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The Year of Fog
Life changes in an instant. On a foggy beach. In the seconds when Abby Mason—photographer, fiancée soon-to-be-stepmother—looks into her camera and commits her greatest error. Heartbreaking, uplifting, and beautifully told, here is the riveting tale of a family torn apart, of the search for the truth behind a child’s disappearance, and of one woman’s unwavering faith in the redemptive power of love—all made startlingly fresh through Michelle Richmond’s incandescent sensitivity and extraordinary insight.
Six-year-old Emma vanished into the thick San Francisco fog. Or into the heaving Pacific. Or somewhere just beyond: to a parking lot, a stranger’s van, or a road with traffic flashing by. Devastated by guilt, haunted by her fears about becoming a stepmother, Abby refuses to believe that Emma is dead. And so she searches for clues about what happened that morning—and cannot stop the flood of memories reaching from her own childhood to illuminate that irreversible moment on the beach.
Now, as the days drag into weeks, as the police lose interest and fliers fade on telephone poles, Emma’s father finds solace in religion and scientific probability—but Abby can only wander the beaches and city streets, attempting to recover the past and the little girl she lost. With her life at a crossroads, she will leave San Francisco for a country thousands of miles away. And there, by the side of another sea, on a journey that has led her to another man and into a strange subculture of wanderers and surfers, Abby will make the most astounding discovery of all—as the truth of Emma’s disappearance unravels with stunning force.
A profoundly original novel of family, loss, and hope—of the choices we make and the choices made for us—The Year of Fog beguiles with the mysteries of time and memory even as it lays bare the deep and wondrous workings of the human heart. The result is a mesmerizing tour de force that will touch anyone who knows what it means to love a child.
Six-year-old Emma vanished into the thick San Francisco fog. Or into the heaving Pacific. Or somewhere just beyond: to a parking lot, a stranger’s van, or a road with traffic flashing by. Devastated by guilt, haunted by her fears about becoming a stepmother, Abby refuses to believe that Emma is dead. And so she searches for clues about what happened that morning—and cannot stop the flood of memories reaching from her own childhood to illuminate that irreversible moment on the beach.
Now, as the days drag into weeks, as the police lose interest and fliers fade on telephone poles, Emma’s father finds solace in religion and scientific probability—but Abby can only wander the beaches and city streets, attempting to recover the past and the little girl she lost. With her life at a crossroads, she will leave San Francisco for a country thousands of miles away. And there, by the side of another sea, on a journey that has led her to another man and into a strange subculture of wanderers and surfers, Abby will make the most astounding discovery of all—as the truth of Emma’s disappearance unravels with stunning force.
A profoundly original novel of family, loss, and hope—of the choices we make and the choices made for us—The Year of Fog beguiles with the mysteries of time and memory even as it lays bare the deep and wondrous workings of the human heart. The result is a mesmerizing tour de force that will touch anyone who knows what it means to love a child.
369 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
About the author
Michelle Richmond
30 books1,078 followersThank you for stopping by! To read my serial novella, sign up for my newsletter at michellerichmond.substack.com
I also share books I love & glimpses into my writing life on TikTok: @michellerichmondwriter.
I grew up in Alabama and have lived in California for 20 years, with a two-year stint in Paris. My 2017 literary thriller, the Sunday Times bestseller THE MARRIAGE PACT, examines marriage under the extreme pressure of constant monitoring from a powerful organization called The Pact. The Pact promises to help couples have a happy, lasting marriage...but the punishments for breaking the rules are severe. THE MARRIAGE PACT is available in 31 languages.
My latest novel, THE WONDER TEST, a suburban suspense novel set in Silicon Valley (Grove Atlantic in, 2021) was an Amazon Best Book of July. In a starred review, Booklist called THE WONDER TEST "a gripping blend of danger and sharp social commentary on high-stakes education, the 1%, and suburban tropes." The first in a series, THE WONDER TEST introduces a tough and spirited new protagonist, FBI agent Lina Connerly, and her teenaged son Rory.
To get updates, exclusive previews, free audio short stories, and (coming soon) serialized fiction, sign up for my newsletter at michellerichmond.substack.com.
You can also read my true stories of living in Paris, traveling, and writing at wanderingwriter.substack.com
My previous books include the New York Times bestseller THE YEAR of FOG, GOLDEN STATE, HUM: STORIES, NO ONE YOU KNOW, DREAM OF THE BLUE ROOM, and THE GIRL IN THE FALL-AWAY DRESS (stories).
I like to write about ordinary people in crisis: a kidnapping (The Year of Fog), a hostage situation (Golden State), a decades-old murder that became a true crime sensation (No One You Know). My novels are often set in San Francisco and the Bay Area, where I've made my home, but my books also take inspiration from many of the places I've lived and traveled. My story collection HUM (2014) features Americans caught up in espionage, surveillance, and all manner of marital crimes.
If you love discovering new books, or if you've enjoyed any of my books, I'd love to send you my author newsletter! It includes notes on what I'm reading, and dispatches from the writing life. You can sign up for the newsletter at http://michellerichmond.com.
Back story: I knew I wanted to be a writer for almost as long as I can remember, way back when I was a kid growing up in Alabama. I used to write skits to perform for my parents with my two sisters. After graduating from a huge public school in downtown Mobile, I studied journalism and creative writing at the University of Alabama, then worked in advertising, as well as in restaurants and a tanning salon (!) for a few years before enrolling in an MFA program in creative writing. I bounced around the South for a while and lived in New York City for a couple of years, with a brief work stint in Beijing, before settling in Northern California in 1999. I've been writing here in the fog ever since.
My first book, The Girl in the Fall-Away Dress was a short story collection that I wrote during my years waitressing and doing other odd jobs in Knoxville and Atlanta. My first novel, Dream of the Blue Room, was inspired by my time in Beijing. My second novel, The Year of Fog, gathered many rejections before being acquired by a young editor at Bantam. The Year of Fog was a life-changing book in that in allowed me to connect with readers in ways I'd never quite imagined, and it gave me the freedom to pursue writing full time. Writing is my dream job. It's a job I do alone in a quiet room, but because it allows me to connect with readers, it never feels lonely.
I also share books I love & glimpses into my writing life on TikTok: @michellerichmondwriter.
I grew up in Alabama and have lived in California for 20 years, with a two-year stint in Paris. My 2017 literary thriller, the Sunday Times bestseller THE MARRIAGE PACT, examines marriage under the extreme pressure of constant monitoring from a powerful organization called The Pact. The Pact promises to help couples have a happy, lasting marriage...but the punishments for breaking the rules are severe. THE MARRIAGE PACT is available in 31 languages.
My latest novel, THE WONDER TEST, a suburban suspense novel set in Silicon Valley (Grove Atlantic in, 2021) was an Amazon Best Book of July. In a starred review, Booklist called THE WONDER TEST "a gripping blend of danger and sharp social commentary on high-stakes education, the 1%, and suburban tropes." The first in a series, THE WONDER TEST introduces a tough and spirited new protagonist, FBI agent Lina Connerly, and her teenaged son Rory.
To get updates, exclusive previews, free audio short stories, and (coming soon) serialized fiction, sign up for my newsletter at michellerichmond.substack.com.
You can also read my true stories of living in Paris, traveling, and writing at wanderingwriter.substack.com
My previous books include the New York Times bestseller THE YEAR of FOG, GOLDEN STATE, HUM: STORIES, NO ONE YOU KNOW, DREAM OF THE BLUE ROOM, and THE GIRL IN THE FALL-AWAY DRESS (stories).
I like to write about ordinary people in crisis: a kidnapping (The Year of Fog), a hostage situation (Golden State), a decades-old murder that became a true crime sensation (No One You Know). My novels are often set in San Francisco and the Bay Area, where I've made my home, but my books also take inspiration from many of the places I've lived and traveled. My story collection HUM (2014) features Americans caught up in espionage, surveillance, and all manner of marital crimes.
If you love discovering new books, or if you've enjoyed any of my books, I'd love to send you my author newsletter! It includes notes on what I'm reading, and dispatches from the writing life. You can sign up for the newsletter at http://michellerichmond.com.
Back story: I knew I wanted to be a writer for almost as long as I can remember, way back when I was a kid growing up in Alabama. I used to write skits to perform for my parents with my two sisters. After graduating from a huge public school in downtown Mobile, I studied journalism and creative writing at the University of Alabama, then worked in advertising, as well as in restaurants and a tanning salon (!) for a few years before enrolling in an MFA program in creative writing. I bounced around the South for a while and lived in New York City for a couple of years, with a brief work stint in Beijing, before settling in Northern California in 1999. I've been writing here in the fog ever since.
My first book, The Girl in the Fall-Away Dress was a short story collection that I wrote during my years waitressing and doing other odd jobs in Knoxville and Atlanta. My first novel, Dream of the Blue Room, was inspired by my time in Beijing. My second novel, The Year of Fog, gathered many rejections before being acquired by a young editor at Bantam. The Year of Fog was a life-changing book in that in allowed me to connect with readers in ways I'd never quite imagined, and it gave me the freedom to pursue writing full time. Writing is my dream job. It's a job I do alone in a quiet room, but because it allows me to connect with readers, it never feels lonely.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,579 reviews
January 17, 2018
Update..., A Kindle $1.99 special today... I can’t imagine anybody cares not get this but if you have missed reading it ..... it’s a page turner. It was a Bay Area favorite book of the year when it first place released. Great price for a great thought provoking read.
UPDATE NEWS.. Congrats to Michelle.,living in the Bay Area.
The movie is being made with
Kate Bosworth and Michael Polish.
If you haven't read this book yet... Get a copy..
It won BOOK OF THE YEAR in the BAY AREA
the year it came out!
I read this book right after our city 'San Jose' picked it "City-Book-of-the-Year".
It was a story nobody forgets.
While reading this story --I often asked myself, "What would I have done different"? If ANYTHING???
I'm excited to discovered I have won a copy of Michelle Richmond's new book "Golden State" as a Goodreads 'first read'.
The book sounds GREAT! I'm still wanting to read 'other' books by Michelle Richmond, also. From my experience, she's an author that 'grabs' ya from the first page ---writes page-turning novels!
UPDATE NEWS.. Congrats to Michelle.,living in the Bay Area.
The movie is being made with
Kate Bosworth and Michael Polish.
If you haven't read this book yet... Get a copy..
It won BOOK OF THE YEAR in the BAY AREA
the year it came out!
I read this book right after our city 'San Jose' picked it "City-Book-of-the-Year".
It was a story nobody forgets.
While reading this story --I often asked myself, "What would I have done different"? If ANYTHING???
I'm excited to discovered I have won a copy of Michelle Richmond's new book "Golden State" as a Goodreads 'first read'.
The book sounds GREAT! I'm still wanting to read 'other' books by Michelle Richmond, also. From my experience, she's an author that 'grabs' ya from the first page ---writes page-turning novels!
February 10, 2023
If I could give this book a negative rating, I would. I am one who is unable to put down books, so I had to endure the entire thing, but it was a HUGE waste of quality reading time. Just to prevent all of you from having to read the entire book I'll summarize the entire story in one sentence: A woman loses her boyfriend's daughter and spends a year or so looking for her, once everyone else has given up, the woman follows a ridiculous lead to Costa Rica and just happens to find the child sitting on a beach and takes the child back while the kidnappers are busy surfing in the ocean... Do not read this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2017
I picked this up on a lark at Costco the other day and started to read it. In a nutshell, it is about a woman who takes her fiance's young daughter to the beach on a foggy day and the little girl vanishes. The book details the search for the girl. I have to say, the writing did not grab me at all. The dialogue was flat and not very nuanced or engaging. I found myself skimming (very surface skimming at that) the book to see how it all turned out. I think it could have been a good short story, but 3/4s+ of it could have been cut out. My opinion, anyway...
June 16, 2008
This is such a beautifully written and compelling story. I really enjoyed it and I found it difficult when I had to put the book down and do something else.
I loved that I didn’t know how it would end, and I won’t ruin it for those of you who haven’t read it, but the book was suspenseful and emotionally moving from beginning to end.
I live in San Francisco and it is the main setting for the book and, unlike many books that supposedly take place in the city, the author got just about everything right here: the many neighborhoods and so many specific locations in each of them. So, that was great fun for me, and softened some of the painful feelings that came up for me because of the subject of the book.
This is a novel told first person by the fiancé and soon to be stepmother of a child who goes missing. I loved Abby’s voice and the story was so riveting. I cared about Abby, Emma, Jake, and several other characters in the book; even some of the peripheral characters are shown in some depth.
What I especially enjoyed was how information about photography and memory are interspersed with the story. The author either has much knowledge or did a lot of research about these subjects, and she writes very poetically about them. As someone who knows virtually nothing about photography, I learned quite a bit. There are quotes from books about memory and the contents were so fascinating that I put one of those books on my to-read list. Having the book go back and forth in time between Abby’s present and past also added immeasurably to the story.
I am eager to read all the other books by this author. My only regret is that this book would have been a good choice for my book club and I wish that I had waited, nominated it for one of our books, and read it with my book group. (Vegan Book Club members: I wouldn’t mind reading it again for one of our discussions. Or, you all might enjoy this one on your own.)
I loved that I didn’t know how it would end, and I won’t ruin it for those of you who haven’t read it, but the book was suspenseful and emotionally moving from beginning to end.
I live in San Francisco and it is the main setting for the book and, unlike many books that supposedly take place in the city, the author got just about everything right here: the many neighborhoods and so many specific locations in each of them. So, that was great fun for me, and softened some of the painful feelings that came up for me because of the subject of the book.
This is a novel told first person by the fiancé and soon to be stepmother of a child who goes missing. I loved Abby’s voice and the story was so riveting. I cared about Abby, Emma, Jake, and several other characters in the book; even some of the peripheral characters are shown in some depth.
What I especially enjoyed was how information about photography and memory are interspersed with the story. The author either has much knowledge or did a lot of research about these subjects, and she writes very poetically about them. As someone who knows virtually nothing about photography, I learned quite a bit. There are quotes from books about memory and the contents were so fascinating that I put one of those books on my to-read list. Having the book go back and forth in time between Abby’s present and past also added immeasurably to the story.
I am eager to read all the other books by this author. My only regret is that this book would have been a good choice for my book club and I wish that I had waited, nominated it for one of our books, and read it with my book group. (Vegan Book Club members: I wouldn’t mind reading it again for one of our discussions. Or, you all might enjoy this one on your own.)
January 23, 2009
A quick summary so you know who the characters I reference below are...Abby takes Jake's (her fiancee's) daughter, Emma, to the beach where Emma is kidnapped.
This was a 400 pages book and it could have been 250 pages...
This first 100 pages of this book were great because of the action/ suspense of Emma going missing, the beginning of the search for Emma, and seeing the toll the event takes on Abby and Jake's relationship.
The middle 200 pages was NOT great because it is just a continuous repition of the first 100 pages.
The last 100 pages the action/suspense picks up again because Abby gets a lead that you knew was going to finally lead to an answer - is Emma alive or dead.
So, based upon those numbers, what the author wrote could have been 200 pages. I am adding in another 50 pages because I would have loved to have know two other things...
1) A chapter about how Emma was kidnapped.
2) A "two years later" chapter letting us know if Abby ended up with Jake, Nick (one of Abby's clients), or the missing children's support group leader (I can not remember his name).
The author wrote a lot of useless chapters of memories from Abby's childhood that had no reference to the story. All the text about Abby's first sexual partner, Ramon, could have been omitted. The author spent so much text writing analogies for what she was trying to say, when she could have just gotten to the point.
It almost seems like the author was trying to write like John Grisham with a feminine, emotional, chick-book twist. She was not quite successful.
This was a 400 pages book and it could have been 250 pages...
This first 100 pages of this book were great because of the action/ suspense of Emma going missing, the beginning of the search for Emma, and seeing the toll the event takes on Abby and Jake's relationship.
The middle 200 pages was NOT great because it is just a continuous repition of the first 100 pages.
The last 100 pages the action/suspense picks up again because Abby gets a lead that you knew was going to finally lead to an answer - is Emma alive or dead.
So, based upon those numbers, what the author wrote could have been 200 pages. I am adding in another 50 pages because I would have loved to have know two other things...
1) A chapter about how Emma was kidnapped.
2) A "two years later" chapter letting us know if Abby ended up with Jake, Nick (one of Abby's clients), or the missing children's support group leader (I can not remember his name).
The author wrote a lot of useless chapters of memories from Abby's childhood that had no reference to the story. All the text about Abby's first sexual partner, Ramon, could have been omitted. The author spent so much text writing analogies for what she was trying to say, when she could have just gotten to the point.
It almost seems like the author was trying to write like John Grisham with a feminine, emotional, chick-book twist. She was not quite successful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2010
AWFUL, AWFUL, AWFUL! I usually advise my students to stay away from all caps and exclamation points, but there is not other way for me to scream about the catastrophe that is this novel. For starters it is about 300 pages too long. And what's with the page and a half chapters? If I'm going to read 81 chapters the book better be 800 pages long. However, this novel sure felt like it was 800 pages long. The protagonist was whiny and irritating. She wants to find her fiance's daughter, but her constant paranoia about her fiance dumping her just intensifies her selfishness. I'm glad he didn't take her back. She lost his kid for crying out loud! How could he ever trust her again? I hate her. I also hate that the only thing dragging me to the end of the story was to find out what did happen to the little girl. I had to go about 350 pages into the novel to find that out. I was two seconds from saying "screw it, I do care what happened to the kid." The ending was so anticlimactic. Not that I want to read about the horrible things people might do to little girls, but the author barely alludes to what might have been done to this little girl. I think the worst of it was that she was locked in a house with only a box of macaroni and cheese. Really? That's it? She's been missing for a year and that's the worst that happened to her? 300+ pages of the story labor on and on about the protagonist's pathetic life, including an inappropriate relationship when she was 16 with a 27 year old, and stupid tidbits about how memory works. Seriously, forcing someone to read this book is a new form of torture.
April 10, 2008
The blurb on the front caught my attention: "Highly recommended [for fans of] authors like Jodi Picoult and Jacquelyn Mitchard."
Well, given my affinity for Jodi books and the fact I read Mitchard's "The Deep End of the Ocean" a few years back and liked it, that was more than enough to cause me to pick up Michelle Richmond's novel.
"The Year of Fog" is reminiscent of Mitchard's book in that it deals with the disappearance of a young child. However, the way the story is laid out reminds me more of my first-read and favorite Jodi book, "The Pact", in that the dramatic event that makes you catch your breath and your pulse start to race takes place right off the bat, and the author leaves you furiously turning the next 400 pages searching for the answers, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together.
Richmond's narrator, Abby, a photographer, a fiancee, a soon-to-be stepmother of Emma, the six-year-old who disappears on a San Francisco beach one foggy morning, stands front and center in this book. Although I think Picoult's style of letting several characters in each novel tell the story, there are times I wish she would give us a straight shot with one person, as Richmond does, because you live each moment inside Abby's head as she searches day after day, long after the police and even Emma's father, who eventually elects to go ahead with a memorial service for his daughter in an attempt to move on, have given up hope.
I don't want to start throwing out five-star ratings for just anything, but this book delivered from start to finish -- the last 50 pages were an emotional roller-coaster, where one resolution only leads to a whole new set of questions. Very short chapters make this an easy book to pick up and put down, but it's hardly a light read. And it was insanely difficult once I started to put it down.
Well, given my affinity for Jodi books and the fact I read Mitchard's "The Deep End of the Ocean" a few years back and liked it, that was more than enough to cause me to pick up Michelle Richmond's novel.
"The Year of Fog" is reminiscent of Mitchard's book in that it deals with the disappearance of a young child. However, the way the story is laid out reminds me more of my first-read and favorite Jodi book, "The Pact", in that the dramatic event that makes you catch your breath and your pulse start to race takes place right off the bat, and the author leaves you furiously turning the next 400 pages searching for the answers, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together.
Richmond's narrator, Abby, a photographer, a fiancee, a soon-to-be stepmother of Emma, the six-year-old who disappears on a San Francisco beach one foggy morning, stands front and center in this book. Although I think Picoult's style of letting several characters in each novel tell the story, there are times I wish she would give us a straight shot with one person, as Richmond does, because you live each moment inside Abby's head as she searches day after day, long after the police and even Emma's father, who eventually elects to go ahead with a memorial service for his daughter in an attempt to move on, have given up hope.
I don't want to start throwing out five-star ratings for just anything, but this book delivered from start to finish -- the last 50 pages were an emotional roller-coaster, where one resolution only leads to a whole new set of questions. Very short chapters make this an easy book to pick up and put down, but it's hardly a light read. And it was insanely difficult once I started to put it down.
February 4, 2021
“A Year of Fog’ by Michelle Richmond is both gorgeous to read and utterly nerve-wracking at the same time.
I’ve copied the cover blurb as it is totally accurate:
”Life changes in an instant. On a foggy beach. In the seconds when Abby Mason—photographer, fiancée soon-to-be-stepmother—looks into her camera and commits her greatest error. Heartbreaking, uplifting, and beautifully told, here is the riveting tale of a family torn apart, of the search for the truth behind a child’s disappearance, and of one woman’s unwavering faith in the redemptive power of love—all made startlingly fresh through Michelle Richmond’s incandescent sensitivity and extraordinary insight.
Six-year-old Emma vanished into the thick San Francisco fog. Or into the heaving Pacific. Or somewhere just beyond: to a parking lot, a stranger’s van, or a road with traffic flashing by. Devastated by guilt, haunted by her fears about becoming a stepmother, Abby refuses to believe that Emma is dead. And so she searches for clues about what happened that morning—and cannot stop the flood of memories reaching from her own childhood to illuminate that irreversible moment on the beach.
Now, as the days drag into weeks, as the police lose interest and fliers fade on telephone poles, Emma’s father finds solace in religion and scientific probability—but Abby can only wander the beaches and city streets, attempting to recover the past and the little girl she lost. With her life at a crossroads, she will leave San Francisco for a country thousands of miles away. And there, by the side of another sea, on a journey that has led her to another man and into a strange subculture of wanderers and surfers, Abby will make the most astounding discovery of all—as the truth of Emma’s disappearance unravels with stunning force.
A profoundly original novel of family, loss, and hope—of the choices we make and the choices made for us—The Year of Fog beguiles with the mysteries of time and memory even as it lays bare the deep and wondrous workings of the human heart. The result is a mesmerizing tour de force that will touch anyone who knows what it means to love a child.
The author could have made this story into something like a soap opera or a dramatic Hollywood movie, but she didn’t. Instead, it is easy to believe this is really a beautifully-written memoir and not a fictional novel. I highly recommend ‘A Year of Fog’, but readers will either need the time to read it in one or two days, or be able to put down a book which can tear you apart with anxiety every time you have to put it down and do something else. The author turns the story into a mystery because Abby can’t let what happened go. After everyone else has stopped looking, Abby continues to haunt the beach where Emma disappeared and question shopkeepers and cafe regulars. Abby does whatever it takes to remember everything that happened that day. She reads books about memory. She goes to two hypnotists. She searches every picture she took of Emma for clues. What on earth could have happened to Emma?
I can only imagine what it is like to bring a fiancé's six-year-old child to a beach, look away for, what, a minute? Five minutes? Look up after a few ticks of time and see an empty beach. No child. She is gone without a trace. It must be one of the worst things to happen to anyone in a caretaking role of a child. Abby Mason, the main character, narrates how life unspools afterwards exactly how awful such an experience is. I forgot I was reading a novel. What would you do?
I’ve copied the cover blurb as it is totally accurate:
”Life changes in an instant. On a foggy beach. In the seconds when Abby Mason—photographer, fiancée soon-to-be-stepmother—looks into her camera and commits her greatest error. Heartbreaking, uplifting, and beautifully told, here is the riveting tale of a family torn apart, of the search for the truth behind a child’s disappearance, and of one woman’s unwavering faith in the redemptive power of love—all made startlingly fresh through Michelle Richmond’s incandescent sensitivity and extraordinary insight.
Six-year-old Emma vanished into the thick San Francisco fog. Or into the heaving Pacific. Or somewhere just beyond: to a parking lot, a stranger’s van, or a road with traffic flashing by. Devastated by guilt, haunted by her fears about becoming a stepmother, Abby refuses to believe that Emma is dead. And so she searches for clues about what happened that morning—and cannot stop the flood of memories reaching from her own childhood to illuminate that irreversible moment on the beach.
Now, as the days drag into weeks, as the police lose interest and fliers fade on telephone poles, Emma’s father finds solace in religion and scientific probability—but Abby can only wander the beaches and city streets, attempting to recover the past and the little girl she lost. With her life at a crossroads, she will leave San Francisco for a country thousands of miles away. And there, by the side of another sea, on a journey that has led her to another man and into a strange subculture of wanderers and surfers, Abby will make the most astounding discovery of all—as the truth of Emma’s disappearance unravels with stunning force.
A profoundly original novel of family, loss, and hope—of the choices we make and the choices made for us—The Year of Fog beguiles with the mysteries of time and memory even as it lays bare the deep and wondrous workings of the human heart. The result is a mesmerizing tour de force that will touch anyone who knows what it means to love a child.
The author could have made this story into something like a soap opera or a dramatic Hollywood movie, but she didn’t. Instead, it is easy to believe this is really a beautifully-written memoir and not a fictional novel. I highly recommend ‘A Year of Fog’, but readers will either need the time to read it in one or two days, or be able to put down a book which can tear you apart with anxiety every time you have to put it down and do something else. The author turns the story into a mystery because Abby can’t let what happened go. After everyone else has stopped looking, Abby continues to haunt the beach where Emma disappeared and question shopkeepers and cafe regulars. Abby does whatever it takes to remember everything that happened that day. She reads books about memory. She goes to two hypnotists. She searches every picture she took of Emma for clues. What on earth could have happened to Emma?
I can only imagine what it is like to bring a fiancé's six-year-old child to a beach, look away for, what, a minute? Five minutes? Look up after a few ticks of time and see an empty beach. No child. She is gone without a trace. It must be one of the worst things to happen to anyone in a caretaking role of a child. Abby Mason, the main character, narrates how life unspools afterwards exactly how awful such an experience is. I forgot I was reading a novel. What would you do?
June 20, 2008
in my opinion this book was 'ok'. i got really tired of her self flagellation and moaning around about her losing this child. i can not imagine what it would be like but to read about it for over 200 pages it just became very monotonous for me. many things made me nuts like where DID this woman get her $ to live such a lifestyle of constant searching?
i also had trouble believing the ending, however since it was 'happy' i guess i cant complain,.. happy but unbelievable and i REALLY wanted her to just stand up to the policeman AND that jake and say I TOLD YOU SO! and what KIND of ending it was! aside from telling jake i TOLD YOU SO i would also call him a few choice words.
would i read it again? no. would i recommend it? maybe, if there was nothing better around
i also had trouble believing the ending, however since it was 'happy' i guess i cant complain,.. happy but unbelievable and i REALLY wanted her to just stand up to the policeman AND that jake and say I TOLD YOU SO! and what KIND of ending it was! aside from telling jake i TOLD YOU SO i would also call him a few choice words.
would i read it again? no. would i recommend it? maybe, if there was nothing better around
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2019
The book is emotionally charged and elegantly written, almost poetic in descriptions of memory, however; the book drags on and near the final hundred pages I skimmed, reading only major plot points and skipping our main character inner dialogue.
The characters seem a bit unrealistic, especially the father, Jake, who seems to give up sooner than I know most parents would, who seemed more set on giving up than having hope. Then, his attitude later in the book makes no sense with the circumstances, which frustrated me quite a bit
The book has merits, especially its poetic writing that lures you in, but in the end I found this book to be rather empty in character development, relationships, or anything of substance
The characters seem a bit unrealistic, especially the father, Jake, who seems to give up sooner than I know most parents would, who seemed more set on giving up than having hope. Then, his attitude later in the book makes no sense with the circumstances, which frustrated me quite a bit
The book has merits, especially its poetic writing that lures you in, but in the end I found this book to be rather empty in character development, relationships, or anything of substance
July 4, 2008
A terrifying scenario. You lose a child. What if it's your fiance's six-year old daughter and you've lost her through three second's inattention on a foggy morning at the ocean, while your fiance is out of town?
Your fiance's life is ruined and so is yours. And what happened to the child?
I read 'The Year of Fog' as fast as I could. That wasn't fast enough---I skipped to the end to see what happened. You are a mature person who would never do such a thing. Still, it's a testament to the book's quality that I was riveted by the unfolding of the story even after I knew what was going to happen. I didn't want it to end. Again.
I haven't read Jacquelyn Mitchard, but I have read Jodi Picoult. Picoult's a good storyteller, but her books are beginning to be pretty formulaic. Richmond's a better storyteller. I'm looking forward to her new book.
Your fiance's life is ruined and so is yours. And what happened to the child?
I read 'The Year of Fog' as fast as I could. That wasn't fast enough---I skipped to the end to see what happened. You are a mature person who would never do such a thing. Still, it's a testament to the book's quality that I was riveted by the unfolding of the story even after I knew what was going to happen. I didn't want it to end. Again.
I haven't read Jacquelyn Mitchard, but I have read Jodi Picoult. Picoult's a good storyteller, but her books are beginning to be pretty formulaic. Richmond's a better storyteller. I'm looking forward to her new book.
May 4, 2008
"There is a girl, her name is Emma, she is walking on the beach. I look away. Seconds pass. I look back, and she is gone. I keep thinking about the seconds, the ever-expanding circle. How I set this chain of events in motion. How I must find some way to make amends."
The Year of Fog is the the story of Abby Mason, a 32-year-old photographer who is about to be married. While Jake, her fiancee, is away visiting a friend, Abby takes his 6-year-old daughter, Emma, to the beach... and Emma disappears. This riveting novel follows Abby's desperate search to find out what happened to Emma, and repair the devastation that has torn her family's life apart.
Michelle Richmond is a spellbinding writer who introspectively explores the facets of human memory in this heartbreaking novel. Desperate to recapture the moment she lost Emma, Abby is frantic to find some morsel of a clue or speck of a memory from that foggy day on the beach that will help her uncover Emma's fate. She wanders the streets and beaches of San Fransisco, she searches the face of every child. Similarly, her camera, behind which Abby used to find her sanity and peace, becomes insufficient at recapturing (or offering clues about) those most precious, essential, life-changing seconds in time.
I picked this book up on a whim at Target a couple of weeks ago simply because of the quote on the front of the book, "Highly recommended [for fans of] authors like Jodi Picoult and Jacquelyn Mitchard." And what a pleasure it is to find a new author to devour! The structure of this book is wonderfully readable. The short chapters (which I love) contain just the right mix of raw emotion and new developments to propel the story forward. Many recent evenings I have spent more hours than I had intended reading "just a little bit more" as I, too, became desperate to know the fate of little Emma. I highly recommend this book to everybody (except worried, overprotective mothers)! Michelle Richmond has told a spectacular story!
March 19, 2023
This book was heavy and hard to read at times; the waiting pace was slow but not excruciating; I think that Michelle Richmond did an excellent job of capturing the despair and chaos and the inability to change the past.
Abby is engaged to six-year-old Emma's father, enjoying a nice day at the lovely. Abby is taking photographs, and then suddenly, Emma is gone. The excruciating pain and guilt, and hopelessness are insane.
Abby's love for Emma and her guilt at losing her, drive her to extreme and self-incriminating methods that drive away old relationships and welcome new and unexpected ones.
This was a journey! I love how crazy and yet realistic so many of the ways that people dealt with things were—well done.
4.5 stars for me
Abby is engaged to six-year-old Emma's father, enjoying a nice day at the lovely. Abby is taking photographs, and then suddenly, Emma is gone. The excruciating pain and guilt, and hopelessness are insane.
Abby's love for Emma and her guilt at losing her, drive her to extreme and self-incriminating methods that drive away old relationships and welcome new and unexpected ones.
This was a journey! I love how crazy and yet realistic so many of the ways that people dealt with things were—well done.
4.5 stars for me
October 7, 2010
Brief synopsis: A woman is walking along the beach one day with her fiance's young daughter. She turns away for a moment, distracted by something, and the child completely disappears. The would-be stepmother refuses to believe the girl is dead, and is determined to keep searching for clues in order to find out what happened and bring the young girl back home.
Thoughts: I was intrigued by the premise of this story and the idea of how much can go astray in life within the blink of an eye. But the story quickly lost steam for me, with far too many repetitive reflections on what might have happened, but with nothing really actually happening. I eventually lost interest and found myself skipping large portions just to get to the end. I won't spoil what that ending is, but I will say that I found the conclusion to be a bit of a stretch.
Here were my two favorite lines in the book, in reference to photography:
"Photographs represent our endless battle against time, our determination to preserve a moment."
and
"To think it takes so little to transform a passing moment into something resembling permanence. ...We take pictures because we can't accept that everything passes. We can't accept that the repetition of a moment is an impossibility."
In fact, there are a lot of interesting tidbits about photography and our capacity for memory thrown in throughout the book, and the author did well in her research in these areas. But the story itself just wasn't all that compelling for me in the end.
Thoughts: I was intrigued by the premise of this story and the idea of how much can go astray in life within the blink of an eye. But the story quickly lost steam for me, with far too many repetitive reflections on what might have happened, but with nothing really actually happening. I eventually lost interest and found myself skipping large portions just to get to the end. I won't spoil what that ending is, but I will say that I found the conclusion to be a bit of a stretch.
Here were my two favorite lines in the book, in reference to photography:
"Photographs represent our endless battle against time, our determination to preserve a moment."
and
"To think it takes so little to transform a passing moment into something resembling permanence. ...We take pictures because we can't accept that everything passes. We can't accept that the repetition of a moment is an impossibility."
In fact, there are a lot of interesting tidbits about photography and our capacity for memory thrown in throughout the book, and the author did well in her research in these areas. But the story itself just wasn't all that compelling for me in the end.
January 30, 2009
I liked the photo on the cover of this book and that was the reason I picked it up. I also enjoyed the story, but not the ending.
Abby Mason has a wonderful relationship with her fiance, Jake and his child, Emma. Abby takes Emma for a walk along a beach in San Francisco but looks away from her momentarily, only to have Emma disappear in the fog.
Abby is frantic...she searches everywhere for her and calls the police to get them involved. So begins Abby's search...for the little girl lost and eventually herself.
The story chronicles the weeks and then months from the moment that Emma disappears and Abby realizes that she has lost her. Throughout the ordeal she tries to keep her relationship with Jake together but finds it harder and harder to do so as he continuously pushes her away.
When he has given up hope on finding his little girl, Abby prevails and continues the search. She cannot live with herself for having looked away for a few seconds only to have Emma yanked from their lives. Abby firmly believes that Emma is alive some where waiting for her and her dad.
The ending was a bit of a let down for me in that it all came together a little too easily. I mean, what are the chances? Also, I was let down with Jake's character. He obviously was not the man that Abby thought he was.
The writing in this book was well done and I enjoyed it though I agree with some of the other reviewers in that some parts just dragged on for far too long.
Abby Mason has a wonderful relationship with her fiance, Jake and his child, Emma. Abby takes Emma for a walk along a beach in San Francisco but looks away from her momentarily, only to have Emma disappear in the fog.
Abby is frantic...she searches everywhere for her and calls the police to get them involved. So begins Abby's search...for the little girl lost and eventually herself.
The story chronicles the weeks and then months from the moment that Emma disappears and Abby realizes that she has lost her. Throughout the ordeal she tries to keep her relationship with Jake together but finds it harder and harder to do so as he continuously pushes her away.
When he has given up hope on finding his little girl, Abby prevails and continues the search. She cannot live with herself for having looked away for a few seconds only to have Emma yanked from their lives. Abby firmly believes that Emma is alive some where waiting for her and her dad.
The ending was a bit of a let down for me in that it all came together a little too easily. I mean, what are the chances? Also, I was let down with Jake's character. He obviously was not the man that Abby thought he was.
The writing in this book was well done and I enjoyed it though I agree with some of the other reviewers in that some parts just dragged on for far too long.
September 7, 2007
The year of Fog starts with a BIG, and risky I might add, plot move. After that, the plot slows and character is at the forefront for nearly 100 pages before plot makes another appearance. This is another risk, but for me, Richmond pulled it off. When reading this novel, I kept thinking, "she had to storyboard this." I could visualize her post-it notes, so many under plot at the beginning that she had to devote time to character. I swear I heard her say at page 105 of her draft, "time to switch back to plot."
I felt really smart, and I thought all of these many important things. I finished reading the last page and realized that I am stupid, but Michelle Richmond is a genius.
I felt really smart, and I thought all of these many important things. I finished reading the last page and realized that I am stupid, but Michelle Richmond is a genius.
May 20, 2019
This is the story that follows the machinations when a child disappears. Despite the involvement of law enforcement, friends and acquaintances, there aren’t a lot of clues, leaving Abby, soon to be stepmother of the missing Emma in a state of heightened emotions, not the least of which is guilt. The author gives us a taste of the anguish that takes hold as day after day, as the disappearance continues and grinds to a halt. Just when one begins to wonder how much longer the search will go on, the author adds an interesting twist in the plot.
Overall, a good read 📖!
I can’t say more without giving up too much of what happens. Sorry 😐
Overall, a good read 📖!
I can’t say more without giving up too much of what happens. Sorry 😐
January 11, 2009
I know a book is a great one when I keep thinking about it and the characters for weeks after I've finished it, even after other books have been read and forgotten. This book has that effect on me. I highly recommend it!
December 30, 2017
Wow. This book grabbed me in right away and the thought of losing someone else’s child while at the beach is just unimaginable!! A very compelling story that I would not want to live through. Could be my last book that I read in 2017.
April 10, 2008
This was a difficult book to read and a difficult book to put down. A mother's worst fear is loosing a child...not knowing where they are or what is happening to them. Kidnappings are devistating. In pursuit of educating my kids on the real dangers of kidnapping, I may have over-exposed them to the tragic stories in the news these past few years. I have this urgency for them to "understand" that abduction is real, to be careful, to scream.
Richmond like to use a lot of prose while writing. Thoughts on memories, photography, and ones own perception of the world fill the pages of The Year of Fog. It takes a very dense mind to absorb passing thoughts and tuck them away for later use. I don't have that gift. It is in, and it is out. While I am not a big fan of prose, Richmond was quick to return to the story at hand. Definately not as tedious as "A Year Of Magical Thinkging". The small chapters kept me reading into the night with "just one more." I needed to see how this story ended. I had to turn the last page.
Richmond like to use a lot of prose while writing. Thoughts on memories, photography, and ones own perception of the world fill the pages of The Year of Fog. It takes a very dense mind to absorb passing thoughts and tuck them away for later use. I don't have that gift. It is in, and it is out. While I am not a big fan of prose, Richmond was quick to return to the story at hand. Definately not as tedious as "A Year Of Magical Thinkging". The small chapters kept me reading into the night with "just one more." I needed to see how this story ended. I had to turn the last page.
February 20, 2015
A little more than a minute. That's all. Abby didn't look away for more than that, and perhaps it wasn't even that long. But that was all the time it took for her fiance's daughter to disappear into the San Francisco fog.
What happened? Did Emma drown? Or was she kidnapped? Are horrible things happening to her, even as the city turns itself inside out, trying to find her?
Now Abby is guilt-stricken, but she refuses to give up. Long after the police close the search, and her fiance tries to move on, Abby still continues, diving through the murkiest recesses of her memory, trying to recall the tiniest detail that will lead her to the answers and the truth...and Emma.
Hmmm. That read like an alternative synopsis.
Here's my take on the book: something of a page-turner. Its pacing is disjointed--fast at times, and then slowing down as the main character dives into the recesses of her memory and recalls periods of her past which remind her of the present. The main characters--namely Abby and her fiance--are compelling for their sheer ordinariness. Readers will relate to them, perhaps a little too much, and the worry and sickening fear will become something that is entirely plausible. A compelling read, and reminded me of Anna Quindlen's Black and Blue in terms of its pacing and tone, and possibly also its themes of family and devotion. Another read-alike possibility, if for no other reason than similar storyline: The Deep End of the Ocean.
What happened? Did Emma drown? Or was she kidnapped? Are horrible things happening to her, even as the city turns itself inside out, trying to find her?
Now Abby is guilt-stricken, but she refuses to give up. Long after the police close the search, and her fiance tries to move on, Abby still continues, diving through the murkiest recesses of her memory, trying to recall the tiniest detail that will lead her to the answers and the truth...and Emma.
Hmmm. That read like an alternative synopsis.
Here's my take on the book: something of a page-turner. Its pacing is disjointed--fast at times, and then slowing down as the main character dives into the recesses of her memory and recalls periods of her past which remind her of the present. The main characters--namely Abby and her fiance--are compelling for their sheer ordinariness. Readers will relate to them, perhaps a little too much, and the worry and sickening fear will become something that is entirely plausible. A compelling read, and reminded me of Anna Quindlen's Black and Blue in terms of its pacing and tone, and possibly also its themes of family and devotion. Another read-alike possibility, if for no other reason than similar storyline: The Deep End of the Ocean.
September 18, 2018
Od tygodnia w wolnych chwilach podczytywałam sobie "Rok we mgle", książka nie wciągnęła mnie na tyle, by zarywać dla niej noce, ale też nie irytowała do granic, co można jej zaliczyć na plus. Czyli jaki werdykt? Dla mnie ta powieść to typowy średniaczek.
Gdy Abby wybiera się z córeczką swojego partnera na plażę, nie spodziewa się, że wystarczą sekundy, aby jej życie zamieniło się w koszmar. Emma znika, rozpływa się w powietrzu, poszukiwania nie przynoszą żadnego skutku, a Abby pogrąża się w poczuciu winy. Potrzeba odnalezienia dziewczynki przekształca się w obsesję, a związek Abby z ojcem Emmy przechodzi poważny kryzys - czemu trudno się dziwić.
Co mi się podobało? Na pewno determinacja Abby - kobieta do samego końca wierzy, że Emma gdzieś tam jest i czeka aż ktoś ją odnajdzie. Ta nieustępliwość prowadzi ją aż do Kostaryki i ta zmiana scenerii powoduje, że książka trochę się "ożywia". Do samego końca byłam niezwykle ciekawa, czy Emmę uda się odnaleźć. Zakończenie jednak trochę mnie zawiodło, wyjaśnienie sprawy następuje zbyt nagle i jest, niestety, bardzo mało prawdopodobne. Nie jest to książka do przeczytania w 1-2 dni, całość nieco się dłuży, ale te wszystkie minusy rekompensuje dosyć ciekawa fabuła. Książka do przeczytania, nie zagości jednak w mojej głowie na dłużej.
Gdy Abby wybiera się z córeczką swojego partnera na plażę, nie spodziewa się, że wystarczą sekundy, aby jej życie zamieniło się w koszmar. Emma znika, rozpływa się w powietrzu, poszukiwania nie przynoszą żadnego skutku, a Abby pogrąża się w poczuciu winy. Potrzeba odnalezienia dziewczynki przekształca się w obsesję, a związek Abby z ojcem Emmy przechodzi poważny kryzys - czemu trudno się dziwić.
Co mi się podobało? Na pewno determinacja Abby - kobieta do samego końca wierzy, że Emma gdzieś tam jest i czeka aż ktoś ją odnajdzie. Ta nieustępliwość prowadzi ją aż do Kostaryki i ta zmiana scenerii powoduje, że książka trochę się "ożywia". Do samego końca byłam niezwykle ciekawa, czy Emmę uda się odnaleźć. Zakończenie jednak trochę mnie zawiodło, wyjaśnienie sprawy następuje zbyt nagle i jest, niestety, bardzo mało prawdopodobne. Nie jest to książka do przeczytania w 1-2 dni, całość nieco się dłuży, ale te wszystkie minusy rekompensuje dosyć ciekawa fabuła. Książka do przeczytania, nie zagości jednak w mojej głowie na dłużej.
August 28, 2016
This book is about Abby, a photographer in San Francisco, who is engaged to Jake. She’s at the beach with her fiance’s daughter, Emma, when in one critical moment, she looks away and Emma goes missing. This book follows Abby’s search for Emma.
Though the storyline had promise, I felt the author failed to deliver. For me, this was a very slow read as I didn’t really think the author created any sense of urgency. The narration was “distant” and had a dreamlike (“foggy”) tone to it that only made the lack of action and passion more apparent. The story is told first-person by Abby, who is (to me) unlikable, whiny and self-absorbed. Emma is missing and she’s often more concerned with how it is going to affect her relationship with Jake.
The book is about twice as long as it needs to be. There are tangents and backstories for Abby that are mostly pointless. I kept reading because I wanted to find out what happened by Emma more than because the story was gripping and intense.
Overall, the book was ok
Rating: 2.5
Though the storyline had promise, I felt the author failed to deliver. For me, this was a very slow read as I didn’t really think the author created any sense of urgency. The narration was “distant” and had a dreamlike (“foggy”) tone to it that only made the lack of action and passion more apparent. The story is told first-person by Abby, who is (to me) unlikable, whiny and self-absorbed. Emma is missing and she’s often more concerned with how it is going to affect her relationship with Jake.
The book is about twice as long as it needs to be. There are tangents and backstories for Abby that are mostly pointless. I kept reading because I wanted to find out what happened by Emma more than because the story was gripping and intense.
Overall, the book was ok
Rating: 2.5
June 30, 2008
This has to be one of the best books I have read this year.The book tells the story about Emma, a little six year old, disappearing while she is at the beach with her father's girlfriend Abby. Even after six months Abby refuses to believe that Emma will never be found and continues to search even after the police and Emma's father stop looking.
Abby continues to follow leads which take her to Costa Rica and in the end her perseverence pays off as Emma is found by Abby. Abby's relationship with Jake and emma is never the same but she learns how to move on with her life after putting it on hold for over a year until Emma is found.
I loved this book and couldn't put it down once I started reading it. I am looking forward to more books by Michelle Richmond.
Abby continues to follow leads which take her to Costa Rica and in the end her perseverence pays off as Emma is found by Abby. Abby's relationship with Jake and emma is never the same but she learns how to move on with her life after putting it on hold for over a year until Emma is found.
I loved this book and couldn't put it down once I started reading it. I am looking forward to more books by Michelle Richmond.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2009
The Year Of Fog tells the story of a kidnapped child. A story that's been told a number of times. And I've read my share of them. But there are a number of things which sets this one apart. First of all, it's told from the point of view of the child's stepmother. A boldly different point perspective. It also includes many beautifully written passages on the use of photography as a means, not only to freeze a moment in time, but to imprint that time into our memories. And for me, it's these brilliant dissertations into so many different aspects of our memories, and the ways in which these memories shape, effect, and in some cases, define our lives that makes this novel special.
March 26, 2016
This was a good read. It definitely goes step by step through the emotional process of having your child disappear - showing how it effects so many lives...all the possibilities...what could have happened to her?!?! It did slow down in some parts as the search really becomes part of the day! But I was totally captivated from about 60-85%. I really wanted a different ending, it didn't even have to be a complete happy ever after - but there were so many parts left loose for me! Bonus points for the bay area setting, as an east bay girl I love reading around the bay, especially now that I am so far away - double bonus for the surfing action!!
March 12, 2010
I don’t recommend this novel. It is boring and repetitive. The first 50 pages are suspenseful and remarkably attractive. However, once Emma goes missing, the pace starts to get slower and slower, which makes me feel sleepy every time when I take the novel up.
I am tired of Abby moaning about her guilt of losing Emma in the middle 200 pages. In almost every chapter, she counts the number of days that Emma has disappeared, which makes me feel annoyed.
Here is the truth, this is what I know: I was walking on the beach, holding Emma’s hand. I looked away, at a dead seal. Seconds passed. Three months, twenty-eight days, twelve and a half hours passed (Richmond 164).
I appreciate that the author has worked hard to express the love and emotion in Abby’s mind on Emma and Jake. However, it may be too much for a suspense fiction. The reason I choose to read this novel is because the cover is attractive, and that the comments on the novel are pretty terrific, both indicating that this is a richly imagined suspenseful fiction, my favourite genre. Nonetheless, it ends up that the writings don’t really grab me at all and the repeated expressions of love make the book more like a love story. I feel sorry for the mismatch between the cover and the content.
Besides, although this novel is filled with boredom, there are some quotations that I like very much. One of my favourite quotations is “photographs represent our endless battle against time, our determination to preserve a moment” (Richmond 157). The author sometimes includes some philosophic phrases that make you think while reading.
Anyway, I think that the ending is not an enjoyable one. Although the ending seems unpredictable and can give you surprise, you will not be satisfied with such ending.
In conclusion, if you are expecting a suspense novel, do not waste your time and read this novel. This is my advice.
I am tired of Abby moaning about her guilt of losing Emma in the middle 200 pages. In almost every chapter, she counts the number of days that Emma has disappeared, which makes me feel annoyed.
Here is the truth, this is what I know: I was walking on the beach, holding Emma’s hand. I looked away, at a dead seal. Seconds passed. Three months, twenty-eight days, twelve and a half hours passed (Richmond 164).
I appreciate that the author has worked hard to express the love and emotion in Abby’s mind on Emma and Jake. However, it may be too much for a suspense fiction. The reason I choose to read this novel is because the cover is attractive, and that the comments on the novel are pretty terrific, both indicating that this is a richly imagined suspenseful fiction, my favourite genre. Nonetheless, it ends up that the writings don’t really grab me at all and the repeated expressions of love make the book more like a love story. I feel sorry for the mismatch between the cover and the content.
Besides, although this novel is filled with boredom, there are some quotations that I like very much. One of my favourite quotations is “photographs represent our endless battle against time, our determination to preserve a moment” (Richmond 157). The author sometimes includes some philosophic phrases that make you think while reading.
Anyway, I think that the ending is not an enjoyable one. Although the ending seems unpredictable and can give you surprise, you will not be satisfied with such ending.
In conclusion, if you are expecting a suspense novel, do not waste your time and read this novel. This is my advice.
May 11, 2009
I kept a kind of journal while reading this book, so here's my 2 cents on it:
+ The beginning happens so swiftly, we don't really get to meet Emma before she disappears. It's harder to feel the emotional pull of her disappearance since we don't really know her. It's like "Oh, a little girl is missing. How sad."
+ I like the way Abby calculates how much further Emma could have gone in the time it takes for the detective to take on sip of coffee.
+ You learn little bits and pieces about Emma as the book progresses and you start to fear for her as she's missing but it doesn't make up for not knowing her at the beginning. Now it's "Emma's missing, how awful."
+ It's hard for me to connect to the book emotionally since I don't have kids so I don't know the fear associated with the thought of losing them.
+ I don't care for some of the flashbacks to Abby's past before Jake and Emma. Some of them seem irrelevant and a detour from the main plot.
+ Some of the information on memory and photography is really neat but kind of distracting. I can see it's point in the story, but at times I feel bogged down by the information and it's relevance to the plot.
+ The middle of the book: drag, drag, drag.
+ Following the clue to Costa Rica is a little too convenient.
+ Abby's almost rape. Scary and out of place. I felt like it did nothing for the story line.
+ Didn't really like the ending. Stumbling across Emma in a foreign country is too perfect. We don't really learn exactly why she was taken. And then Abby's story feels unfinished once she's back in San Fransisco. There's no resolution for her. Following her year of trying to find Emma, you really connect with Abby and I want to know where her life is going after finding Emma.
All in all not a bad book, but not something I would be inclined to read a second time.
+ The beginning happens so swiftly, we don't really get to meet Emma before she disappears. It's harder to feel the emotional pull of her disappearance since we don't really know her. It's like "Oh, a little girl is missing. How sad."
+ I like the way Abby calculates how much further Emma could have gone in the time it takes for the detective to take on sip of coffee.
+ You learn little bits and pieces about Emma as the book progresses and you start to fear for her as she's missing but it doesn't make up for not knowing her at the beginning. Now it's "Emma's missing, how awful."
+ It's hard for me to connect to the book emotionally since I don't have kids so I don't know the fear associated with the thought of losing them.
+ I don't care for some of the flashbacks to Abby's past before Jake and Emma. Some of them seem irrelevant and a detour from the main plot.
+ Some of the information on memory and photography is really neat but kind of distracting. I can see it's point in the story, but at times I feel bogged down by the information and it's relevance to the plot.
+ The middle of the book: drag, drag, drag.
+ Following the clue to Costa Rica is a little too convenient.
+ Abby's almost rape. Scary and out of place. I felt like it did nothing for the story line.
+ Didn't really like the ending. Stumbling across Emma in a foreign country is too perfect. We don't really learn exactly why she was taken. And then Abby's story feels unfinished once she's back in San Fransisco. There's no resolution for her. Following her year of trying to find Emma, you really connect with Abby and I want to know where her life is going after finding Emma.
All in all not a bad book, but not something I would be inclined to read a second time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2015
Confesso que demorei, exactamente, um mês para ler este livro. Porém, ao contrário do que esta confissão parece significar, tenho a dizer que a história me cativou ao ponto de, cada vez que retomei o livro, me lembrava precisamente do sitio da narrativa onde tinha ficado e de tudo o que ficava para trás.
Uma história sobre a perda de uma criança, num momento que fosse irreflectido, distracção ou falta de responsabilidade, nos mostra como um segundo pode mudar a direcção das nossas vidas. Mas, mais importante, como a persistência e a crença em nós mesmos nos leva longe...muito longe.
Outra confissão ainda, foi a capa maravilhosa que me moveu na compra deste livro, há muito tempo atrás. Uma acto impulsivo, que se revelou prudente.
Acresce uma importância especial a esta leitura, que foi a primeira no retorno aos meus livros (já não é o 1º este ano, mas este é de vez!.
Uma história sobre a perda de uma criança, num momento que fosse irreflectido, distracção ou falta de responsabilidade, nos mostra como um segundo pode mudar a direcção das nossas vidas. Mas, mais importante, como a persistência e a crença em nós mesmos nos leva longe...muito longe.
Outra confissão ainda, foi a capa maravilhosa que me moveu na compra deste livro, há muito tempo atrás. Uma acto impulsivo, que se revelou prudente.
Acresce uma importância especial a esta leitura, que foi a primeira no retorno aos meus livros (já não é o 1º este ano, mas este é de vez!.
June 3, 2008
This book is fantastic - I stayed up just to see how it ended. If you have children, a niece, a granddaughter - you must read this book. Abby - the main character who was walking on Ocean Beach when Emma disappeared - could be any of us. Her drive to never give up looking for her & unwillingness to accept the unacceptable is courageous, admirable and riveting. Her strained relationship with her fiance is heartwrenching as well. HIs pain will break your heart and tear at your soul.
This is a page-turner! The race to get to the end is fantastic, right up to the very last page. I havevn't read a book THIS GOOD in a long time by a new (not so famous!) author - very Jodi Picoult-ish. LOVE IT!!!!!!
This is a page-turner! The race to get to the end is fantastic, right up to the very last page. I havevn't read a book THIS GOOD in a long time by a new (not so famous!) author - very Jodi Picoult-ish. LOVE IT!!!!!!
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