Once Was Lost - Sara Zarr

I listened to this book (read by the author), and it was one of those where I was always looking for the next opportunity to go for a walk or get in the car so I could hear what was going to happen next. It was riveting, and I was not sure what the outcome was going to be, so I had a bit of a stomachache a lot of the time I was listening. That's a good thing, though!

There are sort of two main plotlines in this story. One is that of main characters Sam's family. Her father is a minister with very little time for his own family, and her mother is an alcoholic who just recently entered an inpatient treatment.

The other main storyline is of the disappearance of a young teenager from the small town Sam lives in. The girl went to Sam's church and Sam knows her and her older brother.

Both of these plotlines lead Sam to question her faith - a big issue for anyone to tackle.

I thought the characters were extremely well developed and the plot very intense. Several times I was holding my breath hoping that this person or the next would make the right decision or not have made the wrong one or would get the answer they were looking for.

A great book!

Available at the Multnomah County Library.