Then She Was Gone
Ellie Mack was fifteen when she disappeared. Her mother, Laurel, never recovered from the loss, even as years passed with no answers. When Laurel meets a charming man whose daughter looks strikingly like Ellie, old wounds reopen. As Laurel digs into the truth, she discovers that Ellie didn't just vanish - she was taken, and the story behind her disappearance is more twisted than she ever imagined.
- Ellie - Missing teenager
- Laurel - Ellie's mother
- Noelle - Ellie's former tutor
- Floyd - Noelle's partner
- Poppy - Ellie's daughter
- Ellie disappears at fifteen after being drugged and imprisoned by Noelle.
- Noelle buys sperm on the internet to impregnate Ellie so she can raise the baby herself.
- Ellie dies in captivity after being neglected once Poppy is born.
- Noelle keeps Poppy and raises her as her own child.
- When Floyd finds out he's not Poppy's real father he kills Noelle in a rage.
- Years later, Floyd begins a relationship with Laurel and introduces Poppy as his daughter.
- Laurel notices Poppy's resemblance to Ellie and starts to uncover the truth.
- Floyd writes a confession, admitting he knew Poppy was Ellie's child and revealing what happened, before killing himself.
- Laurel raises Poppy as her own child.
- Ellie - Dead - Dies while being held captive by Noelle
- Laurel - Alive - Happily raising Poppy
- Noelle - Dead - Killed by Floyd
- Floyd - Dead - Dies by Suicide
- Poppy - Alive - Being raised by her grandmother, Laurel
- Kidnapping
- Child abuse
- Child death
- Murder
- Pregnancy
- Suicide
- Animal death
- Miscarriage
- Sexual assault
Bittersweet
Publisher: Atria Books
ISBN: 9781501154645
Publication Date: July 27, 2017
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
