Author: Sarah Jio
Published: September 25, 2012
Genre: chick lit
Paperback: 320 pages
Source: borrowed from the library
My Rating: 3 stars
Synopsis (from GoodReads): Seattle, 1933. Single mother Vera Ray kisses her three-year-old son, Daniel, goodnight and departs to work the night-shift at a local hotel. She emerges to discover that a May-Day snow has blanketed the city, and that her son has vanished. Outside, she finds his beloved teddy bear lying face-down on an icy street, the snow covering up any trace of his tracks, or the perpetrator's.
Seattle, 2010. Seattle Herald reporter Claire Aldridge, assigned to cover the May 1 "blackberry winter" storm and its twin, learns of the unsolved abduction and vows to unearth the truth. In the process, she finds that she and Vera may be linked in unexpected ways...
My Thoughts: So, I finally got around to reading a Sarah Jio novel! I never thought it would happen, but it finally has (I've been trying for over a year, but have never actually sat down and read one)! I was so excited to read this book and had high expectations for Jio after reading so many great reviews of her books on GoodReads and from other bloggers, and I'm happy to report that this book lived up to the hype. Jio tells the story of two women, who lived decades apart but have a link between them that can only be unearthed by some digging into the past. Vera Ray lived in the early 20th century, and she is where the story begins. She prepares to leave for work one evening at a hotel, but she is forced to leave her three year old son behind. She believes that he will be safe, but when she returns home in the morning, the city is blanketed in snow and her son has vanished. With no help from the police, Vera becomes depressed and takes some desparate measures to try and get the help that she needs. In the present day, we have Claire, a reporter who lost a child last year and is still reeling from the effects that the loss has had on her life and marriage. When she discovers this unsolved case, she makes it her mission to get to the bottom of the mystery.
Jio tells a great story, one that has you rooting for both women and hoping that they both find peace. Alternating between the past and present, Jio is able to present a complete story and one that gives the reader a greater understanding of what happened. I really did enjoy this story and read it pretty quickly, but it was just a bit too predictable. I figured that the two women would somehow be related based on the synopsis, and I wish that Jio hadn't given that information away. I think it would have had a greater impact on the story if that detail wasn't just thrown out there. Overall, it was a great read and I'm more anxious than ever to read more of Jio's work.
This was my first Sarah Jio Book also. I really enjoyed it and read two more of hers right away. My favorite was The Bungalow. I wanted to be in that story. I am really looking forward to The Last Camellia.
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