On a cold January night, Sharon Lemke heads outside to see a lunar eclipse when she notices something odd at the house behind her backyard. Through her neighbor's kitchen window, she sees what appears to be a little girl washing dishes late at night. But the Fleming family doesn't have a child that age, and even if they did, why would she be doing housework at this late hour?
It would be easy for Sharon to just let this go, but when eighteen-year-old Niki, a former foster child, comes to live with Sharon, she notices suspicious activity at the Flemings' house as well. When calling social services doesn't result in swift action, the two decide to investigate on their own.
I’ve been hearing recommendations for Karen McQuestion’s books for a while. A fellow book blogger recommended this one specifically a couple of times, plus it has been riding high on the Kindle bestseller list for weeks now. I had to find out why.
Three families, all dealing with some kind of damage. At first you’re wondering what they all have to do with each other. But then as the story unfolds, the pieces fall into place.
You have family, friendship, loss and love, mental illness and abuse, and even some redemption. You’re horrified at what Ma’am puts Mia and her family through. You’re rooting for Niki to find her way in her new family. You’re waiting with baited breath with Wendy and Edwin as they search for their missing daughter. So much is going on. And yet you can keep it all straight as Karen takes you into the minds of her characters, really allowing you to get to know each character. I have missed this kind of storytelling in contemporary books.
I read the bulk of this book in one day after I finally carved out some time to really focus on it. I found it absolutely fascinating and almost feel compelled to keep a closer eye on some of my own neighbors. Well worth the read and I’m glad I listened to the advice to do so.
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