Welcome to Litsy!

I read this on my kindle during a lot of insomnia spells.

I generally liked this book, but it ran way too long for me. Between a pick and a so-so.

How the day started.

Luckily, it was just a dead battery.

Reading...on a plane!! #doublespin

It took me a bit to get into this one, and I was curious as to how the book would end. I didn‘t really like any of the characters- the only one I really liked had the smallest POV section. It could be a good beach book if you are looking for a Thai/US/flashbacks/ family mystery.

Laura‘s family lived in #Thailand for several years when she was a child. They left not long after her brother disappeared and couldn‘t be found. Now, a woman is claiming she knows where Phillip is. The story toggles back and forth between present day and their childhood, slowly telling this family‘s story. My mind wandered at times during this book, but the resolution is so well done, it brought my rating up.

#ReadingAsia2021

This book combines historical fiction (1970s Bangkok), dysfunctional family drama, and mystery. It captivated me! And I‘ll definitely read this new-to-me-author. She skillfully inhabits voices of several characters and also captures time and place without over describing. I wish it had less colonialism and more Thai voices, but it still illustrates the ideas with finesse.

Full review http://www.TheBibliophage.com #readingasia2021 #thailand

It‘s mulching season here in Pennsylvania. Now I‘m at the “thank goodness that‘s over” phase. Exhausting work!

I‘ve been accompanied by two audiobooks—how did I ever work in the quiet before?

#audiogardening #springreading

This sucked me almost immediately. What you think will consume the story - is the man in the email Philip - turns out to be a minor part. What takes over quickly? The secrets of Genevieve & Robert, the observations of Noi from the sidelines, the relationship between Bea & Laura, all constantly peel away more layers before finally unravelling what happened to Philip in 1972.

Book 1/5 for #FabulousFebruary

I managed to finish one of my library books last night so I‘m heading into #FabulousFebruary with five books from the library. Time to dive in - I‘m hoping to finish at least two over this long weekend.

In the 1970s, the Preston family lived in Bangkok — Robert, Genevieve and their 3 children Bea, Laura and Philip. Philip disappears at the age of 8, never to be heard from again. 35 years later, someone contacts Laura claiming she knows Philip‘s whereabouts. Laura goes to Thailand to see what she can discover and eventually does locate her brother. Where was he all these years? How will he fit in with his newfound family? With American culture?

I enjoyed the glimpse into the cultural life of the Thai people. I also liked the descriptions of the Thai landscape. I thought the characters were well-developed.

I did find the pace much too slow for me. As a result, I lost interest about halfway through the book. I also found some of it unrealistic.

An intricate family drama.

http://obsessedbookaholic.com/2020/12/21/what-could-be-saved-book-review/

Christmas comes early with the UPS driver (or as my daughter calls it the Ups driver) delivering the ARC I won from a Simon & Schuster giveaway along with a page marker inside the book. Thanks Simon & Schuster!

In 2019 Laura receives a call saying that her brother needs to come home, the same brother who went missing in Bangkok over 40 years ago. In the 1970s we are shown the events that lead up to his disappearance, a family fracturing even before tragedy strikes. I found almost every character unsympathetic but was swept away by the vivid writing. As events unfolded I came to care about what happened to Phillip and the ripples his disappearance made.