Synopsis: ” A single mother strives to understand the enigma of a reclusive novelist in a poignant novel about belonging, secret lives, and the want to disappear by New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde. Amelia Booker, a journalist and expert in American literature, receives a photograph leading to the possible whereabouts of E. L. Swann, an author who vanished forty years ago after the success of her first and only novel. It’s too intriguing a literary mystery for Amelia not to follow. In Santa Rosarita, Mexico, Amelia and her seven-year-old son, Jaden, meet the elderly and guarded Ella Steinbach, known to locals for riding her donkey to market, then retreating from the world again to her hilltop house. Prickly and defensive at first, Ella reluctantly concedes the truth about her identity. If not for Ella’s deep affection for the bright and introverted Jaden, she would have found the intrusion unforgivable. Instead, she grants an interview on the condition that Amelia tell no one where E. L. Swann has been found. As days turn into weeks, and Ella reveals more than expected about her past, she and Amelia form a difficult but surprising bond. From it comes the realisation that the personal struggles we endure determine the necessary choices we make to move forward. But no matter how much Amelia tries to convince her otherwise, E. L. Swann really does wish to be left alone. And only by accepting the author as she is can Amelia maintain the life-changing connection.“

My Review

I loved this latest book from Catherine Ryan Hyde, an author who is fast becoming a new favourite of mine.

This story is told from Amelia’s point of view as she decides whether to follow up a new sighting of the reclusive author, E. L. Swann.

Amelia is newly divorced, and a single mother to Jaden, a lovely seven year old son, and they live in San Francisco. E.L. Swann only published one book and was the subject of Amelia’s thesis, who then became known as the world’s expert on the author. She feels like she needs to take this opportunity to go and find out if the sighting is correct. It coincides with her son’s school holidays and so they fly off to Mexico and the adventure begins.

I loved following Amelia and Jaden as they went in search of E.L. Swann, not knowing if she’d be successful or not. When they do come face to face with the author it doesn’t go exactly how Amelia planned, but she does get an amazing opportunity to spend time with the author, through Jaden her son.

I really enjoyed this plot development, and the character development, as E. L. Swann was not a likeable person, but I did feel some sympathy for her at times.

Highly recommended if you enjoy contemporary fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my digital copy.