Goodbye

by Lydia Moreau

“Sometimes, it’s not the people you save who change your life—
it’s the ones you couldn’t.”

Frank Turner built his life on precision, control, and silence.
Years ago, the distance between him and his son hardened into something permanent—ending in a tragedy he never truly faced.

Now, he lives within the fragile balance he has created with his wife, Sophia, and their grandson, Daniel.

Until Naldo arrives.

An eleven-year-old boy working on a renovation next door, Naldo becomes an unexpected reflection of everything Frank has tried to bury. What begins as a simple invitation to lunch slowly opens a crack in the walls he has built within himself.

But when the system takes Naldo away, Frank is forced to confront something he has spent years avoiding—
becoming a man who always arrives too late.

Because this time, Frank must decide:

will he try to save a stranger,

or finally face the son he couldn’t save?

From the quiet streets of Canada to the harsh roads of Mexico, Goodbye is a powerful story of guilt, redemption, and second chances.

393 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 25, 2026

About the author

Lydia Moreau writes literary fiction about grief, memory, and the weight of human choices.

Goodbye is her debut novel.

https://www.instagram.com/lydiamoreau...

Reviews

[Bella Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC.
Goodbye by Lydia Moreau absolutely destroyed me. This book was so heartbreaking from start to finish and I was completely invested in the story the entire time. I genuinely felt like I was the one searching for Naldo and every new piece of information hit me so hard emotionally. This book is about grief, heartbreak, found family, forgiveness, and learning that mistakes don't have to follow you forever. The emotions felt so raw and real, and there were so many moments that made my chest ache. I was literally crying by the end. The writing was beautiful and the story completely pulled me in. This is one of those books that stays in your head long after you've finished it. It was heartbreaking, emotional, and honestly felt like a masterpiece. An easy 5 stars from me.

[Elle :D]

excited to read this, thoughts coming soon! thank you to the author and publisher for this ARC

[Linda Galella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quietly engaging, GOODBYE is a debut novel for author, Lydia Moreau.

Frank is a retired architect. He and his wife, Sophia, live a mostly silent life due to the many years long estrangement between Frank and their only son. When the son, his wife and son are in an horrific car accident, the young boy, Daniel, is the only survivor. The only relatives around are Frank and Sophia. Things go from bad to worse when Daniel comes to live with them.

GOODBYE is a book about relationships and learning to live again after tragedy. The amount of pain is palpable, each character is looking for something not available. We get to follow their progress over years.

When Frank’s neighbors start to update their house, Frank meets a young boy, Naldo. After a few short chats with him, Frank is drawn to his positive spirit, even in the midst of his abusive home and work situation. Somewhere in the depths of Frank’s darkness, he sees hope with Naldo. He makes a deal with the horrid uncle so Naldo can spend time with Daniel. The book becomes expansive at this point. Relationships change and so do the characters. It’s a slow process, well nuanced by Moreau.

This is a very good first offering by Moreau. The dialogue is honest as are the emotions. Her writing is gentle and would benefit from tighter editing, especially regarding organization and pace. Feelings and emotions are very well done. Frank’s best friend, Johannes, is a quirky guy but he’s well used as the motivator for Frank’s growth.

Readers drawn to stories with complex family dynamics will be fans of this book. Those who appreciate characters who grow and change over the course of gentle prose will be immersed and come to care about these folks. GOODBYE is a book that won’t be quickly forgotten📚

I received a copy for review purposes. All opinions are honest and mine alone.
Read and reviewed from a NetGalley eARC with thanks to the publisher and author.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodbye is a very difficult novel to read. It's not that Goodbye is poorly written or lacking in emotion-if anything the story is overly fraught with feeling, and the prose is lyrical and vividly descriptive. Goodbye is hard to digest because the level of loss, grief, abandonment, and heartache can be overwhelming. Although set in the 1990's Goodbye has a "ripped from the headlines" plot involving immigration. You can't help compare what happens in Goodbye to current events in the US (although Goodbye is mostly set in Canada). Frank and his wife Sophia are raising their grandson Daniel after the child's parents are killed in an accident. Frank had been estranged from his son Mark for years before he died, and their rift has compounded an already immeasurable tragedy. Sophia, Frank, and Daniel move through the days in a trance with the weight of their losses ever present. Then they meet Naldo, a young man with heavy burdens of his own. Daniel and Naldo become fast friends, and Frank can't help but feel he's been given a second chance at being the kind of father he was not to Mark. Goodbye is not a fast moving story, and the slower pace adds to the novel's hefty feel. If you are looking for a thriller with plenty of twists Goodbye is not for you. But if you don't mind immersing yourself in a world of regret, remorse, and ultimately redemption, definitely say hello to Goodbye.

ARC from NetGalley
June 25, 2026
Apeiron Editions

[Alesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well-intentioned novel about how difficult it is for people to get over great loss, guilt and blame, and how these things damage a marriage.
The problem, for me, is that we don’t learn early on why the husband and wife have devolved into such a sorry marriage. This makes their emotional agony very difficult to bear.

I wanted to like this book, because I admire the courage shown in first novels, and liked the setting in British Columbia. However, the action drags a lot. So do conversations that could have been tightened. Then there’ the problem with shifting viewpoint characters mid-chapter. There is a lot of telling, rather than showing. These made the book feel amateurish to me. And that’s why I gave up reading at 35%. There just wasn’t enough of anything to offset the gloom and depression one feels when spending time with the book’s unhappy characters.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance review copy of this book.

[Tina Plintz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book will tug at your heartstrings, filled with raw emotions. After losing their son and daughter-in-law in a tragic accident, Sophia and Frank take on the responsibility of raising their grandson, Daniel. Frank, a simple man who struggles to express his feelings, is the complete opposite of Sophia, who showers Daniel with love and unwavering support. However, a young boy’s unexpected presence stirs something deep within Frank. This book explores grief, love, and the journey of uncovering buried parts of ourselves. It’s a profound reflection on life. One minor issue I noticed was the way the characters spoke to each other. While 10-year-old boys aren’t typically philosophical, the story still manages to resonate deeply. If you’re seeking a story that will truly touch your soul, this is definitely a book for you.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an emotional, heart wrenching story of love, loss and true caring.

It is hard at first to understand, yet as you continue, you can feel the emotions of Frank (main character) and all he has lost in life and is attempting to forget. The anger, bitterness and coldness are his way of coping throughout the long days until he meets a young boy who helps to dissolve some of these hard feelings.

I believe some will truly enjoy this book, while others may not.
This is not a light read, so settle in as you open the pages here.
Thank you to @NetGalley and to @Apeiron Editions for this ARC and allowing me to provide my own review.

[Mary C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Due to Frank's estrangement between Frank and their son, he and his wife Sophia share a silent life. When their son and daughter-in-law die in a tragic accident, their grandson Daniel comes to live with them. Daniel is a silent child who Frank has difficulty connecting with the child while Sophia is extremely protective. When Frank meets Nadio, a young boy working on a neighbor's renovation, Frank forms a connection with him and feels Nadio could be a companion for Daniel. Nadio's inclusion into the family circle will have a profound effect on Frank and Daniel. An emotional, and at times, a heart wrenching read.
#Goodbye #AperionEditions #NetGalley

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quiet book full of family and brokenness. It’s the gentle thread of grandfather-grandson that feels fragile until it’s not.

I always struggle with debuts in that they feel like debuts. Still done well but missing that smoothness of a long time author. With this book I certainly saw moments of that but the heart of this novel is as gentle as the forgiveness it hopes to show.

Again I’ll say, it’s a quiet book. Not quite the level of a beloved author of mine: Ethan Joella but certainly on the way to be that.

[Teresa Ryder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lydia Moreau what have you done to me? If I could give this a 6 star rating then I definitely would. Boy, this book was the most emotional story I have ever laid my hands on and it will certainly stay with me for a very long time. I have just managed to wipe away my tears to be able to compile this review. WOW, is the only word I am left with. This book should come with a warning of just how powerful it is. It was so deep and meaningful, it completely blew me away. I am so excited to read more by this author but I need to get over this book first. Absolutely 1st Class!!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a little while to get into this story.
This book is about how Frank, his wife Sophia and their grandson Daniel try to move on from a terrible event that has left them all scarred in different ways and all have walls built around their lives/hearts.
Frank meets Naldo who is working on a neighbours property and takes a shine to him and thinks he could be a friend for Daniel - to help him try and move on from the past. Much to the dismay of Sophia (who is very over protective of her grandchild), Frank brings him home for lunch one day to meet Daniel.
Naldo changes the lives of Frank and Daniel and neither of them want him to leave which is inevitable with the job he's in - can Frank or Daniel encourage him to stay?
Thank you to NetGalley and Lydia Moreau for the eARC of this book which I received for free in exchange for my review.

[Barbara Tsipouras · Rating 3 out of 5]

The novel is quite interesting, but too long. And the characters are not really relatable for me.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tense and atmospheric read.
All life's emotions are here.
Characters that will stay with you long after you've finished reading

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was about grief and family.
I wasn’t really too sure about Frank and his wife’s relationship. It seemed a bit cold to me.
It did feel a little long, drawn out and depressing.

[Julia Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good debut novel. Goodbye will bring all of your emotions to the surface! This is not an uplifting story, but is one that made me feel sad, even at the end.

[Monty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and to LibraryThing for the advanced copy.

I don't know what drew me to this book. It is not a normal style that I read, but I felt pulled. From page one to the end I was drawn in. The author did a wonderful job of continuing to peel the onion of the story unraveling the trauma's and impact of the character's lives. It was truly a blessing to be given an opportunity to read this. Pick it up, read it.