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The Lost Child
Alternate cover edition of ISBN10: 1472255054 / ISBN13: 978-1472255051
From the author of the runaway bestseller The Girl in the Letter comes a heartwrenching, twisting novel of betrayal, tragedy and a shocking family secret buried for decades.
1960. Thirteen-year-old Rebecca lives in fear of her father’s temper. As a storm batters Seaview Cottage one night, she hears a visitor at the door and a violent argument ensues. By the time the police arrive, Rebecca’s parents are dead and the visitor has fled. No one believes Rebecca heard a stranger downstairs...
2014. Iris, a journalist, is sent to cover the story of a new mother on the run with her desperately ill baby. But fatefully the trail leads to the childhood home of Iris’s own mother, Rebecca…Seaview Cottage.
As Iris races to unravel what happened the night Rebecca’s parents were killed, it’s time for Seaview Cottage to give up its secrets.
From the author of the runaway bestseller The Girl in the Letter comes a heartwrenching, twisting novel of betrayal, tragedy and a shocking family secret buried for decades.
1960. Thirteen-year-old Rebecca lives in fear of her father’s temper. As a storm batters Seaview Cottage one night, she hears a visitor at the door and a violent argument ensues. By the time the police arrive, Rebecca’s parents are dead and the visitor has fled. No one believes Rebecca heard a stranger downstairs...
2014. Iris, a journalist, is sent to cover the story of a new mother on the run with her desperately ill baby. But fatefully the trail leads to the childhood home of Iris’s own mother, Rebecca…Seaview Cottage.
As Iris races to unravel what happened the night Rebecca’s parents were killed, it’s time for Seaview Cottage to give up its secrets.
352 pages, Paperback
First published September 5, 2019
2328 people are currently reading
5257 people want to read
About the author
Emily Gunnis
14 books687 followersHello everyone,
Thank you for checking out my author page. Even writing this is a dream come true for me.
I’ve wanted to be a published author since my mother, Penny Vincenzi, got her first book deal, when she and I would walk and talk about everything plots and stories together.
Fast forward thirty years and I have discovered it is slightly more difficult than she made it look. But still, I got there eventually, because it is in my blood, and also, because I have always existed, slightly, in a world of my own, and reading and writing books allows me to make a living from that. I still remember my eleven-year-old self, a little at odds with the world, sitting on the cold parquet floor of St Lawrence Junior School utterly gripped as Mr Thomas read us all Boy by Roald Dahl.
After graduating in Journalism in 1997 I began writing scripts and had two episodes of BBC Doctors commissioned, but I wasn’t keen on all the endless drafts and input from Script Editors and Producers. So, while I worked as a PA at the BBC and the Daily Mirror newspaper I learned as much as I could about storytelling until it all became fodder for my debut novel, The Girl in the Letter.
I really hope you enjoy it, and my follow-up novel which I am busy researching as we speak. I live in Brighton, Sussex, with my husband Steve, an architect, and my two crazy, beautiful girls, Grace and Eleanor. We read a lot of Julia Donaldson and Roald Dahl, in between walking Merlin our whippet on the beach but when I’ve got a deadline I rely on their tablets rather a lot and feel incredibly guilty most of the time.
If you’d like to get in touch, please do visit me on Twitter @EmilyGunnis and Instagram @emilygunnis.
And if you’re really stuck for something to do, feel free to review my book. I would love to know what you think.
Keep reading!
Love Emily x
Thank you for checking out my author page. Even writing this is a dream come true for me.
I’ve wanted to be a published author since my mother, Penny Vincenzi, got her first book deal, when she and I would walk and talk about everything plots and stories together.
Fast forward thirty years and I have discovered it is slightly more difficult than she made it look. But still, I got there eventually, because it is in my blood, and also, because I have always existed, slightly, in a world of my own, and reading and writing books allows me to make a living from that. I still remember my eleven-year-old self, a little at odds with the world, sitting on the cold parquet floor of St Lawrence Junior School utterly gripped as Mr Thomas read us all Boy by Roald Dahl.
After graduating in Journalism in 1997 I began writing scripts and had two episodes of BBC Doctors commissioned, but I wasn’t keen on all the endless drafts and input from Script Editors and Producers. So, while I worked as a PA at the BBC and the Daily Mirror newspaper I learned as much as I could about storytelling until it all became fodder for my debut novel, The Girl in the Letter.
I really hope you enjoy it, and my follow-up novel which I am busy researching as we speak. I live in Brighton, Sussex, with my husband Steve, an architect, and my two crazy, beautiful girls, Grace and Eleanor. We read a lot of Julia Donaldson and Roald Dahl, in between walking Merlin our whippet on the beach but when I’ve got a deadline I rely on their tablets rather a lot and feel incredibly guilty most of the time.
If you’d like to get in touch, please do visit me on Twitter @EmilyGunnis and Instagram @emilygunnis.
And if you’re really stuck for something to do, feel free to review my book. I would love to know what you think.
Keep reading!
Love Emily x
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 463 reviews
August 27, 2019
This is a complex, multilayered storytelling that goes back and forth in time by Emily Gunnis. It is a impressively researched tale of women in different time periods and the present. In 1960, 13 year old Rebecca Waterhouse is traumatised at the horror of seeing her beloved mother, Harriet, dying after being brutally beaten by her violent father, who then shot himself at Seaview Cottage in Whittering Bay. Further trauma is inflicted on Rebecca in the manner in which the police treat and interview her. She ends up living with her close childhood friend, Harvey Roberts, and his father at Seaview Farm. Rebecca had promised Harriet that she would focus on becoming a doctor, and never be dependent on a man to the extent that her mother had been. In the present, Rebecca is a retired senior paediatric doctor with two daughters, one from her first marriage to Harvey, Jessie, who to her despair she has barely seen, kept apart by Harvey and his now dead wife, Liz, and Iris, a journalist, from her second marriage to John.
An anxious and pregnant Jessie meets Rebecca wanting answers that Rebecca, a private person, has never been able to talk about in her entire life. Matters escalate with Jessie experiencing a difficult and painful birth to a poorly Elizabeth Rose, a baby in need of urgent medical attention. Convinced the medical staff are trying to kill Elizabeth, Jess escapes with her daughter into a bitterly cold night. A frantic search by the police to find Jessie, is the cue for Iris to try to find her, a quest that takes her into the past, to the lives of her grandmother Harriet, her time as a lady's maid to the vulnerable Cecilia at Northcote, her abusive grandfather who spent time at an asylum, Greenways Hospital, diagnosed with Chronic Battle Neurosis after his experiences as a soldier in WW2, and the past history and terrors of her mother, Rebecca. The narrative is from the key perspectives of Harriet, Rebecca, Jessie, Iris, Cecilia and Harvey, which expose complicated and traumatic lives, mental health issues, secrets, betrayal and lies.
This is an emotionally heartbreaking read of attitudes to women that ensured they were forced to remain in abusive marriages, of powerful husbands who could get away with having their wives certified insane, incarcerated in locked psychiatric wards so they could marry again, of the inherited condition of Postpartum Psychosis, and the problems and burdens that women faced with men after they returned home from WW2. Gunnis portrays the lives that women faced in our recent past, their courage and bravery in the face of terror inducing adversity, inherited mental health issues, and being taken to the edge and broken after being incarcerated unjustly in a asylum. I found this a thought provoking, brilliant, emotional and compulsive read, and admit it had me feeling such rage at what women were forced to endure in the past. Highly recommended! Many thanks to Headline for an ARC.
An anxious and pregnant Jessie meets Rebecca wanting answers that Rebecca, a private person, has never been able to talk about in her entire life. Matters escalate with Jessie experiencing a difficult and painful birth to a poorly Elizabeth Rose, a baby in need of urgent medical attention. Convinced the medical staff are trying to kill Elizabeth, Jess escapes with her daughter into a bitterly cold night. A frantic search by the police to find Jessie, is the cue for Iris to try to find her, a quest that takes her into the past, to the lives of her grandmother Harriet, her time as a lady's maid to the vulnerable Cecilia at Northcote, her abusive grandfather who spent time at an asylum, Greenways Hospital, diagnosed with Chronic Battle Neurosis after his experiences as a soldier in WW2, and the past history and terrors of her mother, Rebecca. The narrative is from the key perspectives of Harriet, Rebecca, Jessie, Iris, Cecilia and Harvey, which expose complicated and traumatic lives, mental health issues, secrets, betrayal and lies.
This is an emotionally heartbreaking read of attitudes to women that ensured they were forced to remain in abusive marriages, of powerful husbands who could get away with having their wives certified insane, incarcerated in locked psychiatric wards so they could marry again, of the inherited condition of Postpartum Psychosis, and the problems and burdens that women faced with men after they returned home from WW2. Gunnis portrays the lives that women faced in our recent past, their courage and bravery in the face of terror inducing adversity, inherited mental health issues, and being taken to the edge and broken after being incarcerated unjustly in a asylum. I found this a thought provoking, brilliant, emotional and compulsive read, and admit it had me feeling such rage at what women were forced to endure in the past. Highly recommended! Many thanks to Headline for an ARC.
December 30, 2020
5 stars! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Mobius Books is a newer imprint of Hachette US, and its focus is bringing the top selling titles from Hachette UK to the US. I’m so grateful for this and have loved every book I’ve read (check out my review for The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon: Escape to the Riviera for the most irresistible read of 2020 and The Child On Platform One: Inspired by the children who escaped the Holocaust). I am smitten with each and every cover on these books, too, but I have to say, The Lost Child may be my favorite. Stunning! (By the way, I don’t see this exact cover on the Goodreads options right now).
Taking place over two timelines, the 1960s and 2014, The Lost Child is the story of thirteen year old Rebecca, living in Seaview Cottage, whose parents are killed by an intruder though no one believes her... It’s also the story of Iris, a journalist, who is assigned a new story, one that takes her to the childhood home of her mother, Rebecca.
What kind of secrets is Seaview Cottage holding?
Wow. This story has so many layers, and they fit together beautifully. The story hurt my heart at times because of its realistic portrayal of women and children stuck in abusive relationships. It’s also about how men could yield power over women by having them hospitalized in psychiatric wards, completely unfounded.
The Lost Child was just the kind of emotional historical fiction I love most. The characters were easy to connect to and so was the story. The writing is flawless and engaging, without ever losing its steam. I highly recommend The Lost Child, and I am headed over right now to see if Emily Gunnis has written any other books I can devour like I did this one.
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Mobius Books is a newer imprint of Hachette US, and its focus is bringing the top selling titles from Hachette UK to the US. I’m so grateful for this and have loved every book I’ve read (check out my review for The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon: Escape to the Riviera for the most irresistible read of 2020 and The Child On Platform One: Inspired by the children who escaped the Holocaust). I am smitten with each and every cover on these books, too, but I have to say, The Lost Child may be my favorite. Stunning! (By the way, I don’t see this exact cover on the Goodreads options right now).
Taking place over two timelines, the 1960s and 2014, The Lost Child is the story of thirteen year old Rebecca, living in Seaview Cottage, whose parents are killed by an intruder though no one believes her... It’s also the story of Iris, a journalist, who is assigned a new story, one that takes her to the childhood home of her mother, Rebecca.
What kind of secrets is Seaview Cottage holding?
Wow. This story has so many layers, and they fit together beautifully. The story hurt my heart at times because of its realistic portrayal of women and children stuck in abusive relationships. It’s also about how men could yield power over women by having them hospitalized in psychiatric wards, completely unfounded.
The Lost Child was just the kind of emotional historical fiction I love most. The characters were easy to connect to and so was the story. The writing is flawless and engaging, without ever losing its steam. I highly recommend The Lost Child, and I am headed over right now to see if Emily Gunnis has written any other books I can devour like I did this one.
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
April 20, 2020
A brilliantly emotional charged read that tackles trauma, mental health and psychosis in a harsh but important light.
The story being told over various time periods also highlights the different attitudes (and support) to this difficult subjects in a very insightful way.
The book opens in 1960 with 13 year old Rebecca Waterhouse witnessing her mother being murdered by her own father.
Whilst in 2014 Rebecca's daughter Jessie goes missing having just given birth to her gravely ill daughter.
It's down to Rebecca's other daughter Iris to put all the pieces of her familys past together to help save her niece before it's too late.
Seeing how the Second World War had a devastating effect on those that survived was so impactful, while I wasn't aware that abusive husbands would try to get their wives certified insane so they could remarry was a real eye opener.
The inclusion of the postnatal depression strand in Jessie's story was well handled too, childbirth is a stressful time and midwifes can be abit too pushy with breastfeeding!
A really gripping informative tense read.
The story being told over various time periods also highlights the different attitudes (and support) to this difficult subjects in a very insightful way.
The book opens in 1960 with 13 year old Rebecca Waterhouse witnessing her mother being murdered by her own father.
Whilst in 2014 Rebecca's daughter Jessie goes missing having just given birth to her gravely ill daughter.
It's down to Rebecca's other daughter Iris to put all the pieces of her familys past together to help save her niece before it's too late.
Seeing how the Second World War had a devastating effect on those that survived was so impactful, while I wasn't aware that abusive husbands would try to get their wives certified insane so they could remarry was a real eye opener.
The inclusion of the postnatal depression strand in Jessie's story was well handled too, childbirth is a stressful time and midwifes can be abit too pushy with breastfeeding!
A really gripping informative tense read.
February 13, 2022
Prima carte de 5⭐ din 2022!
April 11, 2023
3,5⭐️
Labai suintrigavo įvadas- autorės žodis, kur ji papasakojo, kas įkvėpė parašyti knygą- tai netikėtai sename žemėlapyje rastas pastatas, pavadintas "Grafystės bepročių prieglauda", apsilankymas ten, ir žinia, kad iki pat šeštojo dešimtmečio vyrai galėjo ten uždaryti nusibodusias žmonas ir vesti kitas moteris. Po šito iš knygos tikėjausi visai kitko. Užrašas ant viršelio ,,Mįslingas nusikaltimas, dingęs kūdikis, dešimtmečius saugotos paslaptys" irgi šiek tiek klaidina. Skaitant erzino bandymai tobulai suraizgytą šeimyninę dramą, kuri viena pati galėjo būti nerealiai gera, tempti prie trilerio, kuris, mano supratimu, visai nesigavo.
Šiaip istorija skaitosi greitai ir maloniai, o mamų-dukrų santykių peripetijos įtraukia ir jaudina.
Labai suintrigavo įvadas- autorės žodis, kur ji papasakojo, kas įkvėpė parašyti knygą- tai netikėtai sename žemėlapyje rastas pastatas, pavadintas "Grafystės bepročių prieglauda", apsilankymas ten, ir žinia, kad iki pat šeštojo dešimtmečio vyrai galėjo ten uždaryti nusibodusias žmonas ir vesti kitas moteris. Po šito iš knygos tikėjausi visai kitko. Užrašas ant viršelio ,,Mįslingas nusikaltimas, dingęs kūdikis, dešimtmečius saugotos paslaptys" irgi šiek tiek klaidina. Skaitant erzino bandymai tobulai suraizgytą šeimyninę dramą, kuri viena pati galėjo būti nerealiai gera, tempti prie trilerio, kuris, mano supratimu, visai nesigavo.
Šiaip istorija skaitosi greitai ir maloniai, o mamų-dukrų santykių peripetijos įtraukia ir jaudina.
July 2, 2021
Įtraukianti, bet kartu tokia sunki knyga, apie didelę motinos meile vaikui, kuri padeda įveikti gyvenime pasitaikančias kliūtis, bei apie pogimdyminę pschozę ir depresiją, kuri gana dažnai aplanko moteris, kuomet ne visada pavyksta ją greit pastebėti ir padėti kenčiančiai moteriai susidoroti su sunkumais.
February 2, 2020
Now, this wasn’t an amazing read. Liked it but that’s it not more. Has no flow for me sometimes I felt confused when I read it.
I want to thank NetGalley, publisher for this early copy for an honest review.
I want to thank NetGalley, publisher for this early copy for an honest review.
March 21, 2022
O carte Plina de secrete si durere! Dar și de personaje puternice!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2020
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The Lost Child by Emily Gunnis. (2020).
1960. 13-year-old Rebecca lives in fear of her father’s temper. As a storm batters Seaview Cottage one night, she hears a visitor at the door and a violent argument ensues. By the time the police arrive, Rebecca’s parents are dead and the visitor has fled. No one believes Rebecca heard a stranger downstairs...
2014. Iris, a journalist, is sent to cover the story of a new mother on the run with her desperately ill baby. But fatefully the trail leads to the childhood home of Iris’s own mother, Rebecca…Seaview Cottage. As Iris races to unravel what happened the night Rebecca’s parents were killed, it’s time for Seaview Cottage to give up its secrets.
Let me just say that I think this synopsis is missing some information. I really don't think it's a spoiler to include the info that the new mother on the run is Iris's half-sister Jessie. We find that out almost immediately and to be honest I have no idea why they decided to leave that off the synopsis considering it is established from the beginning, and the only reason Iris is ''sent to cover" the story is because she rang her editor about it...anyway for some reason that really annoyed me so I had to vent haha!
The book itself...I personally found it average and okay, the majority of other people seem to find it great. The storyline flicks between the present (2014) when Jessie is missing with her new baby, 1960 when Jessie's mother Rebecca's parents died and late 1940s/early 1950s when Rebecca's father Jacob returns a changed man from war to his wife Harriet. It all ends up being linked to Seaview Courage and some big secrets are revealed by the end. I was intrigued enough to read the whole book but it just felt like it was lacking something to me. A lot of other readers have seriously loved this one and found it really absorbing and engaging. I didn't have that experience myself but I can see why people have really enjoyed it so give it a go if you like the sound of the synopsis.
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
The Lost Child by Emily Gunnis. (2020).
1960. 13-year-old Rebecca lives in fear of her father’s temper. As a storm batters Seaview Cottage one night, she hears a visitor at the door and a violent argument ensues. By the time the police arrive, Rebecca’s parents are dead and the visitor has fled. No one believes Rebecca heard a stranger downstairs...
2014. Iris, a journalist, is sent to cover the story of a new mother on the run with her desperately ill baby. But fatefully the trail leads to the childhood home of Iris’s own mother, Rebecca…Seaview Cottage. As Iris races to unravel what happened the night Rebecca’s parents were killed, it’s time for Seaview Cottage to give up its secrets.
Let me just say that I think this synopsis is missing some information. I really don't think it's a spoiler to include the info that the new mother on the run is Iris's half-sister Jessie. We find that out almost immediately and to be honest I have no idea why they decided to leave that off the synopsis considering it is established from the beginning, and the only reason Iris is ''sent to cover" the story is because she rang her editor about it...anyway for some reason that really annoyed me so I had to vent haha!
The book itself...I personally found it average and okay, the majority of other people seem to find it great. The storyline flicks between the present (2014) when Jessie is missing with her new baby, 1960 when Jessie's mother Rebecca's parents died and late 1940s/early 1950s when Rebecca's father Jacob returns a changed man from war to his wife Harriet. It all ends up being linked to Seaview Courage and some big secrets are revealed by the end. I was intrigued enough to read the whole book but it just felt like it was lacking something to me. A lot of other readers have seriously loved this one and found it really absorbing and engaging. I didn't have that experience myself but I can see why people have really enjoyed it so give it a go if you like the sound of the synopsis.
September 12, 2020
No ano de 1960 Rebecca, com 13 anos, ouve mais uma violenta discussão dos pais. Ao ouvir a mãe a gritar corre para junto dela mas a mãe já está morta e o pai também, suicidou-se.
Em 2014 Jessie, uma das filhas de Rebecca teve uma bebé prematura mas decide fugir do hospital pouco tempo depois do parto. A bebé está doente e precisa de medicação. Jessie tem um passado de depressão e a família está muito preocupada com o desaparecimento das duas.
Iris, a meia irmã de Jessie é jornalista e vai tentar encontrar a irmã.
Um história muito bem escrita narrada em dois tempos e por várias personagens, à qual fiquei agarrada desde cedo. Adorei a ligação entre o passado e o presente, os segredos, a abordagem à doença mental.
Vão-nos sendo dados pedaços da trama até que se compõe numa dura e comovente história de três gerações de uma família.
Simplesmente adorei este livro!
Em 2014 Jessie, uma das filhas de Rebecca teve uma bebé prematura mas decide fugir do hospital pouco tempo depois do parto. A bebé está doente e precisa de medicação. Jessie tem um passado de depressão e a família está muito preocupada com o desaparecimento das duas.
Iris, a meia irmã de Jessie é jornalista e vai tentar encontrar a irmã.
Um história muito bem escrita narrada em dois tempos e por várias personagens, à qual fiquei agarrada desde cedo. Adorei a ligação entre o passado e o presente, os segredos, a abordagem à doença mental.
Vão-nos sendo dados pedaços da trama até que se compõe numa dura e comovente história de três gerações de uma família.
Simplesmente adorei este livro!
September 22, 2020
Loved loved loved this book! A very interesting family drama that alternates time periods and POV that ends in a wrap up you are so completely satisfied with! Great read!
Thanks so much to the publisher for my copy in exchange for review!
Thanks so much to the publisher for my copy in exchange for review!
October 10, 2023
Un thriller psihologic - saga de familie, intens și captivant, plin de secrete și multă durere.
Mi-a plăcut destul de mult, are și un element istoric intrigant, scriitura curge lin, personaje puternice, dar din păcate am citit “Fetița din scrisoare”, care m-a șocat, acum câteva luni, iar aceasta e tare asemănătoare ca stil, poveste, dar dacă vrei ceva ușurel, cu multă acțiune, recomand.
Mi-a plăcut destul de mult, are și un element istoric intrigant, scriitura curge lin, personaje puternice, dar din păcate am citit “Fetița din scrisoare”, care m-a șocat, acum câteva luni, iar aceasta e tare asemănătoare ca stil, poveste, dar dacă vrei ceva ușurel, cu multă acțiune, recomand.
September 1, 2019
Having read Emily's debut book of The Girl in the Letter and absolutely loving it, it was a total no brainer that I had to read this her second book. Plus given how much I love historical fiction with dual timeline storyline involved, was more than enough incentive for me to read the book.
Well this story literally grabbed a hold of me and sucked me in. It was highly captivating, dramatic and emotional read in places, I literally could not turn the pages fast enough, with wanting to find out what happens next and as to how it would all end.
It didn't take me long to be drawn into the stories of both Harriet/Jacob back in 1952/1960 and that of Rebecca/Harvey in present day, I was captivated right from the first few chapters. I loved how the story went back and forth from past to present day which was done so seamlessly.
I thought the story was brilliantly well written, it's clear from the details within as to just how much research the author Emily must have done, she really has done a magnificent job.
As for the characters they were all so very well portrayed and believable, I really did just lose mysel within all of their individual stories. I truly felt for Harriet & Rebecca, everything they each had to deal with/go through and the effects it all had on their futures.
So last words, If you love books that tell a story in the present and in the past then I can highly recommend this beautiful tale which is heartbreaking, emotional, gripping, suspenseful and will keep you on the edge of your seat right to the very last chapter, oh and the twist at the end is shockingly good too as so wasn't expecting it.
Well this story literally grabbed a hold of me and sucked me in. It was highly captivating, dramatic and emotional read in places, I literally could not turn the pages fast enough, with wanting to find out what happens next and as to how it would all end.
It didn't take me long to be drawn into the stories of both Harriet/Jacob back in 1952/1960 and that of Rebecca/Harvey in present day, I was captivated right from the first few chapters. I loved how the story went back and forth from past to present day which was done so seamlessly.
I thought the story was brilliantly well written, it's clear from the details within as to just how much research the author Emily must have done, she really has done a magnificent job.
As for the characters they were all so very well portrayed and believable, I really did just lose mysel within all of their individual stories. I truly felt for Harriet & Rebecca, everything they each had to deal with/go through and the effects it all had on their futures.
So last words, If you love books that tell a story in the present and in the past then I can highly recommend this beautiful tale which is heartbreaking, emotional, gripping, suspenseful and will keep you on the edge of your seat right to the very last chapter, oh and the twist at the end is shockingly good too as so wasn't expecting it.
March 8, 2020
Emily Gunnis is a new author for me so having come across THE LOST CHILD and after reading the premise, I had no idea what to expect. I needn't have worried because this superb novel had me hooked from the very first page. In fact, I would have finished it in under a day had it not been real life getting in the way and diverting my attention.
In 1945, Jacob Waterhouse returns from war having served in the D-Day landings at Normandy which has haunted him day and night ever since. He returns a shell of a man of who he was before the war, suffering constant nightmares and flashbacks and no clue how to deal with the horrors he saw there. His wife Harriet, looking forward to his return, doesn't recognise the man that is her husband and has no idea how to help him. They take up a position in service for the Bartons at their sprawling estate - he as a gardener and she as a lady's maid. Until fate intervenes and changes their lives forever.
In 1952, Harriet Waterhouse faces a dilemma when she receives word that her husband Jacob is to be released from the mental institution he has been in for the past five years. Having lived with his nightmares, anger and violence from the time he came back from the war till the day he was carted off to the institution, Harriet is unsure what to expect. But things are different now. Harriet has 5 year old Rebecca to think about and Jacob's violent outbursts have no place in their new found peace at Seaview Cottage.
In 1960, 13 year old Rebecca Waterhouse faces a tragedy and she witnesses the horrific murder of her mother at the hands of her father before shooting himself. She is taken into custody and questioned at length by police which bordered on badgering the young girl who had, in effect, now been left an orphan. Police are certain there is more to the incident than Rebecca is letting on and that she is hiding information paramount to the investigation. But Rebecca never wavers in her account. Police let her go and she returns to live at Seaview Farm with her neighbour Ted Roberts and his son Harvey.
In 2014, Jessie Roberts goes into labour and delivers a baby girl whom she names Elizabeth, after her deceased stepmother. But Jessie, who had been anxious prior to the birth, now becomes convinced that the doctors are trying to harm her newborn daughter and that the antibiotics given to her for a life-threatening infection are poison. She refuses to consent to the treatment and early the next morning she leaves the hospital, taking her sick newborn daughter with her. Her father Harvey is frantic with worry as he fears history repeating itself in the form of post natal psychosis which afflicted her mother Rebecca just after Jessie was born almost four decades ago. She displays all the same signs as Rebecca did and now that Jessie has fled with her sick daughter, if Elizabeth doesn't receive her antibiotics within 12 hours, her chances of survival are slim.
Iris Waterhouse is Jessie's half sister and a journalist. So when their mother Rebecca rings Iris pleading with her to help find her sister, Iris must use her contacts and her position as a journalist to delve into the past to discover why Jessie fled. Her mother never talks about her past, particularly the night of her parent's deaths, so Iris must use all her nous to uncover the truth.
Meanwhile, a mysterious patient arrives at the hospital to receive urgent care in the midst of Jessie's disappearance. We are privy to their confusing thoughts that border on the incoherent ramblings of a mental patient as we try to make sense of what their words mean and where their story fits into the one already unfolding.
Told in three main timelines - 1945 to 1952, 1960 and 2014 - everything comes back to Seaview Cottage. What role does Seaview play in a terrified mother's life? What links Seaview from the past to the present? And will the Cottage finally reveal the truth that has remained hidden for so long? As the individual stories unravel, we discover the link that ties them all together whilst gaining an understanding of post natal psychosis, guilt, secrets and the unbreakable love of a mother for her child.
There is so much pain, hurt and misunderstanding embedded deep within the story of this family but it is also heartbreakingly real. The complex nature of families is outlined with sensitivity and understanding as shocking secrets are ultimately revealed, bringing the story full circle.
An intriguing mystery combined with historical fiction and a touch of chick lit, THE LOST CHILD is a compelling tale of mothers and daughters and of love and forgiveness. Heartwrenching and emotional, this story is utterly absorbing that you will not want to put down.
As the combined narratives unfold to weave the three storylines together, readers will gain an insight into mental health issues such as post natal psychosis and the effect war has on returning soldiers. THE LOST CHILD is, at times, heartbreaking but above all it is a beautiful and touching story that will have you reaching for the Kleenex by the story's end.
So if you enjoy books in dual timeline format with a touch of mystery and a touch of history, I highly recommend this beautiful story that is heartbreaking, emotional, intriguing, compelling and suspenseful right up to the very last page with one final twist that is so shockingly good I wasn't expecting it.
I have not yet read "The Girl in the Letter" but after reading this gem I am looking forward to losing myself to it!
I would like to thank #EmilyGunnis, #NetGalley and #Headline for an ARC of #TheLostChild in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
In 1945, Jacob Waterhouse returns from war having served in the D-Day landings at Normandy which has haunted him day and night ever since. He returns a shell of a man of who he was before the war, suffering constant nightmares and flashbacks and no clue how to deal with the horrors he saw there. His wife Harriet, looking forward to his return, doesn't recognise the man that is her husband and has no idea how to help him. They take up a position in service for the Bartons at their sprawling estate - he as a gardener and she as a lady's maid. Until fate intervenes and changes their lives forever.
In 1952, Harriet Waterhouse faces a dilemma when she receives word that her husband Jacob is to be released from the mental institution he has been in for the past five years. Having lived with his nightmares, anger and violence from the time he came back from the war till the day he was carted off to the institution, Harriet is unsure what to expect. But things are different now. Harriet has 5 year old Rebecca to think about and Jacob's violent outbursts have no place in their new found peace at Seaview Cottage.
In 1960, 13 year old Rebecca Waterhouse faces a tragedy and she witnesses the horrific murder of her mother at the hands of her father before shooting himself. She is taken into custody and questioned at length by police which bordered on badgering the young girl who had, in effect, now been left an orphan. Police are certain there is more to the incident than Rebecca is letting on and that she is hiding information paramount to the investigation. But Rebecca never wavers in her account. Police let her go and she returns to live at Seaview Farm with her neighbour Ted Roberts and his son Harvey.
In 2014, Jessie Roberts goes into labour and delivers a baby girl whom she names Elizabeth, after her deceased stepmother. But Jessie, who had been anxious prior to the birth, now becomes convinced that the doctors are trying to harm her newborn daughter and that the antibiotics given to her for a life-threatening infection are poison. She refuses to consent to the treatment and early the next morning she leaves the hospital, taking her sick newborn daughter with her. Her father Harvey is frantic with worry as he fears history repeating itself in the form of post natal psychosis which afflicted her mother Rebecca just after Jessie was born almost four decades ago. She displays all the same signs as Rebecca did and now that Jessie has fled with her sick daughter, if Elizabeth doesn't receive her antibiotics within 12 hours, her chances of survival are slim.
Iris Waterhouse is Jessie's half sister and a journalist. So when their mother Rebecca rings Iris pleading with her to help find her sister, Iris must use her contacts and her position as a journalist to delve into the past to discover why Jessie fled. Her mother never talks about her past, particularly the night of her parent's deaths, so Iris must use all her nous to uncover the truth.
Meanwhile, a mysterious patient arrives at the hospital to receive urgent care in the midst of Jessie's disappearance. We are privy to their confusing thoughts that border on the incoherent ramblings of a mental patient as we try to make sense of what their words mean and where their story fits into the one already unfolding.
Told in three main timelines - 1945 to 1952, 1960 and 2014 - everything comes back to Seaview Cottage. What role does Seaview play in a terrified mother's life? What links Seaview from the past to the present? And will the Cottage finally reveal the truth that has remained hidden for so long? As the individual stories unravel, we discover the link that ties them all together whilst gaining an understanding of post natal psychosis, guilt, secrets and the unbreakable love of a mother for her child.
There is so much pain, hurt and misunderstanding embedded deep within the story of this family but it is also heartbreakingly real. The complex nature of families is outlined with sensitivity and understanding as shocking secrets are ultimately revealed, bringing the story full circle.
An intriguing mystery combined with historical fiction and a touch of chick lit, THE LOST CHILD is a compelling tale of mothers and daughters and of love and forgiveness. Heartwrenching and emotional, this story is utterly absorbing that you will not want to put down.
As the combined narratives unfold to weave the three storylines together, readers will gain an insight into mental health issues such as post natal psychosis and the effect war has on returning soldiers. THE LOST CHILD is, at times, heartbreaking but above all it is a beautiful and touching story that will have you reaching for the Kleenex by the story's end.
So if you enjoy books in dual timeline format with a touch of mystery and a touch of history, I highly recommend this beautiful story that is heartbreaking, emotional, intriguing, compelling and suspenseful right up to the very last page with one final twist that is so shockingly good I wasn't expecting it.
I have not yet read "The Girl in the Letter" but after reading this gem I am looking forward to losing myself to it!
I would like to thank #EmilyGunnis, #NetGalley and #Headline for an ARC of #TheLostChild in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
October 4, 2021
I can't believe how good this book actually is! This is insane. I love it so so much. Such a clever masterpiece 🙈
April 22, 2021
Pažintį su Emily Gunnis pradėjau ne nuo taip visų išgirtos knygos „Mergina iš laiško“, o nuo antrosios – „Prarastas vaikas“. Dėmesį patraukė viršelis su jame pažadėtu mįslingu nusikaltimu, dingusiu kūdikiu bei dešimtmečius saugotomis paslaptimis. Visa tai ir dar daugiau galima rasti šioje knygoje, kurios puslapiais tiesiog plauki, bandydamas išsiaiškinti ir atskleisti tai, kas joje paslėpta.
Romanas pasakojamas dviem laikais, abi linijos man pasirodė vienodai įdomios. Praeityje, 1960 metais, gyvenanti trylikametė Rebeka, jos mama ir agresyvus tėvas. Naktis, kurios metu įvyksta tragedija, pakeitusi likusį mergaitės gyvenimą. Dabartyje, 2014 metais, ką tik pagimdžiusi Rebekos dukra Džesė su naujagime pabėga iš ligoninės ir dingsta be žinios. Kas sieja dabartį su praeitimi?
„Prarastas vaikas“ - tai istorija apie karo sugriautus likimus, apie pogimdyvinę psichozę, apie motinos ir dukterų santykius, jų ryšį, apie slepiamus išgyvenimus, kuriems anksčiau ar vėliau ateina laikas atsiskleisti.
Knyga man patiko, tačiau neslėpsiu buvo vietų, kuriose ji pasirodė šabloniška ir norėjosi skaitant vartyti akis. Pažintis tikrai vykusi, būtinai skaitysiu ir „Mergina iš laiško“.
Romanas pasakojamas dviem laikais, abi linijos man pasirodė vienodai įdomios. Praeityje, 1960 metais, gyvenanti trylikametė Rebeka, jos mama ir agresyvus tėvas. Naktis, kurios metu įvyksta tragedija, pakeitusi likusį mergaitės gyvenimą. Dabartyje, 2014 metais, ką tik pagimdžiusi Rebekos dukra Džesė su naujagime pabėga iš ligoninės ir dingsta be žinios. Kas sieja dabartį su praeitimi?
„Prarastas vaikas“ - tai istorija apie karo sugriautus likimus, apie pogimdyvinę psichozę, apie motinos ir dukterų santykius, jų ryšį, apie slepiamus išgyvenimus, kuriems anksčiau ar vėliau ateina laikas atsiskleisti.
Knyga man patiko, tačiau neslėpsiu buvo vietų, kuriose ji pasirodė šabloniška ir norėjosi skaitant vartyti akis. Pažintis tikrai vykusi, būtinai skaitysiu ir „Mergina iš laiško“.
June 24, 2024
Uma história emocionante. Gostei mto
April 27, 2021
Woooow ce carte!! La fel de obsedanta ca "fetita din scrisoare" dar parca mai buna. Mi-a frant inima ultimul capitol, este un roman atat de încărcat emotional, încât la final ai un gol în stomac. E o drama cartea de fata, si e extraordinar de trista. E ca un puzzle, la inceput e greu de urmărit dar la un moment dat piesele se așează, si apoi devine greu de lasat din mana. Am crezut la inceput ca fetita pierduta este Elizabeth, dar este de fapt Rebecca. Nu stiu ce inseamna sa treci prin iadul care este psihoza postnatala, dar le-am înțeles complet pe aceste femei. Sa devii mama este copleșitor, toată responsabilitatea care ți se pune în brate te copleșește si te macină gândul ca poate nu vei fi o mama bună pentru copilul tau. E cumplit deasemenea si faptul ca o femeie sanatoasa putea fi inchisa pe viata la dispoziția sotului. Știați ca pana prin anii 50, daca un bărbat bogat se plictisea de nevasta lui, putea sa o închidă intr-un azil, ca sa se poată insura cu amanta? Am fost uimita sa descopăr in carte cat de greu era sa obții un divorț intre anii 1940-1970 si cata osteneala isi deteau oamenii pentru a scăpa dintr-o căsnicie nefericita. Cartea aceasta e remarcabila, m-a tinut in suspans si m-a acaparat nu de la inceput, dar dacă aveți răbdare cu ea, se va dovedi a fi o poveste extraordinara.
February 26, 2021
When I started this book, I did not realize it would hook me so much so that I could not stop reading this unputdownable thriller. This was an absolute fabulous read I LOVED!
from the opening scene, I was already blown with the tragedy of the situation as viewed by a thirteen year old Rebecca witnessing an unspeakable tragedy. The writing and pacing were so well done with the point of views of multiple main characters and one character whose identity will soon be revealed in a shocking twist in the end. But that is not the only twist you will be shocked by reading this book. Gunnis gifts thriller fans little nuggets of clues throughout the story in an exceptionally well done story that moves from the past to the near present time.
Besides being an amazing edge of your seat domestic thriller, the book deftly portrayed post WWII PTSD, the role of women in these abusive relationships, love of a mother, families and their dysfunctions, secrets and omissions, and the way mental health was handled in medical historical perspective.
I highly recommend this book for domestic thriller fans. It’s absolutely a wonderful novel.
Also, I want to take the time to appreciate the gorgeous cover of this novel. It’s simply breathtaking!
My full review in Goodreads
from the opening scene, I was already blown with the tragedy of the situation as viewed by a thirteen year old Rebecca witnessing an unspeakable tragedy. The writing and pacing were so well done with the point of views of multiple main characters and one character whose identity will soon be revealed in a shocking twist in the end. But that is not the only twist you will be shocked by reading this book. Gunnis gifts thriller fans little nuggets of clues throughout the story in an exceptionally well done story that moves from the past to the near present time.
Besides being an amazing edge of your seat domestic thriller, the book deftly portrayed post WWII PTSD, the role of women in these abusive relationships, love of a mother, families and their dysfunctions, secrets and omissions, and the way mental health was handled in medical historical perspective.
I highly recommend this book for domestic thriller fans. It’s absolutely a wonderful novel.
Also, I want to take the time to appreciate the gorgeous cover of this novel. It’s simply breathtaking!
My full review in Goodreads
March 21, 2020
This is a story that flicks between past and present. The past builds up nicely to what is happening in the present and I was on edge waiting to see how everything was going to come together.
The author deals with some tough subjects to do with mental health and domestic abuse. It made me have huge empathy for Rebecca and her mum at what they had to endure. Rebecca suffering more with the mental abuse of watching her mum being beaten day in and day out.
I love how the author weaves the characters lives together. Her story telling is wonderful, her words and descriptions draw you in, making you not want to go anywhere for a while. The mystery and suspense of what happened in the past, builds up and had me totally captured.
The Lost Child is a compulsive read that didn’t let me go. It was so easy to lose myself into these characters lives, desperate to know what secrets were being kept from me. This is the second novel I have read by the author and have to say I am becoming a huge fan. A compelling and addictive read.
My thanks to Anne Cater and Headline Review for a readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
The author deals with some tough subjects to do with mental health and domestic abuse. It made me have huge empathy for Rebecca and her mum at what they had to endure. Rebecca suffering more with the mental abuse of watching her mum being beaten day in and day out.
I love how the author weaves the characters lives together. Her story telling is wonderful, her words and descriptions draw you in, making you not want to go anywhere for a while. The mystery and suspense of what happened in the past, builds up and had me totally captured.
The Lost Child is a compulsive read that didn’t let me go. It was so easy to lose myself into these characters lives, desperate to know what secrets were being kept from me. This is the second novel I have read by the author and have to say I am becoming a huge fan. A compelling and addictive read.
My thanks to Anne Cater and Headline Review for a readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
August 13, 2020
É engraçada a forma como este livro começa logo com a inspiração da autora para a sua elaboração, algo que normalmente nos aparece no final do livro. Um antigo hospital psiquiátrico e a percepção de que em 1950 o divórcio não era assim tão fácil de obter, sendo mais fácil para certos maridos alegar insanidade trancando as esposas num asilo para sempre, deram o mote a este livro.
São várias histórias, de várias mulheres, ao longo de várias gerações.
Achei um livro duríssimo principalmente para quem tem filhos, para quem já passou por um parto complicado ou por um pós parto difícil.
Tem muitas personagens, tem muitas histórias diferentes que acabam por se interligar, mas que a dada altura me pareceram um pouco confusas.
Li o livro com um aperto no coração e alguma tristeza, na última página ainda fiquei com os olhos húmidos.
A depressão, a saúde mental, a psicose pós parto, o stress pós traumático não devem e não podem ser encarados de ânimo leve. São temas graves que merecem toda a atenção e cuidados necessários.
January 11, 2020
1n 1952, Harriet Waterhouse faces an untenable choice as her husband is released from the mental institution where he has lived for the past five years.
In 1960, thirteen-year-old Rebecca Waterhouse faces a tragedy that takes her away from Seaview Cottage.
In 2014, journalist Iris Waterhouse covers the story of a mother and her newborn daughter, missing from the hospital.
The Lost Child is a well written novel that explores three timelines and deals with the issues of mental health, the effects of war on returning soldiers, and the effects of postpartum depression on women. The constant in this story is Seaview Cottage and the families who lived there. The timelines change back and forth, and the story is told from five different points of view. If you enjoy multigenerational stories, you will enjoy this book.
In 1960, thirteen-year-old Rebecca Waterhouse faces a tragedy that takes her away from Seaview Cottage.
In 2014, journalist Iris Waterhouse covers the story of a mother and her newborn daughter, missing from the hospital.
The Lost Child is a well written novel that explores three timelines and deals with the issues of mental health, the effects of war on returning soldiers, and the effects of postpartum depression on women. The constant in this story is Seaview Cottage and the families who lived there. The timelines change back and forth, and the story is told from five different points of view. If you enjoy multigenerational stories, you will enjoy this book.
June 24, 2021
Šiais metais jau teko skaityti "Mergina iš laiško" tad nesunku nuspėti, jog norėjau perskaityti ir šią istoriją. Knyga buvo tikrai pagauli su gausybe veikėjų, kurie turėjo savo paslaptis.
1960 - ieji metai. Paauglė Rebeka bei jos motina gyvena nuolatinėje baimėje. Rebekos tėvas Džeikobas kenčia nuo karo neurozės ir dažnu atveju jo elgesys gali tapti neeprognozuojamu. Nutiko taip, jog vienas vakaras tapo lemtingu. Įvyksta tragedija, kuri visam laikui pakeičia Rebekos gyvenimą.
2014 - ieji metai. Čičesterio ligoninėje ką tik Džesė pagimdė nuostabią mergytę. Po gimdymo jauną moterį užklumpa psichozė ir ji tiesiog pabėga iš ligoninės su savo naujagime. Mergaitei yra infekcija ir jai žūtbūt reikia vaistų ir kuo greičiau.
Žurnalistei Airisei yra pavedama išsaiškinti kuo daugiau pikantiškesnių detalių apie Džesę bei jos naujagimę. Airisė paieškas pradeda nuo savo mamos Rebekos, kuri dar visai nesenai kalbėjosi su Džese apie praeitį bei kruopsčiai saugotą paslaptį..
Kiek visko daug šioje knygoje! Dvi pasakojimo linijos, kurios abi man buvo tikrai įdomios ir buvo be galo smalsu sužinoti, kurgi mus nuves visa ši istorija. Tiesa, knygos pradžia man pasirodė truputį painoka. Daug įvykių su dar daugiau veikėjų. Tad reikėjo truputį laiko įsijausti į visą šią istoriją 🤭
Tai knyga, kurioje autorė meistriškai atskleidžia mamos ir dukros ryšį, karo patiriamus siaubus, besąlygišką draugystę bei nelengvą pradžią, kuomet į šeimą atkeliauja mažas žmogutis.
Dabar, kuomet jau esu perskaičiusi abi šios autorės knygas, galiu pasakyti, jog man labiau patiko "Mergina iš laiško", bet ir skaitydama šią knygą, turėjau iš ties puikų laiką ✨
1960 - ieji metai. Paauglė Rebeka bei jos motina gyvena nuolatinėje baimėje. Rebekos tėvas Džeikobas kenčia nuo karo neurozės ir dažnu atveju jo elgesys gali tapti neeprognozuojamu. Nutiko taip, jog vienas vakaras tapo lemtingu. Įvyksta tragedija, kuri visam laikui pakeičia Rebekos gyvenimą.
2014 - ieji metai. Čičesterio ligoninėje ką tik Džesė pagimdė nuostabią mergytę. Po gimdymo jauną moterį užklumpa psichozė ir ji tiesiog pabėga iš ligoninės su savo naujagime. Mergaitei yra infekcija ir jai žūtbūt reikia vaistų ir kuo greičiau.
Žurnalistei Airisei yra pavedama išsaiškinti kuo daugiau pikantiškesnių detalių apie Džesę bei jos naujagimę. Airisė paieškas pradeda nuo savo mamos Rebekos, kuri dar visai nesenai kalbėjosi su Džese apie praeitį bei kruopsčiai saugotą paslaptį..
Kiek visko daug šioje knygoje! Dvi pasakojimo linijos, kurios abi man buvo tikrai įdomios ir buvo be galo smalsu sužinoti, kurgi mus nuves visa ši istorija. Tiesa, knygos pradžia man pasirodė truputį painoka. Daug įvykių su dar daugiau veikėjų. Tad reikėjo truputį laiko įsijausti į visą šią istoriją 🤭
Tai knyga, kurioje autorė meistriškai atskleidžia mamos ir dukros ryšį, karo patiriamus siaubus, besąlygišką draugystę bei nelengvą pradžią, kuomet į šeimą atkeliauja mažas žmogutis.
Dabar, kuomet jau esu perskaičiusi abi šios autorės knygas, galiu pasakyti, jog man labiau patiko "Mergina iš laiško", bet ir skaitydama šią knygą, turėjau iš ties puikų laiką ✨
January 14, 2024
O carte plină de mister, cu o scriitură simplă și o poveste destul de captivantă.
Rebecca trece printr-o experiență traumatizantă la vârsta de 13 ani, când tatăl său, un veteran de război își ucide soția, apoi se sinucide, aceasta participând în calitate de martor la această scenă terifiantă.
Acest episod își va pune amprenta asupra întregii sale vieți, dar și asupra familiei sale, întrucât peste ani Jessie, fiica cea moare a Rebeccai, dispare fără urmă cu bebelușul său grav bolnav, fără să ofere nicio explicație familiei sale.
Deși totul pare inexplicabil, cheia dispariției se află adânc ascunsa în trecutul Rebeccai și în acea noapte fatidică în care aceasta își pierde ambii părinți.
Rebecca trece printr-o experiență traumatizantă la vârsta de 13 ani, când tatăl său, un veteran de război își ucide soția, apoi se sinucide, aceasta participând în calitate de martor la această scenă terifiantă.
Acest episod își va pune amprenta asupra întregii sale vieți, dar și asupra familiei sale, întrucât peste ani Jessie, fiica cea moare a Rebeccai, dispare fără urmă cu bebelușul său grav bolnav, fără să ofere nicio explicație familiei sale.
Deși totul pare inexplicabil, cheia dispariției se află adânc ascunsa în trecutul Rebeccai și în acea noapte fatidică în care aceasta își pierde ambii părinți.
September 26, 2019
Second book I have read by Emily Gunnis. The story is set in three timelines, post WW2 and 1960 and 2014. The story is told from the point of view of several characters as well. At the heart of the story is an old mystery about murder and about a child that echoes down the years when the central character, Rebecca becomes a grandmother and her daughter has a breakdown after giving birth and disappears with her sick baby from the maternity ward.
Rebecca, her ex husband, Harvey and their family must try to overcome the past before time runs out for their newborn granddaughter.
The switching back and forth between times could have been clunky but it wasn't. The writer gave an authentic feel to the various periods the story was set in too.
Rebecca, her ex husband, Harvey and their family must try to overcome the past before time runs out for their newborn granddaughter.
The switching back and forth between times could have been clunky but it wasn't. The writer gave an authentic feel to the various periods the story was set in too.
October 26, 2019
Loved the story and the twist at the end, however, because there were many errors in the book (misspelled names, incorrect pronouns used, incorrect names, missing words...) I just couldn't give it 5 stars.
March 9, 2024
Anii trecuți am citit de la autoare “Fetița din scrisoare” și am fost curioasă de “Fetița pierdută”, știind cât de mult mi-a plăcut primul titlul. Însă cel din urmă nu s-a ridicat la nivelul celui dintâi, fiind ușor previzibil, cel puțin pentru mine, iar o dată intuită acțiunea, s-a dus din efectul surpriză.
Când Jessie naște, o lovește paranoia și fuge cu fiica sa nou-născută din spital, deși bebelușul are nevoie de tratament, iar spre disperarea familiei sale, este de negăsit. Sora sa, Iris, jurnalistă de meserie, este desemnată să urmărească acest caz, întrucât nu dezvăluie că, femeia în cauză, îi este rudă. Iar mama celor două este măcinată de îndoieli, gândindu-se oare cum ar fi fost dacă ar fi fost mai deschisă față de fiicele sale.
O poveste care împletește mai multe perspective și care vorbește despre trauma ce o lasă în urmă războiul, abuzul din sistemul sanitar asupra prospetelor mămici, dar și dificila alegere dintre familie și profesie. O poveste care se întinde pe trei generații, de-a lungul unui număr de ani semnificativ, ascunzând secrete dureroase și temeri, însă nu numai atât…
Capitolele scurte și ritmul alert ajută în parcurgerea poveștii, dar și în înțelegerea personajelor, deși la început este puțin greu de urmărit, fiind atâtea perspective și treceri de la prezent la trecut și tot așa, dar o dată ce te obișnuiești, paginile trec de la sine. Eu am ascultat-o pe @voxa si a mers ca unsa, în două plimbări cu Casi afară am rezolvat-o ☺️.
Când Jessie naște, o lovește paranoia și fuge cu fiica sa nou-născută din spital, deși bebelușul are nevoie de tratament, iar spre disperarea familiei sale, este de negăsit. Sora sa, Iris, jurnalistă de meserie, este desemnată să urmărească acest caz, întrucât nu dezvăluie că, femeia în cauză, îi este rudă. Iar mama celor două este măcinată de îndoieli, gândindu-se oare cum ar fi fost dacă ar fi fost mai deschisă față de fiicele sale.
O poveste care împletește mai multe perspective și care vorbește despre trauma ce o lasă în urmă războiul, abuzul din sistemul sanitar asupra prospetelor mămici, dar și dificila alegere dintre familie și profesie. O poveste care se întinde pe trei generații, de-a lungul unui număr de ani semnificativ, ascunzând secrete dureroase și temeri, însă nu numai atât…
Capitolele scurte și ritmul alert ajută în parcurgerea poveștii, dar și în înțelegerea personajelor, deși la început este puțin greu de urmărit, fiind atâtea perspective și treceri de la prezent la trecut și tot așa, dar o dată ce te obișnuiești, paginile trec de la sine. Eu am ascultat-o pe @voxa si a mers ca unsa, în două plimbări cu Casi afară am rezolvat-o ☺️.
June 3, 2022
Įtraukianti, tačiau labai liūdna ir skaudi šeimos istorija. Šioje knygoje tiek visko daug... Daug įvykių, daug veikėjų, dvi pasakojimo linijos: sugriauti ir sužaloti žmonių gyvenimai po Antrojo pasaulinio karo, pogimdyvinė psichozė ir depresija ir nepaprastai stipri motinos meilė, kuri nugali visus sunkumus ir patirtus siaubus... Pačioje pradžioje sunkoka buvo skaityti, nes įvykiai aprašomi tiek praeityje tiek ir dabartyje ir tiek visko daug. Tačiau kuo toliau skaitai tuo vis labiau įtraukė ši istorija.
October 3, 2022
Przenikliwy thriller obyczajowo-historyczny, dla którego inspiracją był prawdziwy szpital psychiatryczny i towarzyszące leczeniu psychiatrycznemu prawo w Wielkiej Brytanii.
Emily Gunnis ukazuje historię dramatyczną, utkaną z losów kilku pokoleń kobiet z jednej rodziny. Rozdzielone przez los, przez okoliczności, nie znają ani siebie nawzajem, ani swoich własnych historii, ani korzeni, w której powinny szukać ukojenia. W „Zaginionym dziecku” przeszłość po cichu przenika do teraźniejszości, oddziałuje na przyszłość w taki sposób, by wciąż pobudzać wyobraźnię czytelnika. Nic nie jest proste, nie ma też łatwych odpowiedzi – autorka po mistrzowsku operuje w kilku liniach czasowych, ukazuje losy kilku powiązanych ze sobą bohaterek, podkręca też napięcie ze strony na stronę. W czytelnikach budzi się współczujcie, budzi zrozumienie, również pragnienie, by bohaterki odnalazły nie tylko ukojenie swoich lęków i problemów, ale także siebie nawzajem.
„Zaginione dziecko” to przejmujący kawał dobrego thrillera obyczajowego, historia, która pozostawi nas w zawieszeniu na długie godziny.
Emily Gunnis ukazuje historię dramatyczną, utkaną z losów kilku pokoleń kobiet z jednej rodziny. Rozdzielone przez los, przez okoliczności, nie znają ani siebie nawzajem, ani swoich własnych historii, ani korzeni, w której powinny szukać ukojenia. W „Zaginionym dziecku” przeszłość po cichu przenika do teraźniejszości, oddziałuje na przyszłość w taki sposób, by wciąż pobudzać wyobraźnię czytelnika. Nic nie jest proste, nie ma też łatwych odpowiedzi – autorka po mistrzowsku operuje w kilku liniach czasowych, ukazuje losy kilku powiązanych ze sobą bohaterek, podkręca też napięcie ze strony na stronę. W czytelnikach budzi się współczujcie, budzi zrozumienie, również pragnienie, by bohaterki odnalazły nie tylko ukojenie swoich lęków i problemów, ale także siebie nawzajem.
„Zaginione dziecko” to przejmujący kawał dobrego thrillera obyczajowego, historia, która pozostawi nas w zawieszeniu na długie godziny.
June 20, 2023
O carte draguta, desi am întâlnit relatii cliseice si multe faze luate din alte carti. Parca de la un moment dat, toate cartile seamana intre ele. Nu credeti?
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