Before We Were Strangers by Brenda Novak Published by MIRA on December 4, 2018
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Something happened to her mother that night. Something no one wants to talk about. But she’s determined to uncover her family’s dark secrets, even if they bury her.
Five-year-old Sloane McBride couldn’t sleep that night. Her parents were arguing again, their harsh words heating the cool autumn air. And then there was that other sound—the ominous thump before all went quiet.
In the morning, her mother was gone.
The official story was that she left. Her loving, devoted mother! That hadn’t sat any better at the time than it did when Sloane moved out at eighteen, anxious to leave her small Texas hometown in search of anywhere else. But not even a fresh start working as a model in New York could keep the nightmares at bay. Or her fears that the domineering father she grew up with wasn’t just difficult—he was deadly.
Now another traumatic loss forces Sloane to realize she owes it to her mother to find out the truth, even if it means returning to a small town full of secrets and lies, a jilted ex-boyfriend, and a father and brother who’d rather see her silenced. But as Sloane starts digging into the past, the question isn’t whether she can uncover what really happened that night…it’s what will remain of her family if she does?
A riveting, deeply entrenching read! I was hooked immediately! We get to know Sloane little by little before she reveals why she is returning home after all these years and what’s she’s hoping to find there. The story takes many unexpected turns, and even when you think you know what happened, you will be shocked once again. Really great book filled with richly built characters, in depth development of past events and a captivating delve into the current life spinning on it’s axle around her. Loved it!
Model Sloane McBride might have left home to head to the bright lights of New York a decade ago, but some parts of Millcreek would never leave her mind. Like the memories and dreams that continue to haunt her. She’s not so sure she wants to know the answers, but the churning fear in her gut won’t be silenced any longer. She has to find out what happened to her mother that night. She might have only been five years old, but she remembers things. Voices, fighting, things that were said, a loud thump, then silence … and the next morning Mom was gone … forever.
The return to town is just as volatile as she expects. Her high school best friend is trying to act like no time has passed, her ex-boyfriend still holds an obvious grudge for her leaving, her father tries to run her out of town before she even gets there, and her brother is making it clear he has no wish to dredge up the past alongside her. It seems like everyone is against her … but she’s determined to bring her mother peace once and for all, regardless of the danger that starts to swirl!
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