Review: Where I Lost Her by T. Greenwood

Eight years ago, Tess and Jake were considered a power couple of the New York publishing world--happy, in love, planning a family. Failed fertility treatments and a heartbreaking attempt at adoption have fractured their marriage and left Tess edgy and adrift. A visit to friends in rural Vermont throws Tess's world into further chaos when she sees a young, half-dressed child in the middle of the road, who then runs into the woods like a frightened deer.

The entire town begins searching for the little girl. But there are no sightings, no other witnesses, no reports of missing children. As local police and Jake point out, Tess's imagination has played her false before. And yet Tess is compelled to keep looking, not only to save the little girl she can't forget but to salvage her broken heart as well. 

Kindle Edition, 384 pages

Published February 23rd 2016 by Kensington 

Genre: Fiction

Kristine's Thoughts:

** I received an advanced readers copy from Kensington via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!**

Where I Lost Her was two stories woven beautifully into one. There was the mystery behind the little girl on one side and Tess's relationship and well being on the other. I worried that the two wouldn't blend well but my worries were unwarranted. The story grabbed me and didn't let go until I finished the last page.

While visiting friends at their lake side camp, Tess volunteered to go to town to grab a bottle of wine. Her eyes went off the road for a second when the bottle fell and broke and when she returned her gaze there was a little girl standing in the middle of it. When distracted the little girl ran off into the forest. When Tess was unable to find her she contacted the police and a massive search began for her. With no reports of a missing child and no evidence to indicate that there was ever a child in the forest, questions soon began and it started looking like the entire story was made up. Tess also had some stuff in her past that made her appear to be a somewhat unreliable source.

Let me start off by discussing the missing girl part of this story. I was dying to know if it was real and what had happened. If she did exist how was she surviving, where did she come from and why was she bleeding? I wanted the answers. If she wasn't real then what happened to make Tess believe she was seeing her and would she get the help she needed?

Tess's past and mental health were beautifully captured in this story. Her desire for a child and the lengths she went through in the effort were captured and felt in every word on the pages. The strain on her marriage was, what I feel, a very honest portrayal of what can happen in that kind of situation. Her reliance on alcohol was yet another crutch that she was dealing with.

I think I can safely say that I really liked this book. It was exactly what I was looking for when I decided to read it. I loved the writing and really enjoyed the setting. It started out kind of slow but picked up quickly and didn't slow down. Was the little girl real? I'll never tell...you'll have to read it to find out.

 

About the Author

T. Greenwood is the author of ten novels. She has received grants from the Sherwood Anderson Foundation, the Christopher Isherwood Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and, most recently, the Maryland State Arts Council. TWO RIVERS was named 2009 Best General Fiction Book at the San Diego Book Awards, and GRACE received the same award for 2012. Five of her novels have been BookSense76/IndieBound picks; THIS GLITTERING WORLD was a January 2011 selection, and GRACE was a selection in April 2012. Her eighth novel, BODIES OF WATER, was finalist for a Lambda Foundation award. Her tenth novel, WHERE I LOST HER, will be published in March 2016.

She teaches creative writing for San Diego Writer's Ink, Grossmont College, and online for The Writer's Center. She and her husband, Patrick, live in San Diego, CA with their two daughters. She is also an aspiring photographer.

Connect with T. Greenwood

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