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review
CarolynM
Still Missing | Beth Gutcheon
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Pickpick

#PersephoneClub

I read this with the sick feeling in my stomach that I have had on the (thankfully few) occasions when my kids were out significantly later than I expected. How much worse it would be to have a child actually go missing is beyond my imagination. I can‘t say I enjoyed this read, but I thought the exploration of the impact on the family, friends and neighbours, and also on the police, was masterful. More in spoiler comment below.

CarolynM I really liked that it looked at the situation where the police get it wrong & the impact that has. I also liked that Susan‘s refusal to accept that solution was seen by everyone as irrational, even though she had good reasons, as well as blind hope. While I was emotionally glad for the ending, I feel it was an unlikely one. And also that it left a whole other story to be told. 1mo
CarolynM Off to look at all the other reviews now🙂 1mo
BarbaraBB Great review. The feeling the book left me with comes back to me now. 1mo
See All 11 Comments
Cathythoughts Great review. I agree it was a difficult read , but so well written. And yes the ending did leave a whole other story to be told. Susan‘s thoughts / words at the end have stayed with me .. that this should be the ‘simplest moment of my life ‘ … when she sees him and their dog runs to him… I don‘t like to think about what her son must have gone through. I‘m glad we all read it together. It‘s good to be able to share the intensity of this one. (edited) 1mo
LeahBergen @CarolynM Yes! This is the sort of book that I REALLY avoid. I find that I can read all sorts of horrible, “out there” books but the reality of child abduction is just too visceral. I, too, was happy about the ending (for myself and my reading experience 😆) but it did seem implausible in the real world. (edited) 1mo
LeahBergen @Cathythoughts That‘s quite perfect way of putting it, Cathy. I‘m so glad we read it together and got to rehash the intensity of the book together! 1mo
willaful @CarolynM Yes, exactly this. There was so much devastation. What happens *now*?! 1mo
daena Great review, and indeed an ending that left an open story. 1mo
Tamra @CarolynM agreed, I felt there could be more to the story. I wanted to know how each of the characters moved on or didn‘t. (edited) 1mo
GlassAsDiamonds Oohh… Persephone edition… the glory! 1mo
jlhammar It really is beyond imagination. I was also grateful for the ending even though it left a lot unsaid/unexplored and we know their path forward will be difficult. Great review. 1mo
83 likes1 stack add11 comments
review
Caryl
Still Missing | Beth Gutcheon
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Pickpick

Heartbreaking, compelling, upsetting, and extremely moving. I was shocked by some of the turns the story took. I felt like I was sitting right beside Susan Selky, there in the late 1970s in her Boston home. I kept turning the pages, feeling like the more quickly I read, the sooner I might get some answers for Alex‘s mother. I quite admired her, and I appreciated the peek from Detective Menetti‘s perspective as well. (continued)

Caryl As you can see in the photo, I found my Persephone Biannually from the season it was published. I remember reading about it then. I never would have picked this one up on my own. I'm so glad I did. Thank you, @jlhammar & #PersephoneClub!

@LeahBergen @rubyslippersreads @quietjenn @sisilia @CarolynM @daena @elkeOriginal @Gissy @Aimeesue @Tamra @andrew61 @Cathythoughts @jlhammar @Karons1 @julieclair @willaful
(edited) 1mo
Caryl Also: Wanted to let you all know, in case any of you live near Bath, that Persephone's Morning Book Group will be discussing Still Missing on March 21st: https://persephonebooks.co.uk/pages/book-groups 1mo
CarolynM Yes, I admired Susan too, but I could see how easily she would be misunderstood. Great review. 1mo
See All 6 Comments
Cathythoughts Great review! The characters were so well written. I‘d love to go to Persephones Book Group for that discussion …… Dream on 😆 1mo
LeahBergen What a great review and I‘m so glad we read it together, too! I‘ve bought so many Persephone books over the years but always avoided this one. 😬 I‘m with you, @Cathythoughts … I‘d love to go to that book group, too! 1mo
jlhammar Fantastic review! I felt the same. 1mo
37 likes6 comments
review
andrew61
Still Missing | Beth Gutcheon
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Pickpick

What a very tense read which evoked both the troubling politics of the late 70s (homophobia) but also the trauma of a child's disappearance. Poor Susan is surrounded by a host of troubling friends + relatives esp ex h Graham. A v dramatic end had me on tenterhooks
#persephoneclub @LeahBergen @Cathythoughts @Aimeesue @CarolynM @jlhammar @Tamra @rubyslippersreads @sisilia @Ruthiella @Gissy @elkeOriginal @daena @Karons1 @julieclair @willaful @Caryl

jlhammar So tense! And same for me with that ending. Great review! 1mo
Aimeesue Troubling friends is right! Sheesh. 1mo
Tamra I was surprised at the homophobia, but I shouldn‘t have been. 1mo
See All 10 Comments
willaful @Tamra I know just what you mean. 1mo
LeahBergen @Tamra @willaful @andrew61 I was really worried there for a bit and thought, “Oh no! Is the author going to make the only gay character a pedophile???” 😬 1mo
Cathythoughts Yes , A very tense read ! So true to the time. I thought the story was written so well. 1mo
willaful @LeahBergen Yes. And I really want to know what happened to him! 1mo
Caryl The homophobia was disturbing. I hated that turn of events. Gutcheon did swerve to show things from another angle so that the homophobia was clear, and so I was somewhat relieved, but I still wish she had plotted that part differently. 1mo
CarolynM Great review, it was a very tense read for me too. As to the homophobia, in cases like this one I think it‘s still all too real - stuff Auberon Levy (the lawyer) said about why he wouldn‘t get involved is still there in people‘s minds today☹️ 1mo
andrew61 @willaful @jlhammar @Caryl @Cathythoughts @Tamra @Aimeesue Definitely a book to spark a lot of discussion. I liked Menetti + his interactions with his wife and Susan. It felt like every person susan was close to, he wd disclose something unsavoury about. The encounter that led to Phillipe's arrest was brutally described, + I'm relieved she did not take the bk in that direction also leah. Will be interested in yr thoughts Cathy on her other bks. 1mo
48 likes10 comments
blurb
Cathythoughts
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#Persephoneclub I hunted her down on the internet, and these ones came pretty quickly too. Exciting!! All second hand and very reasonable, and in good shape. 👍🏻♥️

Aimeesue Looking forward to your reviews! Hope they‘re as good as Still Missing 1mo
Tamra 😍 Excellent sleuthing! 1mo
Cathythoughts @Aimeesue I hope so too 🤞🏻😁 1mo
See All 17 Comments
Cathythoughts @Tamra Thankyou my friend ❤️ 1mo
quietjenn Nice! 1mo
Cathythoughts @quietjenn Yes , looking good 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 1mo
BarbaraBB Wow! 1mo
LeahBergen How wonderful! I know I read The New Girls waaaay back when I was in junior high school. I want to read it again! 1mo
Cathythoughts @BarbaraBB I hope so 🤞🏻😁 1mo
Cathythoughts @LeahBergen Ok. I can always send you this copy … when I read it. I‘m good for sharing 😂 Really ! 👍🏻❤️ 1mo
Cathythoughts @LeahBergen …And I think New Girls has a Leahbergen kind of cover. X (edited) 1mo
Caryl Fantastic finds! Looking forward to hearing what you think. I really enjoyed her writing style! 1mo
Cathythoughts @Caryl I enjoyed her writing too 👍🏻❤️ 1mo
CarolynM Well done! Yet another name for me to look out for in second hand bookshops🙂 1mo
Cathythoughts @CarolynM Yes! I might start one soon. I‘ll keep you posted 😁👍🏻 1mo
jlhammar Wonderful! I was thinking about including a Gutcheon (More Than You Know was calling to me) in my next book order. 1mo
Cathythoughts @jlhammar Oh great. We can compare notes in the future 👍🏻❤️ It will interesting to read another Gutcheon book. 1mo
62 likes17 comments
review
quietjenn
Still Missing | Beth Gutcheon
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Pickpick

What a compelling, engrossing book! And yet another I probably wouldn't have read on my own, given the grim subject matter. The time and place are so wonderfully evoked and I appreciate how complex Gutcheon's characters and storytelling are.

#PersephoneClub

@Aimeesue @LeahBergen @rubyslippersreads @Caryl @sisilia @Tamra @Ruthiella @CarolynM @Gissy @elkeOriginal @daena @Cathythoughts @andrew61 @jlhammar @Karons1 @julieclair @willaful

LeahBergen Look at that old cover! 👍 1mo
Cathythoughts Great review.. as you say the time , the place , the characters. So good. Love your book ❤️ 1mo
jlhammar It really was! Wonderful review. I hadn‘t seen that edition yet. Very cool! 1mo
See All 6 Comments
Tamra Love that edition cover! 1mo
Caryl That must be the original cover! Yes to complex characters. I really liked her writing style. 1mo
CarolynM Great review. Yes, to the complexity, that‘s what made it so satisfying for me. 1mo
62 likes2 stack adds6 comments
review
Aimeesue
Still Missing | Beth Gutcheon
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Pickpick

I avoided this one for a long time due to it being about a missing child, but I‘m glad I finally read it. The way Gutcheon follows the MC‘s thoughts is fantastic - not quite stream of consciousness, much more readable for me. Great writing, and the late ‘70s setting made me nostalgic but horrified - did we really not look for missing kids until 24 hrs later? Egad. (MA native, so I also enjoyed the Boston area setting) Recommended.
#PersephoneClub

Tamra Crazy right - 24hrs? The panic! 1mo
jlhammar Yes! The way she was able to let the reader experience Susan‘s thoughts and feelings was masterful. 1mo
See All 12 Comments
LeahBergen Great review! Yes, I felt all ‘70s nostalgic, too. I kept thinking how much of the plot would be different if cell phones had been around then. 😆 1mo
Aimeesue @Tamra As if anyone who‘s actually met a six year old could believe they‘re deliver not coming home after dark! 1mo
Aimeesue @jlhammar SO well done! 1mo
Aimeesue @LeahBergen We wouldn‘t have had to chase that Graham down, that‘s for sure! 1mo
LeahBergen Exactly! 1mo
Cathythoughts Great review! Such a well written book. 👌🏻 1mo
Caryl Yes, it made me curious to read more books published in the late 70s. I also had fun Googling row houses in Boston to get an idea of where they lived. I bet the setting was very clear in your mind! 1mo
CarolynM Lovely review. There was a great sense of time and place. I certainly noticed the lack of mobile phones and the impact that had too @LeahBergen 1mo
LeahBergen @CarolynM I was like, “Just call him!” 😂 1mo
48 likes12 comments
review
sisilia
Still Missing | Beth Richardson Gutcheon
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Pickpick

3⭐️ This novel really invited me to experience the hell parents have to go through when their child disappears without a trace. The story was set in the 80s and the reference to drugs and homophobia feels like a time travel to that era. #persephoneclub

Tamra Agreed, it is a time capsule! 1mo
LeahBergen I really enjoyed the throwback feel to that era. 1mo
Caryl Time travel, indeed! 1mo
54 likes3 comments
review
LeahBergen
Still Missing | Beth Richardson Gutcheon
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Pickpick

I had always avoided this Persephone novel as the subject matter (a missing child) seemed so disturbing. Well, it WAS disturbing but also utterly compelling and extremely well-written. It‘s best to go in without reading any blurbs or reviews as it does have some great twists.

A solid #PersephoneClub pick!

Aimeesue I‘ve avoided it for the same reason, but I absolutely agree that it‘s an excellent book. The writing is stellar. 2mo
Tamra I went in blind and the end of the first chapter was a punch in the gut! 2mo
rubyslippersreads I felt the same, but ended up gobbling it down. I‘d like to read more by this author. 2mo
See All 32 Comments
willaful Ah, I love your background there... 😍 I have some of the same Viragos. 2mo
jlhammar Yes, so compelling! Those are some lovely shelves you have there. 2mo
sarahbarnes Well I‘m stacking this now. 2mo
Cathythoughts Haunting book. I feel the same Leah. Compelling and so well written, as you say. 2mo
Cathythoughts Look at all those divine books. You are a connoisseur my friend 👌🏻❤️ 2mo
Hooked_on_books I don‘t think you have enough Persephones 🤔 2mo
batsy Shelf envy 😍😍 2mo
julieclair I had decided not to read this one because of the subject matter, but all these glowing reviews have me second guessing that decision. 2mo
LeahBergen @Aimeesue It really surprised me! 1mo
LeahBergen @Tamra I know! 😩 1mo
LeahBergen @rubyslippersreads I know I read one of hers waaaay back in my junior high days. It was about a group of girls in an elite boarding school in the ‘60s. I‘m going to hunt it down again! 1mo
LeahBergen @willaful I can‘t resist them (especially when I find them for super cheap). I just add them to the stockpile. 😆 1mo
LeahBergen @jlhammar Thank you! 😊 1mo
LeahBergen @sarahbarnes The late ‘70s setting was really fun, too. I hope you enjoy it! 1mo
LeahBergen @Cathythoughts Haha! Thanks, Cathy. 😘 1mo
LeahBergen @Hooked_on_books I don‘t. I don‘t have them ALL yet! 😂 1mo
LeahBergen @batsy 😆 Thanks, Suba! 😆 1mo
LeahBergen @julieclair I was surprised at just how well done it was. I shouldn‘t have worried; I mean, it‘s a Persephone book, right? 😆 1mo
britt_brooke 🤩 1mo
rubyslippersreads @LeahBergen That the title that interested me too. 1mo
LeahBergen @rubyslippersreads I thought it might! 1mo
sisilia I covet your stacks of Persephone and Virago 😻😻😻 1mo
CarolynM I‘ve just started. Will come back to read the comments when I‘m done. 1mo
LeahBergen @sisilia 😆 Thanks, Sisilia! 1mo
LeahBergen @CarolynM I always do that, too. 😊 1mo
Caryl I think my favorite parts were: Those first two pages, the description near the end of Susan remembering and missing Alex that was so sensory-intense (pages 332-333), and the ending. I thought it was genius to write the ending from the perspective of Detective Menetti. 1mo
CarolynM I wouldn‘t have chosen to read this one, but I‘m glad I did. I‘m also going to track down more of her work. I really liked that she took us far enough into the darkness to have an impact without descending completely into depravity. 1mo
LeahBergen @Caryl Oh, that‘s so true! That ending from his point of view WAS genius. 1mo
LeahBergen @CarolynM You are so right! My worry abound this one (going in) is that it would be TOO gruelling (ie; as to the mother‘s pain, etc) and it totally wasn‘t. It was such a … what‘s the word… approachable?… look into a profound and horrifying experience. 1mo
73 likes2 stack adds32 comments
blurb
willaful
Still Missing | Beth Gutcheon
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An excruciating read, on so many levels. And I'm left full of questions. Looking forward to the #PersephoneClub discussion.

jlhammar Perfect image! You had mentioned reading and enjoying Gutcheon before. Any in particular you‘d recommend? I‘d like to try more of her work. 2mo
willaful @jlhammar I read Domestic Pleasures, which is quite different. Big story with lots of characters and a romance that keeps having terrible timing. Lots about parenting. 2mo
LeahBergen I‘m trying to remember (I should look back) if the blue car with the white tire was only “seen” by the three psychics or was it also see on the street that morning? 2mo
See All 8 Comments
willaful @LeahBergen Oh, I was wondering that too. 2mo
Cathythoughts I can‘t remember about the white tire either. But when he saw it I felt chills moving through me. @LeahBergen (edited) 2mo
willaful @Cathythoughts @LeahBergen I found the place -- it was described by an actual witness, under hypnosis.
2mo
Cathythoughts @willaful Oh great. Well done 👍🏻 Excellent detail from the book. Will be remembered. 2mo
Caryl Excruciating is the perfect word. And good detective work locating the first mention of that detail! 1mo
28 likes8 comments