several generations of her family went to a camp. There were musically invested, and shared that love. Marty- Ross Dolen also realizes that her mother needed closure and acceptance for what happened. I appreciate that the author uses dignity , empathy, and shows and grief, and love are intertwined with family. I recommend this thought-provoking memoir.
May 18, 2025
An intriguing memoir written through memories, letters, photos and stories. Marty is on the search to finding out more about her grandmother, who had died in a plane crash prior to her birth. Her mother having only been a teenager at this time, was then sent to live with an uncle after the death of her parents. During a time when a teenage girl most needs their mother, this was a hard time for her. Marty explores how this affected her mother the rest of her life and how this affected raising her own children. As well as the loss that Marty felt, never having known her grandparents. Everyone grieves differently and this novel explores the different ways grief can be experienced and how it can affect people and families for decades and generations. It was also interesting to read about the start and background of the Highlights magazine. I enjoyed that this novel was written in memory like clips, that's how we remember things in our lives. I always also enjoying seeing letters and photos within novels like these. Thank you to the author for the complementary novel and to Suzy Approved Book Tours for the invite. This review is of my own opinion and accord.
June 8, 2025
This beautiful memoir is a poignant journey of self-discovery and family history. It is formatted through letters, photographs, and short reflective narratives, which makes it feel as though you are looking at a scrapbook of this family’s life. It felt intimate and very personal.
Marty Ross-Dolen also includes her journey as she tries to learn about her maternal grandparents and the tragic airplane crash that took them before she could ever meet them. It was both heartbreaking and tender to see Marty's efforts to form a relationship with her grandparents through imagined conversations. We also see how her relationship with her mother, who never fully recovered from her grief, was shaped and affected by the tragedy.
I felt a bit nostalgic reading this, as Marty’s family, specifically Dr. Garry Cleveland Myers and Caroline Clark Myers, were the founders of Highlights, a children’s magazine filled with puzzles, stories, and coloring pages. I remember reading that in my dentist’s office when I was a kid.
Thank you to @suzyapprovedbooktours @martyrossdolen and @shewritespress for the gifted book.
March 5, 2025
I can wholeheartedly say that “Always There, Always Gone” is one of my favorite books of the year so far. It is such a heartfelt and emotional story. At its core, it is the tragic story of a woman, Marty-Ross Dolen, who lost both of her grandparents in an airplane crash before she was even born and her journey of loss and grief, along with coming to terms with the gaping hole this loss has left in Marty’s life. I love the way the author described her relationship with her grandparents and the conversations she had with them in the form of different imaginary scenarios. Her story was heartbreaking and quite emotional, and I loved every part of this story. The author was so relatable in yearning to have a relationship with her grandparents despite not being able to physically do so. The writing was so beautiful and I really appreciate the author for sharing such a personal story with us readers. It is a stunning novel. I wish the author peace and happiness in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!
May 27, 2025
What a privilege to read this memoir, written through memories, letters, photos and even stories. Marty is on the hunt trying to find out more about her grandparents , who were killed in an airline disaster involving the collision of two commercial jets over New York City. They were traveling from Columbus, Ohio, to seek placement for their family’s iconic magazine, Highlights for Children, on the newsstands. Their daughter—Marty’s mother—was fourteen years old at the time. Marty’s journey, from personal ways of coping as a child to the evolution of a mother-daughter relationship that matured over time. It is also about her longing to know her maternal grandmother, and through saved letters and photographs from her grandmother’s life, she enters a fantastical relationship that serves to replace one that otherwise could never exist. Ultimately it is about the discovery of truth, in unearthing the story of her grandparents’ deaths and her mother’s acute loss. The author did an incredible job with her writing and it made me feel her families loss.
June 1, 2025
Marty Ross-Dolen’s Always There, Always Gone is a masterfully written, lyrical memoir that weaves memory and imagination into a powerful story on grief and healing.
At the heart of the story is a tragic plane crash that took the lives of Ross-Dolen’s grandparents. Her own mother was only fourteen years old at the time. The author was born six years later.
But what makes this memoir so compelling is Ross-Dolen’s extraordinary ability to imaginatively enter into her deceased grandmother’s world through thousands of old letters and photographs. These mementos become portals—allowing her to reconstruct a relationship that life denied her.
Always There, Always Gone is more than a personal memoir; it is a loving tribute to the complexities of mother-daughter relationships and the quiet strength of women across generations. I was both impressed and in awe of the author’s talent and would highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates reflective, emotionally intelligent writing.
Babs Walters, author - Facing the Jaguar - A Memoir of Courage and Confrontation
At the heart of the story is a tragic plane crash that took the lives of Ross-Dolen’s grandparents. Her own mother was only fourteen years old at the time. The author was born six years later.
But what makes this memoir so compelling is Ross-Dolen’s extraordinary ability to imaginatively enter into her deceased grandmother’s world through thousands of old letters and photographs. These mementos become portals—allowing her to reconstruct a relationship that life denied her.
Always There, Always Gone is more than a personal memoir; it is a loving tribute to the complexities of mother-daughter relationships and the quiet strength of women across generations. I was both impressed and in awe of the author’s talent and would highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates reflective, emotionally intelligent writing.
Babs Walters, author - Facing the Jaguar - A Memoir of Courage and Confrontation
June 20, 2025
This one’s for the tender-hearted readers—the ones who appreciate a slow, soulful story that lingers long after the last page. Always There, Always Gone is a beautifully written memoir that unpacks layers of silence, grief, and generational love with grace and raw honesty.
Marty Ross-Dolen takes us on a personal journey that begins with the mystery of her grandparents’ tragic plane crash and unfolds into something much deeper: a lifelong exploration of her relationship with her mother. It’s a mother-daughter story wrapped in memory, music, and unspoken sorrow—heartbreaking, healing, and human all at once.
The writing feels like a soft touch on a bruise—gentle but unafraid. As Marty digs through family history and summer music camp memories, she doesn’t just chase answers—she opens space for understanding, for grace, and for honoring the ache of what’s been lost.
It’s reflective, sometimes painful, but also incredibly uplifting. This book is a gift—wise, spare, and exquisitely crafted. Highly recommend, but keep tissues close.
Marty Ross-Dolen takes us on a personal journey that begins with the mystery of her grandparents’ tragic plane crash and unfolds into something much deeper: a lifelong exploration of her relationship with her mother. It’s a mother-daughter story wrapped in memory, music, and unspoken sorrow—heartbreaking, healing, and human all at once.
The writing feels like a soft touch on a bruise—gentle but unafraid. As Marty digs through family history and summer music camp memories, she doesn’t just chase answers—she opens space for understanding, for grace, and for honoring the ache of what’s been lost.
It’s reflective, sometimes painful, but also incredibly uplifting. This book is a gift—wise, spare, and exquisitely crafted. Highly recommend, but keep tissues close.
May 6, 2025
Marty Ross-Dolen’s memoir, Always There, Always Gone, tests the bonds between mothers and daughters and depicts how invisible strands of DNA hold generations together. When a tragic plane crash prevents the author from ever meeting her maternal grandmother, she seeks connection through letters, erasure poems, and family ephemera. Ross-Dolen reconstructs a touchable version of her grandmother’s life and a new understanding of her own mother, a teenage orphan whose future shifted in a heartbeat, emerges. Heartbreak and pain swell through tenderly sketched essays with apt metaphors that promote healing. By the end of this memoir, the reader shares a sense of both the lives taken and the lives left plus gains inspiration from the author’s carefully crafted narrative voice. A finely written ancestral story with broad appeal results.
May 27, 2025
I loved the way this memoir has a variety of sources to tell the story. The author uses letters, photos, and is told in small snippets. I thought that strategy was very interesting as a reader.
Marty Rosen- Dolen takes us back to connect with her grandmother, Mary Martin Myers, in her younger years since she never had a chance to meet her. Mary and her husband died in a plane crash when Mary was only 38 years old.
This loss also deeply saddens Marty Ross-Dolen’s mother, Patricia, who lost her parents when she was 14 years old.
I love how we see links the women shared and how this helped the author to feel like she knew her grandmother.
It is also very interesting that family in the author’s lineage started the HIGHLIGHTS for Children’s Magazine. This doesn’t play a huge part in the story, but it was an interesting fact since I loved that magazine as a kid.
Marty Rosen- Dolen takes us back to connect with her grandmother, Mary Martin Myers, in her younger years since she never had a chance to meet her. Mary and her husband died in a plane crash when Mary was only 38 years old.
This loss also deeply saddens Marty Ross-Dolen’s mother, Patricia, who lost her parents when she was 14 years old.
I love how we see links the women shared and how this helped the author to feel like she knew her grandmother.
It is also very interesting that family in the author’s lineage started the HIGHLIGHTS for Children’s Magazine. This doesn’t play a huge part in the story, but it was an interesting fact since I loved that magazine as a kid.
February 22, 2025
This book was an interesting read in that you both witness and experience the journey of navigating grief and redefining relationships and identity through the process. At first, you would wonder how someone could go through all of that having not know the deceased. However, through her connection with her mother and her own journey of learning about her grandmother, you begin to understand. On a personal level, it helped me to look at processing a little differently as I am personally grieving. The way she connects and talks to her grandmother through pictures on a spiritual or clairvoyant level proves to be cathartic.
There were some parts of the book that were a little slow for me but it didn’t take away from the experience.
There were some parts of the book that were a little slow for me but it didn’t take away from the experience.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2025
Not perfect but compulsive and fascinating. I read this one because the author’s grandparents died in a plane crash that originated out of Columbus, Ohio in 1960. My grandfather died on a plane crash that originated out of Columbus, Ohio in 1975. I was surprised to see quite a few other similarities—my father was a teenager when his dad was killed and the author’s mother was also a teenager when her parents were killed. They also both heard about the respective crashes in a chillingly similar way. That alone kept my interest but I also was really drawn into the short, choppy chapters and the well done graphics. Really the only thing I didn’t care for was the creative license the author took in imagining certain scenes with her grandmother, but that’s more of a personal preference.
June 11, 2025
This memoir was written beautifully. I love that Marty took the time to research her grandmother so extensively to get to know her. What a blessing that so many materials had been archived which allowed Marty to really get a good grasp on her grandmother’s life. It’s hard to comprehend how devastating Marty’s mother must have felt to lose her parents to a commercial airline crash at the pivotal age of 14. And what an intuitive child Marty must have been to learn so early how to protect her mother from as much pain and sorrow as possible. This book made me nostalgic for times with my own mother when we enjoyed issues of Highlights Magazine together.
July 17, 2025
It’s so incredibly courageous to write such a vulnerable account about a deceased family member, even one you technically never met. I could feel how much effort, how much heart, was spilled on the page, and it was devastating, but in a cathartic way, if that makes any sense. I loved how unique this memoir was. The use of erasure poems, a concept I’d never, in fact, heard of before, was very inspired. I think the author’s grandmother would be so honored to know that this book existed. It’s hard to rate a memoir because it’s such a personal endeavor, but I would truly give this a solid 4.5 stars. For context: I don’t know that I’ve ever rated a memoir higher.
September 13, 2025
Ross-Dolen's memoir is an incredible story that weaves together three generations - her grandmother who she never got to know in person, her mother and herself. Ross-Dolen explores her grandmother's life and past through old letters, photos and postcards, weaving the evidence that's left behind of her life with the stories her mother tells her. Ross-Dolen also shows how mother and daughter can both carry and work through grief side-by-side. Trauma is not forgotten, but it is passed down. Ross-Dolen carries her family's legacy beautifully and shows her readers how you can explore a difficult past to discover new things about your family and yourself.
June 23, 2025
As a child, I loved the Highlights For Children magazine and always looked forward to reading it and solving the puzzles. Marty's memoir gave me the tragic background behind the creators, her grandparents, and the generational trauma that followed their deaths. I love the way she told her story using various forms of media, bits from others, and her own memories broken down to small easily digestible bites that were fascinating and heartbreaking to read. This is a beautiful recollection of memories, healing, and love.
I received a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
I received a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 26, 2025
The format and use of old photos, letters, and erasure poems made this memoir more of a page-turner than I expected. The author carried me along on her often daunting search to rediscover her grandmother, so that she could understand her mother, and ultimately herself. This is a wonderful read for anyone who is trying to grapple with the loss of someone important to them. It also takes the reader through memories of a bygone era, when people wrote letter and dressed up to fly on plane. Well done!
July 26, 2025
I found Ross-Dolen's memoir about her journey to understand the tragic accident that took her maternal grandparents' lives extremely original and compelling. The story of Ross-Dolen's journey is told through dozens of individual pieces, letters and ephemera, like puzzle pieces she is discovering, creating and placing. Truly a time of magical thinking, deep reflection, and heartfelt grief. As a mother and a daughter myself, I really related to Ross-Dolen's efforts to put herself in both her mother's and her grandmother's shoes. Highly recommend.
May 15, 2025
A memoir like an archeological dig.
As the author tries to connect with a grandmother she never knew, she reads letters, imagines (recreates) moments from them, sometimes puts herself into the scene. The story isn't linear; it's fragmented and in layers as she digs down into her grandmother's life. Poetic sections, straight forward narrative, personal struggles and reflections - it's all there. In the end, you know not only the grandmother but the writer. Really, give this one a try.
As the author tries to connect with a grandmother she never knew, she reads letters, imagines (recreates) moments from them, sometimes puts herself into the scene. The story isn't linear; it's fragmented and in layers as she digs down into her grandmother's life. Poetic sections, straight forward narrative, personal struggles and reflections - it's all there. In the end, you know not only the grandmother but the writer. Really, give this one a try.
September 20, 2025
3.5 stars- Granddaughter of Highlights Magazine for Kids founders and Columbus, OH resident, Marty Ross Dolen recounts the life long struggle of unpacking her grandparents’ death on United Airlines flight in 1960. Not wanting to disturb her mother’s grief from losing her parents at 14 years old, Marty longs to know more of the grandparents she never knew…particularly her grandmother. Her quest to find answers is both admirable and heartbreaking.
April 17, 2025
With poetic precision and a profound sense of longing, Marty Ross-Dolen invites us into a fragmented, yet beautifully woven world that bridges generations - all shaped by tragedy and love. Always There, Always Gone is a lyrical treat, a memoir of exquisite storytelling, offering readers a hauntingly beautiful meditation on grief, resilience, and the healing truths we uncover along the way.
May 4, 2025
Always There, Always Gone is a heartfelt exploration of how a family tragedy can echo through generations. Through personal reflections, letters, and photographs, Ross-Dolen pieces together her family’s past and her own journey toward understanding. It’s a moving reminder of how uncovering family stories can lead to healing and connection.
A beautiful and touching memoir.
A beautiful and touching memoir.
June 17, 2025
How can one create a meaningful, coherent view of a life transcribed in letters, postcards, and bits of wider history? The author takes fragments of a broken window (or mirror) and elegantly creates a whole. If writing is hard, and the hardest part is making it look easy, it is even more of a victory to show how hard it is and still make it sing.
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