DRAWN FROM LIFE

In Blanchard’s novel, a young woman has lived with survivor’s guilt for eight years about an accident she can’t remember—and then the whole truth finally comes out.

Growing up, Emma Gillen was close to her cousin Lucy Harnett, who often came to stay with her family during her own mother’s absences. In school, Emma was shy and got picked on, but Lucy was her protector. They went to college together and lived together in a cabin high in the mountains, and that’s where it all went wrong. Lucy, it turns out, was also a manipulative bully. One night, while Lucy was in a particularly bad mood, Emma argued with her about who should drive to the store for food. Eight years later, Emma still doesn’t remember the car crash that ended three lives and left her disabled. Lucy disappeared, and in the wake of the ensuing trauma, grief, and guilt, Emma built an artists’ co-op with her former therapist, Jonah. Each day, she grapples with shame about what happened, but she has her father, her work at the co-op, and a few friends to help her through. Her life takes a chaotic turn when Lucy reappears; she’s changed her name to Lyssa Morales and is seeking money. Meanwhile, acts of vandalism appear around the co-op, and a handsome detective enters Emma’s life, possibly changing everything. Also, someone working near Emma may have a secret connection to her past. Over the course of this novel, Blanchard delivers a skillfully executed story of suspense with compellingly complex characters. Emma is a relatable protagonist with realistically described disabilities, including expressive aphasia: “My brain thinks of a word but my voice swaps it…for another. I have to speak slowly, one sound at a time.” The author shows how the condition makes areas of her protagonist’s life difficult, but also that she has a fierce spirit that allows her to persevere. Lucy is written as believably mercurial as she wreaks havoc on Emma’s life. Together, the two characters drive the story forward to unexpected turns and a satisfying ending.

A well-crafted thriller about memories regained.