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From Jodi Picoult, Leaving Time: The Story of a Mysterious Disappearance and a Devoted Daughter
Leaving Time is a moving story of grief, loss, and redemption—but it’s also an engaging mystery, filled with humor and insight and peopled with a collection of endearingly eccentric characters. Thirteen-year-old Jenna Metcalf has spent a decade consumed by the mysterious disappearance of her mother, Alice, who vanished during a chilling accident when Jenna was young. Now, Jenna has decided to solve the mystery behind her loss, no matter the sacrifice. Here’s why you’ll love Picoult’s latest.
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The mismatched detectives
Determined to discover the truth about what happened to her mother, Jenna enlists the help of Serenity Jones, a once-famous psychic who lost all credibility after some serious public blunders. Although she no longer trusts in her gift, Serenity feels compelled to help Jenna, and together the two begin to make progress on this very cold case. Along the way they also convince Virgil Stanhope, a cynical private detective who has an interest in finding Alice for his own reasons, to help them in their search.
The elephants
Alice’s mother, a scientist, studied elephant grief. Jenna has Alice’s research journals, which, while lacking in intimate detail, are filled with fascinating stories about the elephants Alice worked with, some of whom become characters in their own right. Picoult uses these stories to drive the narrative forward while providing wonderful food for thought.
The mystery
We can tell from her journals that while Alice has a clinical scientist’s mind, she deeply adores her daughter. The more we learn about Alice’s history, the more troubling the novel’s central question becomes: What could have happened to make her abandon Jenna at such a young age?
The interwoven perspectives
Leaving Time is told from the diverse perspectives of a number of characters, jumping back and forth to piece together the stories of their pasts. The pages fly by as long-buried secrets are unearthed and presumed facts are called into question. The dramatic tension builds as Jenna’s search becomes all-consuming, and her once rather reluctant accomplices become more invested in both the mystery and her well-being. Alice’s explanation of the ways elephants mourn loss but eventually find the strength to move on provides a poignant counterpoint to the story of the characters searching for her in the present day. The novel’s stunning conclusion will leave readers reeling, but satisfied.
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