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When She Was Gone
Tom Perotta’s Little Children meets Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones in this suspenseful and beautifully wrought story of a seventeen-year-old girl who vanishes on the eve of her departure for college, as told through the alternating perspectives of her neighbors.Seventeen-year-old Linsey Hart disappears the day before she’s due to leave for college. As her neighbors piece together what they saw and what they think they know about the missing girl, their long-held secrets, prejudices, and entanglements become rudely evident.
There’s Linsey’s mother, Abigail, whose door-to-door searching makes her social outcast status painfully obvious; stay-at-home mom Reeva, whose primary concern is covering up the affair she’s been having with the Starbucks barista; Mr. Leonard, a reclusive retired piano teacher—and the last person to see Linsey alive; George, an eleven year-old gifted loner who is determined to find out what happened to Linsey; and Timmy, Linsey’s ex-boyfriend, who is left grieving as he embarks on his own college career.
A keenly observed portrait of a small town under duress, When She Was Gone is a searing portrayal of the bonds that hold a community together—and the secrets and lies that threaten to rip it apart.
There’s Linsey’s mother, Abigail, whose door-to-door searching makes her social outcast status painfully obvious; stay-at-home mom Reeva, whose primary concern is covering up the affair she’s been having with the Starbucks barista; Mr. Leonard, a reclusive retired piano teacher—and the last person to see Linsey alive; George, an eleven year-old gifted loner who is determined to find out what happened to Linsey; and Timmy, Linsey’s ex-boyfriend, who is left grieving as he embarks on his own college career.
A keenly observed portrait of a small town under duress, When She Was Gone is a searing portrayal of the bonds that hold a community together—and the secrets and lies that threaten to rip it apart.
277 pages, Paperback
First published February 17, 2013
About the author
Gwendolen Gross
5 books58 followersDubbed the reigning queen of women's adventure fiction by Joanna Smith Rakoff in Book Magazine, Gwendolen Gross grew up in Newton, Massachusetts. She graduated from Oberlin College, where she studied science writing and voice performance. She spent a semester in Australia with a field studies program, studying spectacled fruit bats in the rainforest remnants of Northern Queensland.
After college she moved to San Francisco, then San Diego, and worked in publishing, as well as performing with the San Diego Opera Chorus. Through the San Diego Writing Center, she was selected for the PEN West Emerging Writers Program.
Gwendolen received an M.F.A. in fiction and poetry from Sarah Lawrence College. Her poems have been published in dozens of literary magazines, including Salt Hill Journal, Global City Review, The Laurel Review, and Hubbub, where her poem was selected for the 1999 Adrienne Lee Award.
Her first novel, Field Guide, was issued by Henry Holt in April 2001 (Harvest paperback 2002), and her second, Getting Out, in spring 2002. These two women's adventure fiction novels received critical acclaim. She then shifted her focus to the dramas of motherhood. with her third novel, The Other Mother (Random House, 2007). Gwendolen's most recent novel, The Orphan Sister, was released in July 2011 (Simon and Schuster).
Gwendolen Gross is also an award-winning writing instructor and has led workshops at Sarah Lawrence College and the UCLA Extension online. Her guest lectures include appearances at the Fashion Institute of Technology, at Barnes and Noble's Educator's Night, and The World's Largest Writing Workshop. Gwendolen has worked as a snake and kinkajou demonstrator, naturalist, opera singer, editor, and mom. She lives in northern New Jersey with her family.
After college she moved to San Francisco, then San Diego, and worked in publishing, as well as performing with the San Diego Opera Chorus. Through the San Diego Writing Center, she was selected for the PEN West Emerging Writers Program.
Gwendolen received an M.F.A. in fiction and poetry from Sarah Lawrence College. Her poems have been published in dozens of literary magazines, including Salt Hill Journal, Global City Review, The Laurel Review, and Hubbub, where her poem was selected for the 1999 Adrienne Lee Award.
Her first novel, Field Guide, was issued by Henry Holt in April 2001 (Harvest paperback 2002), and her second, Getting Out, in spring 2002. These two women's adventure fiction novels received critical acclaim. She then shifted her focus to the dramas of motherhood. with her third novel, The Other Mother (Random House, 2007). Gwendolen's most recent novel, The Orphan Sister, was released in July 2011 (Simon and Schuster).
Gwendolen Gross is also an award-winning writing instructor and has led workshops at Sarah Lawrence College and the UCLA Extension online. Her guest lectures include appearances at the Fashion Institute of Technology, at Barnes and Noble's Educator's Night, and The World's Largest Writing Workshop. Gwendolen has worked as a snake and kinkajou demonstrator, naturalist, opera singer, editor, and mom. She lives in northern New Jersey with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 169 reviews
March 3, 2013
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
I honestly didn't know what to expect from this book. In a way I expected this book to be like The Lovely Bones, but let me tell you When She Was Gone was just the opposite of The Lovely Bones. When She Was Gone is a story about a seventeen year old girl Linsey, who one morning just disappeared without saying a world, She Was Gone. I liked how the story was written. The story was told from different points of view and never from Linsey's. The whole book was divided to five days starting the day Linsey disappeared, and the last part of the book jumped from day five to day ten. Each chapter focused on one of neighbors living near Linsey. There was a story about an old pianist Mr, Leonard, who was the last one to see Linsey. His story was a story of a lonely man with only music in his heart. His story really stood up to me. Another story that I liked was George's, who is eleven years old. He is a loner and everybody thinks he's a weird kid, and that something is wrong with him. He has a different hobbies that most kids don't understand. When you read through his point of view, when you observe things the way he does, you'll see that he is not weird, in fact he's just different and very talented kid that doesn't quit know how to communicate to kids his age.
I liked reading each story of a neighbor, finding out their secrets and hopes. Then why three stars? Well for me this story was way to slow. I felt like some characters keep repeating things, and It just got boring at times. Also I felt like the book was not really about Linsey, it was more about her neighbors. At some points I didn't quit understand how some of the characters related to the story. I don't know, maybe it was just me who felt this way.
I honestly didn't know what to expect from this book. In a way I expected this book to be like The Lovely Bones, but let me tell you When She Was Gone was just the opposite of The Lovely Bones. When She Was Gone is a story about a seventeen year old girl Linsey, who one morning just disappeared without saying a world, She Was Gone. I liked how the story was written. The story was told from different points of view and never from Linsey's. The whole book was divided to five days starting the day Linsey disappeared, and the last part of the book jumped from day five to day ten. Each chapter focused on one of neighbors living near Linsey. There was a story about an old pianist Mr, Leonard, who was the last one to see Linsey. His story was a story of a lonely man with only music in his heart. His story really stood up to me. Another story that I liked was George's, who is eleven years old. He is a loner and everybody thinks he's a weird kid, and that something is wrong with him. He has a different hobbies that most kids don't understand. When you read through his point of view, when you observe things the way he does, you'll see that he is not weird, in fact he's just different and very talented kid that doesn't quit know how to communicate to kids his age.
I liked reading each story of a neighbor, finding out their secrets and hopes. Then why three stars? Well for me this story was way to slow. I felt like some characters keep repeating things, and It just got boring at times. Also I felt like the book was not really about Linsey, it was more about her neighbors. At some points I didn't quit understand how some of the characters related to the story. I don't know, maybe it was just me who felt this way.
March 20, 2013
MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT
Linsey is scheduled to start at Cornell and right before her family is to drop her off, she vanishes. No one thought anything was wrong with her, except she just broke up with her boyfriend at her mother's insistence and there is no evidence of foul play. The last person to see her is the piano teacher, Mr. Leonard, who lives across the street. The story recount the next ten days while the small community searches for her. As her mother goes door to door searching for information, she learns more about her neighbors than she ever expected about her neighbors.
The are certainly a lot of characters in this book and each has something to hide. Mr. Leonard, has cancer with just a few months to live, and has a few unspeakable habits that explains why he never married. Reeva, the lady one street over, is having an affair with a young man that is just a few years older than Linsey. Her younger twin brothers, Cody and Toby, who seem a bit glad that she is gone in a weird way. Geo, the eleven year old that lives behind Linsey, should have been the star of this story, and in a way he is. He is quirky and unique with a bit of baggage that would bother most boys his age but he takes it all in stride.
Even though Linsey is the main character of this book, she is almost entirely absent from it except in the beginning and the end. I really adore Gross's unique style of writing and I enjoyed The Orphan Sister . I know quirky books like this don't appeal to everyone, but you should give this one a try. It is everything you ever expected in a small town but would never be able to learn on your own.
LOVED IT
Linsey is scheduled to start at Cornell and right before her family is to drop her off, she vanishes. No one thought anything was wrong with her, except she just broke up with her boyfriend at her mother's insistence and there is no evidence of foul play. The last person to see her is the piano teacher, Mr. Leonard, who lives across the street. The story recount the next ten days while the small community searches for her. As her mother goes door to door searching for information, she learns more about her neighbors than she ever expected about her neighbors.
The are certainly a lot of characters in this book and each has something to hide. Mr. Leonard, has cancer with just a few months to live, and has a few unspeakable habits that explains why he never married. Reeva, the lady one street over, is having an affair with a young man that is just a few years older than Linsey. Her younger twin brothers, Cody and Toby, who seem a bit glad that she is gone in a weird way. Geo, the eleven year old that lives behind Linsey, should have been the star of this story, and in a way he is. He is quirky and unique with a bit of baggage that would bother most boys his age but he takes it all in stride.
Even though Linsey is the main character of this book, she is almost entirely absent from it except in the beginning and the end. I really adore Gross's unique style of writing and I enjoyed The Orphan Sister . I know quirky books like this don't appeal to everyone, but you should give this one a try. It is everything you ever expected in a small town but would never be able to learn on your own.
March 3, 2013
I won this book in a First Reads giveaway. I thought the story sounded interesting and couldn't wait to dive into it. However, I had a hard time getting through the first couple of chapters. Bored! I finally finished the book and can say that I didn't enjoy it all that much. I didn't develop a connection to any of the characters and felt the ending fell extremely flat. I ended the book thinking, "really? That's it?" Also, I feel the writing style isn't cohesive throughout the book. Some sentences seem well put together and intellectual, while others are amateur-ish at best. I was disappointed.
April 15, 2013
This was the first Gwendolen Gross book I've read and I really, really liked it. The story's about a girl who lives in the suburbs who goes missing right before she's supposed to leave for college, but we never see things from her point of view. Instead, it's about all the people who surround her: her mother, her brother, her ex-boyfriend, her neighbors. Each of them knows a little piece of the story and it's part of their story too. I'll definitely be reading more by this author.
February 19, 2013
I wanted to like this book hoping it would get better as I continued reading but I was extremely disappointed. Can't say I really cared about any of the characters. Frankly, I think it was rather amateurishly written and was actually shocked that the author has five 'critically acclaimed' previous novels.
December 9, 2013
I'm conflicted whether to rate this 2 or 3 or 4 stars, but I've opted for 4 for the time being, but reserve the right to change my mind in the future.
Initially, the writing style really bothered me. The sentences seemed way too wordy and run-on.
For example: "He stopped humming--he only noticed the humming when everything else had stopped, but took comfort in knowing that Glenn Gould, too, hummed when he played; it was a kind of conversation with the piano--and he could hear Linsey sigh as she read the paper, then refolded it, then taped it to the pretentious iron mailbox her stepfather had installed on the front porch, complete with its own stubby post, and shut the door on the tail of the note."
I mean, sheesh. By the time I got to the end of sentences like this, I'd have forgotten how the sentence started and what we were even talking about.
I eventually got into the book and didn't notice these lengthy sentences as much, and I was really enjoying the story and couldn't wait to see how it ended. Even 30 pages from the end of the book, I was thinking how much I was enjoying the story and if I had to have given it a rating at that point, I probably would have rated it 4 stars. But the ending was really a bit of a letdown for me. It just seemed to come together too quickly and didn't make much sense, and seemed to make all the story lines and characters we read about throughout the entire book pointless. **SPOILER ALERT** Did she not bring her cell phone with her on this trip to California..?? Why did she hitchhike there to visit her boyfriend before he had even left for Cali? Why wouldn't she have told him she was headed there?? And then why, after she was "found", did she end up going to Cornell? What was the whole point of her running away to visit her boyfriend if she just went off to Cornell as planned..?
Because of the frustration the ending gave me toward the whole book, I keep going back and forth on whether or not I enjoyed the book.
Update: I keep going back and forth on my feelings about this book and whether or not I liked it. Even a day after finishing, the ending still frustrates me. I decided to compromise and give it a 3 star rating, right down the middle, since I keep waffling.
Initially, the writing style really bothered me. The sentences seemed way too wordy and run-on.
For example: "He stopped humming--he only noticed the humming when everything else had stopped, but took comfort in knowing that Glenn Gould, too, hummed when he played; it was a kind of conversation with the piano--and he could hear Linsey sigh as she read the paper, then refolded it, then taped it to the pretentious iron mailbox her stepfather had installed on the front porch, complete with its own stubby post, and shut the door on the tail of the note."
I mean, sheesh. By the time I got to the end of sentences like this, I'd have forgotten how the sentence started and what we were even talking about.
I eventually got into the book and didn't notice these lengthy sentences as much, and I was really enjoying the story and couldn't wait to see how it ended. Even 30 pages from the end of the book, I was thinking how much I was enjoying the story and if I had to have given it a rating at that point, I probably would have rated it 4 stars. But the ending was really a bit of a letdown for me. It just seemed to come together too quickly and didn't make much sense, and seemed to make all the story lines and characters we read about throughout the entire book pointless. **SPOILER ALERT** Did she not bring her cell phone with her on this trip to California..?? Why did she hitchhike there to visit her boyfriend before he had even left for Cali? Why wouldn't she have told him she was headed there?? And then why, after she was "found", did she end up going to Cornell? What was the whole point of her running away to visit her boyfriend if she just went off to Cornell as planned..?
Because of the frustration the ending gave me toward the whole book, I keep going back and forth on whether or not I enjoyed the book.
Update: I keep going back and forth on my feelings about this book and whether or not I liked it. Even a day after finishing, the ending still frustrates me. I decided to compromise and give it a 3 star rating, right down the middle, since I keep waffling.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2013
Linsey Hart is a day away from leaving home for her first year of college, when she disappears into thin air. This is the story of the 10 days between her disappearance and the resolution of what happened to her. The tale focuses primarily on the people in her neighborhood and the effect this has on them.
Mr. Leonard, a retired music teacher who is dying, playing the piano for himself while wearing his dead mother's gowns, the missing girl's ex-boyfriend, her younger brothers, twins Toby and Cody, her increasingly frantic Mother, each has his own special take on what happened to Linsey. Toby is worried and anxious, while Cody has designs on his missing sister's room for himself. The over-rated dentist, Dr. Needleman (what a name for a dentist - kudos!), the Whitebreads (more fun with names!) living next door with their young son Geo, a genius labeled as a weirdo by his peers, and many more folks who are more or less like any other neighbors in a given area.
My favorite thing about this book is the tasty turns of phrases that keep popping up. A new sweater that smelled like the store, themed window boxes, an old lady bicycle (an upright bicycle with a basket - we all know the type!), and brother Toby's wistful desire for he and his Dad "to talk of something other than his sister, something they could stretch out over the hole of her missingness".
I highly recommend this book, more of a slice of life in a small community than a mystery. This was a goodreads giveaway.
Mr. Leonard, a retired music teacher who is dying, playing the piano for himself while wearing his dead mother's gowns, the missing girl's ex-boyfriend, her younger brothers, twins Toby and Cody, her increasingly frantic Mother, each has his own special take on what happened to Linsey. Toby is worried and anxious, while Cody has designs on his missing sister's room for himself. The over-rated dentist, Dr. Needleman (what a name for a dentist - kudos!), the Whitebreads (more fun with names!) living next door with their young son Geo, a genius labeled as a weirdo by his peers, and many more folks who are more or less like any other neighbors in a given area.
My favorite thing about this book is the tasty turns of phrases that keep popping up. A new sweater that smelled like the store, themed window boxes, an old lady bicycle (an upright bicycle with a basket - we all know the type!), and brother Toby's wistful desire for he and his Dad "to talk of something other than his sister, something they could stretch out over the hole of her missingness".
I highly recommend this book, more of a slice of life in a small community than a mystery. This was a goodreads giveaway.
August 1, 2023
The book was written from the POV of multiple characters over a period of 10 days and you get to hear their perspectives on Linsey, the missing girl, as well as diving into their private lives. The last 1/2 of the book started showing the characters making connections with each other as they try to find the missing girl. I expected the author to provide some closure on some of those storylines and showing how the event resulted in new relationships between characters, but nope, that didn't happen. The ending was really abrubt and didn't provide closure on the characters' storylines. You do find out what happened to Linsey, but even that didn't totally make sense to me. I had alot of unanswered questions, which frustrated me. This was a very unfulfilling book. I finished it and thought - what was the point of that book anyway - which explains my low rating.
May 9, 2013
I loved this book! Quiet, affluent New Jersey town, like my own, shaken up by the disappearance of a Ivy-league bound teenage girl. Gross's graceful sentences propel the narrative until you are addicted. From a troubled eleven year old boy to a stay at home mom, unwilling to pass the sexy torch to her teenage daughter, to an old musician dying of cancer, Gross gets inside her characters, making you care deeply about all of them.
At the same time, I found myself hoping that Linsey (yes, that's the right spelling), the girl who vanishes, has successfully broken free from the stifling suburban world of her childhood. I am a mom in my forties, and this book spoke volumes to me, but I think it would be just as compelling for someone outside my demographic. Recommended it to my husband, too.When She Was GoneGwendolen Gross
At the same time, I found myself hoping that Linsey (yes, that's the right spelling), the girl who vanishes, has successfully broken free from the stifling suburban world of her childhood. I am a mom in my forties, and this book spoke volumes to me, but I think it would be just as compelling for someone outside my demographic. Recommended it to my husband, too.When She Was GoneGwendolen Gross
June 21, 2013
"When She was Gone" is a story about a girl, Linsey ... told through the eyes of her mother, her neighbours (and older man, a middle aged wife, a young boy), her brother, and her boyfriend. I loved it. I thought that each character was not only well developed, but had its own voice. I never questioned the voice or actions of each character. They were believable and true to who they should be. Even though not a single page was told through Linsey's point of view, or in her voice, you still feel as though you get a clear picture of what is happening. By having the story of her disappearance told through the eyes of those near and dear, or those not so near and dear to her, you get a snippet, a partial view of what really happened. It reminded me of the "Lovely Bones", and also of "The Imperfectionists" - little stories which create a larger more complete one. I highly enjoyed reading "When She Was Gone".
May 29, 2013
A young girl disappears on the eve of departing for college, that event echoing in various ways through her family and neighbors. A study in how each of us, whether we choose to or not, impact even those merely peripheral to us. Interesting characters, finely drawn, but forgotten as soon as the book is completed. Just okay.
August 22, 2013
The book is more about each neighbors store than the girl being missing so I felt that was a let down. and I didn't feel some of the characters stories got resolved. Only Mr. Leonard's story really tied up at the end. I was able to finish it but not my favorite.
April 18, 2013
2.5 stars. Could have been so much better. Interesting premise, but the ultimate conclusion was a huge letdown. Some of the characters, particularly the next-door neighbor man with cancer, were great additions to the story.
April 13, 2013
I think this is Gwendolen Gross' best work to date. Filled with mystery, suspense and humanity. Highly recommend.
April 8, 2013
Thought it would be fascinating, but I didn't end up caring about any of the (too many) characters, or the story.
September 26, 2013
I was not a fan of this book. I didn't think there was enough character development and didn't feel like I ever got to know any of the characters.
August 25, 2015
A girl goes missing in north Jersey and how it affects everyone. Couldn't put it down, but when I was done, I thought "who cares."
June 20, 2019
Though filled with a lot of detail, this book was gripping; page turn after page turn trying to learn who knows what. And the specific, simple yet nitty-gritty details in the way Gross writes was incredible. It feels. tangible from emotions to setting the scene. It's like a slow burn kind of writing style too. Intriguing detail for sure!
I liked how the chapters were divided by addresses, but I also forgot who was at which one. I would suggest adding the residents name to the chapter heading as well.
At times it felt time was a bit jumbled. It seemed we jumped ahead a few days or even a few hours but we followed in chronological order for the most part. Very minor. I was just so soaked into every little detail as the reader working to solve the mystery.
However, the ending presented disappointment. The resolve of Lindsay being missing was weak. There was all this build up - literally the whole novel, and the ‘Queen Bee’ neighbor Reeva just shares it as a thought in passing of her daily afternoon on day four. W. E. A. K! So this left me with a lot more questions at the end then resolved answers.
3.5 out of 5 stars
I liked how the chapters were divided by addresses, but I also forgot who was at which one. I would suggest adding the residents name to the chapter heading as well.
At times it felt time was a bit jumbled. It seemed we jumped ahead a few days or even a few hours but we followed in chronological order for the most part. Very minor. I was just so soaked into every little detail as the reader working to solve the mystery.
However, the ending presented disappointment. The resolve of Lindsay being missing was weak. There was all this build up - literally the whole novel, and the ‘Queen Bee’ neighbor Reeva just shares it as a thought in passing of her daily afternoon on day four. W. E. A. K! So this left me with a lot more questions at the end then resolved answers.
3.5 out of 5 stars
July 19, 2018
This was probably one of the most boring and pointless books I've read. The characters were dirty and uninteresting, the plot circled around and ended up nowhere, and there was nothing to learn or remember. "She" was gone for five days, gone with no drama or reason, and all the neighbors want to do is gossip and spy. If I could get over my complex about not finishing books, I would not have read this all the way through. This was, mostly, a book about nothing and if I could have given it 0 stars I would have.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2017
I must admit, my favorite books are those which focus on the inner lives of characters, and for me, this does not disappoint. It is not so much about the missing girl, Linsey, but about the secret lives, desires, and fears of her neighbors and family. It has a definite Peyton Place feel to it as everyone has their secrets. Linsey herself, seen as perfect and wonderful, is revealed in a subtle way as having her own demons that eventually cause her disappearance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2023
When soon-to-be college student Linsey goes missing, her parents are distraught, and her neighbors are affected at different levels. Told from multiple points of view, and none of them Linsey's, we see into the lives of several neighbors who have to keep moving forward as their neighbor deals with the turmoil in their family. The thing is, some of the neighbors know more than others.
This was an interesting read with lots of secrets in Linsey's neighborhood.
This was an interesting read with lots of secrets in Linsey's neighborhood.
October 8, 2018
Abigail Stein's teenage daughter, Linsey, disappears just as she is about to start college. But this book is less about the mystery of that as it is about the impact the disappearance has on families living in the neighborhood. Each chapter is titled with an address of one of those houses. It is an interesting look at how little we really know about each other and the secrets that all of us keep. If you are looking for a "missing girl" mystery this probably isn't the book for you.
December 5, 2019
I wasn't hooked initially and wasn't overly captivated during the duration of this book but there were certain characters that I liked more than others and overall it was a good book - the ending felt rushed though, just wrapped up so quickly which isn't always satisfying for a reader, especially with a book drawn out like this one
August 20, 2017
Had a hard time getting through this one, a little slow. Linsey Hart goes missing just a few days before leaving for college. Her family and the town react but the way it's written did not keep me interested in the ending.
August 26, 2018
Loved the first 150 pages but then it became repetitive, slow and a bit pointless I felt. I felt a bit let down from getting invested in these characters’ stories and feeling underwhelmed with where they end up.
November 19, 2022
A quick and interesting read. The author tells the story of a missing teenager through they eyes of different neighborhood residents - old and young included. I didn’t love the ending but I enjoyed the chapters to get there!
October 8, 2023
I liked all the different neighborhoods perspectives and how they all came together. They were all peculiar in their own way. I was wondering what happened to the main character which kept me reading
But…the ending. So confusing and dull. Like no wow factor whatsoever and it was so disappointing. I had to reread it too because I was confused. Could’ve been a 3 or 4 but the ending was far too underwhelming
But…the ending. So confusing and dull. Like no wow factor whatsoever and it was so disappointing. I had to reread it too because I was confused. Could’ve been a 3 or 4 but the ending was far too underwhelming
November 7, 2018
I enjoyed the book but the ending was less than desired. I enjoyed the neighbors individual stories, though!
June 30, 2020
Not crazy about the story, not sure what the author was trying to accomplish. Anticlimactic ending.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 169 reviews