Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan

Originally posted July 10, 2008
Reviewed on Barnes & Noble First Look group

This was a very well-written book following the story not of the missing young girl but of her family and friends. The disappearance, the loss, the helplessness, the hope, the eventual acceptance, all are there and we live it with them. It is a book about relationships as well. Every step was believable. Having been through sudden emotional trauma myself (albeit not the same trauma), I know that as time passes and you start to notice the rest of the world, it's a tremendous shock to find out that you have been going at one pace while the rest of the world has gone on much faster and carried on without you. I could feel some of this through various stages of the book. Stewart O'Nan has nailed it. Many people are not aware of this feeling until something happens in their own lives. The discoveries about the girl herself, the maturing of her younger sister, the distance then closeness in the family members are all in the book. I don't think any part was missed in this book and I highly recommend it. It is not the type of book you get to read very often. You don't get the feeling of sensationalism, only the feeling that you are one of the participants. Did I enjoy it? Yes, for the writing and for its honesty. 4 stars