First published 2014
Imogen stands alone in her conviction that Johnny survived the drowning that claimed him three decades ago. Everyone else accepts the official story, but Imogen knows her brother was too strong a swimmer to simply vanish beneath the waves. No body ever surfaced. She begins excavating family memories and documents, tracing connections back to World War I Ireland. Through fragments of recollection, correspondence, and verse, Imogen pieces together a pattern of deception that spans generations. Her family harbors secrets that reach far beyond Johnny's disappearance. As she unravels layers of lies and half-truths, Imogen discovers how past betrayals shaped their present tragedy. Her investigation becomes both detective work and desperate plea, a sister calling across the years for Johnny to return home.
Genres: literary-fiction, mystery, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-drama, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Ireland
Period: World War I, 20th Century
217 pages · ebook · Open Road Media