Then She Was Gone # lisajewell #atria @ absltmom @ yaya_reads

“A wife who loses a husband is called a widow. A husband who loses a wife is called a widower. A child who loses his parents is called an orphan. There is no word for a parent who loses a child. That’s how awful the loss is.” (Ronald Reagan)

As the above quote states there is no word for a parent who loses a child. There is no consolation one can give that will ever make up for that loss. The loss of a child is devastating but the loss of a child without knowing the why or the wherefore must be a pain that is worse than any other.

In this story we learn that the Mack family has lost their daughter, Ellie, ten years ago. She was there one day a bright lovely fifteen year old with everything going for her and then she was gone without a trace. The family falls apart, divorce, separation from feelings, the drifting away from family that often accompanies a loss such as this. Who do we blame, how can this be, and where is our daughter, our sister, our shining star?

Laurel meets a man in a coffee shop and seems to connect with him. They date, he brings her eventually to his home where Laurel meets his young daughter, Poppy. Strange as it may seem Poppy resembles Ellie. Is this a figment of Laurel’s mind or is there some something that lurks in the back of Laurel’s mind, some itch that she feels something is just not right, things are uneven.

The story continues and as events are revealed we find that Laurel’s initial feelings hold a secret that has been buried for quite some time. Will this secret bring Ellie back?

While I did like the story and it held my interest throughout, I did feel that there was quite a large element of predictability to the tale. However, what must be said about how a family often falls apart after this type of disaster is ever so relevant and important. There is no greater sorrow in parents’ lives than to lose their child.