From the TBR Pile: Blog Tour: Joint Review: Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey

Author: Emma Healey
Publisher: Random House
Date of publication: June 2014

'Elizabeth is missing' reads the note in Maud's pocket in her own handwriting, and the one on the wall.

Maud's been getting forgetful. She keeps buying peach slices when she has a cupboard full, forgets to drink the cups of tea she's made and writes notes to remind herself of things. But Maud is determined to discover what has happened to her friend, Elizabeth, and what it has to do with the unsolved disappearance of her sister Sukey, years back, just after the war.

A fast-paced mystery, an unforgettable voice: you will laugh and cry but you'll never forget Maud.

At first, I was a little wary of this book. It's told from the point of view of a woman with a form of dementia. Her ramblings seem random and confused most of the time. But as she tells stories of her past, we begin to see clues as to what happened to her sister 70 years before. The mystery was interesting and has a satisfying conclusion.

What resonated with me most was how heartbreaking Maud's life is now. Her confusion and memory loss make her life a little chaotic and really sad. I also felt for her daughter and grand-daughter as they try to learn to live with her disease. I ended up really liking this book. It was a unique idea and a great debut! I look forward to reading more from this author!

I wasn't really a fan of this book. While I can appreciate the author's talent in taking this inventive approach, I didn't particularly care for it. I think it comes from my own life experiences in dealing with elderly people with dementia. I don't want to read about it in my pleasure reading.

I was impressed with Emma Healey's ability to reel out the story through Maud's seemingly repetitive ramblings. So, while I didn't connect with this book, I will seek out her future writings.

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