First published 2016
Amanda Salassi dreads chaperoning her daughter's sixth-grade Halloween field trip to New Orleans. The city buzzes with pre-Katrina energy, but Amanda's anxiety proves justified when disaster strikes. Sarah, her daughter's closest friend, vanishes without explanation amid the crowds and celebration. The disappearance devastates Amanda's family. Her daughter falls into deep depression, consumed by the loss. Her husband becomes destructive as grief overwhelms their household. Amanda watches her world crumble piece by piece. She realizes she must find strength to save herself and her family before everything falls apart completely. While continuing her desperate search for Sarah, Amanda begins her own journey toward healing. She seeks meaning and hope after such devastating loss. Set in Louisiana's remote parishes, the story follows Amanda and another woman as they face humanity's darkest moments with quiet, unshakeable faith.
Genres: suspense, mystery, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, grief, search
Setting: Louisiana, New Orleans
Period: Pre-Katrina
384 pages · Kindle Edition · Thomas Nelson
Content warnings: depression