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Table of Contents
About The Book
Tom Perotta’s Little Children meets Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones in this suspenseful and beautifully wrought story of a seventeen-year-old girl who vanishes on the eve of her departure for college, as told through the alternating perspectives of her neighbors.
What happened to Linsey Hart? When the Cornell-bound teenager disappears into the steamy blue of a late-summer morning, her quiet neighborhood is left to pick apart the threads of their own lives and assumptions.
Linsey’s neighbors are just ordinary people—but even ordinary people can keep terrible secrets hidden close. There’s Linsey’s mother, Abigail, whose door-to-door searching makes her social-outcast status painfully obvious; Mr. Leonard, the quiet, retired piano teacher with insomnia, who saw Linsey leave; Reeva, the queen bee of a clique of mothers, now obsessed with a secret interest; Timmy, Linsey’s lovelorn ex-boyfriend; and George, an eleven-year-old loner who is determined to find out what happened to his missing neighbor.
As the days of Linsey’s absence tick by, dread and hope threaten to tear a community apart. This luminous new novel by the acclaimed author of The Orphan Sister explores coming of age in the shadows of a suburban life, and what is revealed when the light suddenly shines in. . . .
What happened to Linsey Hart? When the Cornell-bound teenager disappears into the steamy blue of a late-summer morning, her quiet neighborhood is left to pick apart the threads of their own lives and assumptions.
Linsey’s neighbors are just ordinary people—but even ordinary people can keep terrible secrets hidden close. There’s Linsey’s mother, Abigail, whose door-to-door searching makes her social-outcast status painfully obvious; Mr. Leonard, the quiet, retired piano teacher with insomnia, who saw Linsey leave; Reeva, the queen bee of a clique of mothers, now obsessed with a secret interest; Timmy, Linsey’s lovelorn ex-boyfriend; and George, an eleven-year-old loner who is determined to find out what happened to his missing neighbor.
As the days of Linsey’s absence tick by, dread and hope threaten to tear a community apart. This luminous new novel by the acclaimed author of The Orphan Sister explores coming of age in the shadows of a suburban life, and what is revealed when the light suddenly shines in. . . .
Reading Group Guide
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This reading group guide for When She Was Gone includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.
Introduction
When seventeen-year-old Linsey Hart goes missing just days before her scheduled departure for college, a typically quiet New Jersey neighborhood is left peeking out windows and into backyards for clues. There’s Linsey’s mother, Abigail, whose door-to-door searching makes her social outcast status painfully obvious; stay-at-home mom Reeva, whose primary concern is covering up the affair she’s been having with the Starbucks barista; Mr. Leonard, a reclusive retired piano teacher—and the last person to see Linsey alive; George, an eleven-year-old gifted loner who is determined to find out what happened to Linsey; and Timmy, Linsey’s ex-boyfriend, who is left grieving as he embarks on his own college career.
With a sly humor and ultimate optimism, the stories of this small town converge in unexpected ways, painting a complex and illuminating portrait of a community moved by grief, devoured by suspicion, and consumed by secrecy.
Topics & Questions for Discussion
1. The neighborhood in the novel is one built on secrets; every character seems to have a secret to hide. How do the secrets the characters hold influence their relationships with others?
2. Through her memories, we learn that the loss of their two-week-old son is what drives Abigail into depression and her and Joe apart. Though her interactions with Joe are limited, what information do you gather about him?
3. Prior to her disappearance, how is Linsey viewed by those around her: Her mom? Her brothers? Reeva? Timmy? Which of these people do you think Linsey would feel viewed her in the way she wanted to be viewed?
4. Reeva and Jordan’s affair is a source of excitement and guilt for Reeva. What first attracts her to Jordan, despite his disheveled appearance and home? How does her revelation about Jordan’s age cause her to see their tryst in a new light?
5. On pages 77–78, we get a glimpse of the Group, Reeva’s gaggle of housewives who come together to discuss playdates and car pool logistics—or, really, to trade gossip and make passive-aggressive comments about one another. How would you describe the women in the group? Why do you think Reeva invites them into her home; why do you think she cares so much what they think?
6. What did you learn about Charlie and Reeva on the day Charlie stays home from work (pg. 205–207)? What do Reeva’s internal thoughts about Charlie reveal about their relationship and about herself?
7. Compare and contrast Toby’s and Cody’s reactions to Linsey’s disappearance. Do you think one of them deals with his feelings better than the other?
8. “In this town, people were very small about difference, about seeking otherness” (pg. 67). In this passage, Timmy reflects on how Geo is treated by the neighborhood as compared to how he might be treated in a larger-minded, more accepting place. Are there characters in the novel other than Geo who you feel are mistreated by the community because of their “otherness”?
9. On page 50, Geo references “Mending Wall,” a poem by Robert Frost, as he considers the two fences between his property and the Steins’. Read the poem, found at http://www.bartleby.com/104/64.html, and consider its meaning. Do you see any connection between Frost’s poem and the neighborhood in the novel? Is there a particular line that resonates with you, or that you feel reflects a particular character?
10. Abigail and Timmy avoid each other for days after Linsey’s disappearance. Why do you think that is; what do you think they were feeling that kept them from confronting each other? Guilt? Fear? A different emotion? Ultimately, what leads Timmy to finally walk up to Abigail’s doorstep and talk with her?
11. When Abigail is finally reunited with her lost daughter, Linsey is described as “waiting for her mother the way she’d waited after kindergarten, holding herself together, waiting to be collected” (pg. 266). As Abigail rushes to “collect” her, what emotions do you think she is feeling? How do you suspect Linsey has changed from the beginning of her journey? How has Abigail changed?
12. Jordan and Mr. Leonard’s unlikely friendship is based on their mutual love of music. Mr. Leonard offers Jordan his musical mentorship; what does Jordan offer him in return? How do the themes of music—listening and making—weigh in the novel?
13. The novel both opens and closes with Mr. Leonard— opening on a chapter from his perspective, and closing at his memorial service. Why do you think the author chose Mr. Leonard as the character holding the novel together in this way?
14. Throughout the novel, a narrator offers readers a detailed glimpse into each of the characters’ houses. What do you think their homes say about them? Was there a particular home that you felt reflected the character who lived within it the most?
Enhance Your Book Club
1. Geo’s photographs of those around him gives him a view of the neighborhood others do not have; through photography and collage-making, he can decipher the “sameness and difference” others miss (pg. 45). Try to see things from Geo’s point of view: Before your book club discussion, ask each member to carry a camera with them for a day, taking pictures of the everyday places and people they might usually overlook. Then, at your discussion, consider the photographs: What do you see? Does anything in the pictures surprise you?
2. As Reeva prepares her home for the Group to arrive, she recalls Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story The Yellow Wallpaper, the tale of a woman who slowly goes mad while she’s locked in an upstairs bedroom by her husband. Find a copy of this short story, either online or in your local bookstore or library, and give it a read. Do you see any common themes in The Yellow Wallpaper and When She Was Gone? Does the narrator in the short story share any characteristics with the women narrators in the novel?
3. Two coffee shops are mentioned in the novel: the notorious Starbucks where Jordan works, and the Daily Grind. Do you have a favorite coffee shop in your town? Consider holding your book club discussion there for a change of scenery.
4. Gwendolen Gross is the author of multiple critically acclaimed novels. To learn more about Gwendolen and her books, visit her websites at www.gwendolengross.com and www.whenshewasgone.com or follow her on Twitter @GwendolenGross
Introduction
When seventeen-year-old Linsey Hart goes missing just days before her scheduled departure for college, a typically quiet New Jersey neighborhood is left peeking out windows and into backyards for clues. There’s Linsey’s mother, Abigail, whose door-to-door searching makes her social outcast status painfully obvious; stay-at-home mom Reeva, whose primary concern is covering up the affair she’s been having with the Starbucks barista; Mr. Leonard, a reclusive retired piano teacher—and the last person to see Linsey alive; George, an eleven-year-old gifted loner who is determined to find out what happened to Linsey; and Timmy, Linsey’s ex-boyfriend, who is left grieving as he embarks on his own college career.
With a sly humor and ultimate optimism, the stories of this small town converge in unexpected ways, painting a complex and illuminating portrait of a community moved by grief, devoured by suspicion, and consumed by secrecy.
Topics & Questions for Discussion
1. The neighborhood in the novel is one built on secrets; every character seems to have a secret to hide. How do the secrets the characters hold influence their relationships with others?
2. Through her memories, we learn that the loss of their two-week-old son is what drives Abigail into depression and her and Joe apart. Though her interactions with Joe are limited, what information do you gather about him?
3. Prior to her disappearance, how is Linsey viewed by those around her: Her mom? Her brothers? Reeva? Timmy? Which of these people do you think Linsey would feel viewed her in the way she wanted to be viewed?
4. Reeva and Jordan’s affair is a source of excitement and guilt for Reeva. What first attracts her to Jordan, despite his disheveled appearance and home? How does her revelation about Jordan’s age cause her to see their tryst in a new light?
5. On pages 77–78, we get a glimpse of the Group, Reeva’s gaggle of housewives who come together to discuss playdates and car pool logistics—or, really, to trade gossip and make passive-aggressive comments about one another. How would you describe the women in the group? Why do you think Reeva invites them into her home; why do you think she cares so much what they think?
6. What did you learn about Charlie and Reeva on the day Charlie stays home from work (pg. 205–207)? What do Reeva’s internal thoughts about Charlie reveal about their relationship and about herself?
7. Compare and contrast Toby’s and Cody’s reactions to Linsey’s disappearance. Do you think one of them deals with his feelings better than the other?
8. “In this town, people were very small about difference, about seeking otherness” (pg. 67). In this passage, Timmy reflects on how Geo is treated by the neighborhood as compared to how he might be treated in a larger-minded, more accepting place. Are there characters in the novel other than Geo who you feel are mistreated by the community because of their “otherness”?
9. On page 50, Geo references “Mending Wall,” a poem by Robert Frost, as he considers the two fences between his property and the Steins’. Read the poem, found at http://www.bartleby.com/104/64.html, and consider its meaning. Do you see any connection between Frost’s poem and the neighborhood in the novel? Is there a particular line that resonates with you, or that you feel reflects a particular character?
10. Abigail and Timmy avoid each other for days after Linsey’s disappearance. Why do you think that is; what do you think they were feeling that kept them from confronting each other? Guilt? Fear? A different emotion? Ultimately, what leads Timmy to finally walk up to Abigail’s doorstep and talk with her?
11. When Abigail is finally reunited with her lost daughter, Linsey is described as “waiting for her mother the way she’d waited after kindergarten, holding herself together, waiting to be collected” (pg. 266). As Abigail rushes to “collect” her, what emotions do you think she is feeling? How do you suspect Linsey has changed from the beginning of her journey? How has Abigail changed?
12. Jordan and Mr. Leonard’s unlikely friendship is based on their mutual love of music. Mr. Leonard offers Jordan his musical mentorship; what does Jordan offer him in return? How do the themes of music—listening and making—weigh in the novel?
13. The novel both opens and closes with Mr. Leonard— opening on a chapter from his perspective, and closing at his memorial service. Why do you think the author chose Mr. Leonard as the character holding the novel together in this way?
14. Throughout the novel, a narrator offers readers a detailed glimpse into each of the characters’ houses. What do you think their homes say about them? Was there a particular home that you felt reflected the character who lived within it the most?
Enhance Your Book Club
1. Geo’s photographs of those around him gives him a view of the neighborhood others do not have; through photography and collage-making, he can decipher the “sameness and difference” others miss (pg. 45). Try to see things from Geo’s point of view: Before your book club discussion, ask each member to carry a camera with them for a day, taking pictures of the everyday places and people they might usually overlook. Then, at your discussion, consider the photographs: What do you see? Does anything in the pictures surprise you?
2. As Reeva prepares her home for the Group to arrive, she recalls Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story The Yellow Wallpaper, the tale of a woman who slowly goes mad while she’s locked in an upstairs bedroom by her husband. Find a copy of this short story, either online or in your local bookstore or library, and give it a read. Do you see any common themes in The Yellow Wallpaper and When She Was Gone? Does the narrator in the short story share any characteristics with the women narrators in the novel?
3. Two coffee shops are mentioned in the novel: the notorious Starbucks where Jordan works, and the Daily Grind. Do you have a favorite coffee shop in your town? Consider holding your book club discussion there for a change of scenery.
4. Gwendolen Gross is the author of multiple critically acclaimed novels. To learn more about Gwendolen and her books, visit her websites at www.gwendolengross.com and www.whenshewasgone.com or follow her on Twitter @GwendolenGross
About The Author
Photograph © Chia Messina Photography
Gwendolen Gross is the author of five critically acclaimed novels, including The Orphan Sister and The Other Mother. She has worked with porcupines and kinkajous as a science demonstrator, on mountain tops as a naturalist, as an editor, opera singer, writing instructor, and mom. She lives in Northern New Jersey with her husband, daughter, and son.
Product Details
- Publisher: Gallery Books (March 19, 2013)
- Length: 304 pages
- ISBN13: 9781451684766
Raves and Reviews
“What happens behind the closed doors of a neighborhood, and beyond the facades of the people who live there? Gwendolen Gross has the sharp insight of a documentarian, turning her lens on each house of a frightened town after a college-bound girl goes missing. Full of heart but free of sentimentality, When She Was Gone shows the sinews of belonging and not-belonging that bind a community.”
– Nichole Bernier, author of The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D
"Gwendolen Gross uses the disappearance of a young woman to tell the story of a community in crisis, and her gaze is both unflinching and surprisingly tender. When She Was Gone is a dark but elegantly crafted book, the tension building toward a climax that promises redemption to its wayward characters."
– Holly Goddard Jones, author of The Next Time You See Me
“Gwendolen Gross creates characters so familiar they could live next door. Her new novel, When She Was Gone, reflects a perfect balance of darkness and intricate struggles, woven together with hope and redemption. Abigail, Reeva, and Mr. Leonard’s voices form some of the most powerful and beautiful language I’ve read in quite a while. Mix in a nail-biting plot and you have one outstanding read.”
– Ann Hite, award-winning author of Ghost on Black Mountain
"Death, life, redemption and music combine in a rewarding novel."
– Kirkus
"Similar in title and theme to Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, Gross’s fifth novel feels more genuine in that her characters are less contrived. Gross deftly depicts the dread-filled unfolding of a mother’s realization that her child is missing and clearly portrays how a crisis of this nature unearths alliances and fissures within a community."
– Library Journal
“Engaging and sentence-perfect, wonderful in so many ways, but I love it best for its vibrant, emotionally complex main character Clementine. I felt so entirely with her, as she loves those around her with both devotion and complexity and as she struggles to achieve a delicate balance between belonging to others and being herself.”
– New York Times bestseller Marisa de los Santos
“With exquisite language and an empathetic ear, Gwendolen Gross paints a gorgeous portrait of life, love, loss and sisterhood, and forces you to ask yourself: how far will you go for your family and what secrets can shatter even that bond? The Orphan Sister will linger long after you’ve turned the final page.”
– New York Times bestseller Allison Winn Scotch
"Breathtakingly original. A haunting exploration of love, loyalty, sisters, hope, and the ties that bind us together—and make the ground tremble beneath us when they break. I loved, loved, loved this novel."
– New York Times bestseller Caroline Leavitt
“This charming portrait of an impossibly gorgeous and gifted family is something rare: a delightful confection, filled with humor and warmth, that also probes the complex nature of identity, the vagaries of romantic and filial love, and the materialism inherent in contemporary American culture."
– Joanna Smith Rakoff
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): When She Was Gone eBook 9781451684766(1.9 MB)
- Author Photo (jpg): Gwendolen Gross Photograph © Chia Messina Photography(20.7 MB)
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