How do you find your way back when you’ve left yourself behind?
A painful unsolved mystery resurfaces after decades of confusion, sending one woman and her daughters on a journey of redemption in this emotional story about intergenerational trauma, family, and the beauty of Puerto Rico for fans of Nina LaCour, Xochitl Gonzalez, Elizabeth Acevedo, Jodi Picoult, Celeste Ng, and Julia Alvarez.Thirty years ago, musicians Emilia Oliveras and Paul Winstead were married in Puerto Rico. Forty-eight hours later, Paul vanished from their honeymoon cruise, leaving Emilia devastated—and the prime suspect in his disappearance. So, she ran for her life, leaving behind her love, her dreams, and her identity.
Today “Emily Oliver” is a divorced music teacher and mother of two daughters who know nothing about her past: Gracie, a talented attorney who excels in the courtroom but grapples with personal relationships, and Meg, a gifted concert pianist who wrestles with her ambition and purpose.
When a cryptic caller claims the unthinkable—that Paul is alive, Emily returns to Puerto Rico in search of the truth. What she doesn’t know is that her daughters aren’t far behind. Shocked to find their mother isn’t the woman they thought she was, Gracie and Meg wonder how much of their lives have been a lie.
As the paths of the three women intertwine, they are compelled to confront their pasts, reevaluate their relationships, and seek forgiveness. Together they embark on a quest to unravel the mystery of Paul’s disappearance and redefine their futures on their own terms, navigating a maze of family ties, secrets, and redemption.
How do you find your way back when you’ve left yourself behind?
A painful unsolved mystery resurfaces after decades of confusion, sending one woman and her daughters on a journey of redemption in this emotional story about intergenerational trauma, family, and the beauty of Puerto Rico for fans of Nina LaCour, Xochitl Gonzalez, Elizabeth Acevedo, Jodi Picoult, Celeste Ng, and Julia Alvarez.
Thirty years ago, young music student Emilia Oliveras married her dream man. Their Caribbean honeymoon cruise was idyllic—until the night Paul disappeared from their ship, presumed drowned. Reeling from loss, Emilia was horrified when his wealthy, vindictive family tried to railroad her as a gold-digging murderer. She escaped home to Puerto Rico and then across the country, where she became Emily Oliver, suburban wife and mother of two. Still, the trauma and secrets of her past ruined her second marriage, and created a disconnect with, and between, her grown daughters, Meg and Gracie. But now, a recent photo in Emilia’s mail shows Paul alive and well . . .
Emilia immediately delves into a search, no matter the cost. Unknown to her, Meg and Gracie are following close behind, each on a search of her own. . . . A gifted musician, Meg wants to understand why she's always felt like an imposter, raising self-sabotage to an art form. And Gracie, soon to discover that she’s Paul’s daughter, is fleeing yet another shattered relationship, hoping the truth can shed light on her choices.
As Emilia and her daughters’ paths converge, they will be forced to see each other anew, reconcile their mistakes and misunderstandings, and find a way to forgiveness—for a chance to both uncover Paul’s fate, and shape their futures on their own terms . . .
