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When We Disappear: A Novel
From the acclaimed author of Girl in the Arena, the story of a hit-and-run accident on an empty road that sets loose forces to tear a young girl’s family apart. With the disappearance of her father, Mona’s wrenching task is to make herself whole while holding on to her little sister and her mother, her dark secret memories, and her simmering fury.
305 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 5, 2018
3 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Lise Haines
8 books91 followersLISE HAINES is the author of three novels, Girl in the Arena, Small Acts of Sex and Electricity (a Book Sense Pick in 2006 and one of ten “Best Book Picks for 2006” by the NPR station in San Diego), and In My Sister’s Country,, a finalist for the 2003 Paterson Fiction Prize. Her short stories and essays have appeared in a number of literary journals and she was a finalist for the PEN Nelson Algren Award.
Haines is Writer in Residence at Emerson College. She has been Briggs-Copeland Lecturer at Harvard, and her other teaching credits include UCLA, UCSB, and Stonecoast at the University of Southern Maine. She grew up in Chicago, lived in Southern California for many years, and now resides in the Boston area. She holds a B.A. from Syracuse University and an MFA from the Bennington Writing Seminars.
Haines is Writer in Residence at Emerson College. She has been Briggs-Copeland Lecturer at Harvard, and her other teaching credits include UCLA, UCSB, and Stonecoast at the University of Southern Maine. She grew up in Chicago, lived in Southern California for many years, and now resides in the Boston area. She holds a B.A. from Syracuse University and an MFA from the Bennington Writing Seminars.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 6, 2018
When We Disappear by Lise Haines is a highly recommended novel about a disintegrating family.
It is 2007 and Mona's family has fallen on hard times. Her father, Richard, lost his job and now has left his family (Liz, his wife, and daughters Mona, 17, and Lola, 3) in Illinois to go to New Jersey for a new job. Now Liz, a sculptor, needs to curtail her art to work to support the girls. Lola is young, but Mona is old enough to resent her father leaving without saying goodbye. But then, Mona stopped listening to her father's stories years ago. Now he sends money, but it is never enough. He sends postcards to Lola and letters to Mona. Mona lives through her photography, starts and affair with an older photographer, and rejects her father's stories.
The narrative switches between chapters from Mona and Richard's points-of-view. We know how both characters feel and what they are both experiences. We see the whole family falling apart, struggling, yet not openly talking to each other and telling the truth about what is going on in all their lives. Part of Mona's anger and resentment toward her father goes back years ago to an incident, an accident, that happened when she was with her father and something they never discussed with her mother.
The writing is excellent in When We Disappear, and Haines captures both Mona's and Richard's individual inner voices with perfection. Both Mona and Richard are well-developed characters and we can clearly see their individual efforts to endure their pain and how they are trying to cope with their situations. Mona's photography helps sustain her and she tries to be strong for her mother and Lola. Richard is hurting more than he is admitting. This is a very emotional novel, however, it is difficult to see these wounded struggling people close themselves off from each other for much of the book and not sharing the reality of what they are all going through.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Unbridled Books.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2018/0...
It is 2007 and Mona's family has fallen on hard times. Her father, Richard, lost his job and now has left his family (Liz, his wife, and daughters Mona, 17, and Lola, 3) in Illinois to go to New Jersey for a new job. Now Liz, a sculptor, needs to curtail her art to work to support the girls. Lola is young, but Mona is old enough to resent her father leaving without saying goodbye. But then, Mona stopped listening to her father's stories years ago. Now he sends money, but it is never enough. He sends postcards to Lola and letters to Mona. Mona lives through her photography, starts and affair with an older photographer, and rejects her father's stories.
The narrative switches between chapters from Mona and Richard's points-of-view. We know how both characters feel and what they are both experiences. We see the whole family falling apart, struggling, yet not openly talking to each other and telling the truth about what is going on in all their lives. Part of Mona's anger and resentment toward her father goes back years ago to an incident, an accident, that happened when she was with her father and something they never discussed with her mother.
The writing is excellent in When We Disappear, and Haines captures both Mona's and Richard's individual inner voices with perfection. Both Mona and Richard are well-developed characters and we can clearly see their individual efforts to endure their pain and how they are trying to cope with their situations. Mona's photography helps sustain her and she tries to be strong for her mother and Lola. Richard is hurting more than he is admitting. This is a very emotional novel, however, it is difficult to see these wounded struggling people close themselves off from each other for much of the book and not sharing the reality of what they are all going through.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Unbridled Books.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2018/0...
June 16, 2018
Mona and her father, Richard, are out driving when the unthinkable happens. They are in a car accident, which we don’t discover until well into the novel, caused by Richard and a mother and child die because Richard panics and leaves the scene. The rest of the story fleshes out the consequence of those few minutes of inaction. In one sense, they are horrific for the victims who die. In another sense they are tragic as Mona and her father live day after day with that event coloring their every thought, word and deed. It’s almost beyond words to explain!
Yet this event coincides with Mona’s teenage years and Richard’s life as the economy causes him to lose his job. His answer is to leave home, “looking for a job” and wandering from state to state. He meets people of all kind, no spoilers here, who represent various personalities, careers, etc., including circus people, and other normal and different types. Mona’s Mom, who is extremely talented in making sculptures that sell and show in galleries with great acclaim until the failing economy forces her to put her artistic career on hold. Now they must sell their home, move into a small apartment and make do with whatever money they can make with occasional small amounts sent by Richard.
Mona is basically rebelling against it all. She develops her own artistic senses as a photographer, sleeps with the man training her in her future career and other guys. Yet there’s a sense of responsibility that endearingly holds her to monitor the well-being of her Mom and her sister Lola, as well as expressing her teenage angst with snipes of irony and more.
You will have to wait for the incredible ending of this poignant story to experience the surprising quality of closeness and separation that abide together in this unique priceless family.
Lise Haines is a phenomenal writer. This is not a bleak book despite its tragic circumstances. It’s a story of loss, lies, betrayal, deep love and rehabilitation which makes every one of its characters grow into true human richness! This is a potent, unusual and memorable read that this reviewer highly recommends!
Yet this event coincides with Mona’s teenage years and Richard’s life as the economy causes him to lose his job. His answer is to leave home, “looking for a job” and wandering from state to state. He meets people of all kind, no spoilers here, who represent various personalities, careers, etc., including circus people, and other normal and different types. Mona’s Mom, who is extremely talented in making sculptures that sell and show in galleries with great acclaim until the failing economy forces her to put her artistic career on hold. Now they must sell their home, move into a small apartment and make do with whatever money they can make with occasional small amounts sent by Richard.
Mona is basically rebelling against it all. She develops her own artistic senses as a photographer, sleeps with the man training her in her future career and other guys. Yet there’s a sense of responsibility that endearingly holds her to monitor the well-being of her Mom and her sister Lola, as well as expressing her teenage angst with snipes of irony and more.
You will have to wait for the incredible ending of this poignant story to experience the surprising quality of closeness and separation that abide together in this unique priceless family.
Lise Haines is a phenomenal writer. This is not a bleak book despite its tragic circumstances. It’s a story of loss, lies, betrayal, deep love and rehabilitation which makes every one of its characters grow into true human richness! This is a potent, unusual and memorable read that this reviewer highly recommends!
June 25, 2018
I fell into this suspenseful literary novel. Haines excavates a family: loyalties, betrayals, loves, losses. Structured in alternating chapters between Mona, 19 and her estranged father, Richard, the prose sings with exquisite, cinematic images. Mona’s passion is darkroom photography. She dwells in dark edges, cropped or blurred images, tricks of light. Mona uses photography as emotional release, and also as a way to move forward in her life. She’s a compelling, confused, and eventually empowered protagonist. Richard is a fascinating antagonist: stolen cookies, too-loud television, too-little-too-late in terms of being a good dad to Mona or her younger sister. He fails as an adequate financial or emotional provider. Yet, the complex and delicate family bonds resonate way beyond the wonderful Chicago setting. Highly recommended for book groups and those who appreciate literary fiction at its finest.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews