Gone

by Helena Echlin

A poetic and gripping debut novel about the unspoken passions of the English middle class.

In an attempt to bury her old self Elizabeth has moved to the deserts of the American Southwest to live with her boyfriend Spencer. But after proposing to him to satisfy her dying grandmother’s wish, she is forced to return home to arrange an impromptu wedding. Disturbing secrets emerge and Elizabeth must weigh American sincerity against the repression that has been her family’s lifelong habit.

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Hello! Clever Little Thing, coming in January 2025, is my first psychological thriller. I’ve written for various publications, including the Guardian and the Times, and the steadiest job I ever had was writing an etiquette advice column, for which I had zero qualifications. I lived in northern California for many years, and am now back in my native UK with my American husband and two children. I teach creative writing for Oxford University’s Department of Continuing Education.
.

Reviews

[Ayelet Waldman]

Helena is a lovely writer, and I liked this book very much. My three year old and Helena became fast friends at a party last month.