"History was just a story, but the story still mattered." - Jane

I loved this so much from the get-go that in my head it was an immediate 5-star book, which added to the tension since I kept worrying that it would fall from the pedestal to which I prematurely assigned it. In fact, it did just a little bit. I didn't entirely like the ending, and not because it was bad, but I wanted a little more interaction between protagonists.

Anyhoo, I was intrigued by the characters whom I didn't like, I was enthralled by those whom I did. Maxwell's writing is downright luminous in places. The storytelling device works well here so that it doesn't feel gimmicky, though some may argue that point. There are a few reviews on Goodreads in which some readers debate its worthiness as "literature" because it's not "original" or its "feminist" credentials are wanting in some way, but I'm not getting into all that. All I'll say is I would love to be able to write as well as Maxwell, and I was never entirely sure how things were going to come together or play out. I could not put it down. ( )

1850s New Hampshire and Scottish immigrant Elspeth and her sons disappear one very cold night, possibly eaten by coyotes. Elspeth's sister Claire determines to find out what has happened to her sister and travels to the small intense town, a community haunted by the tale of disappearance. In the same town in the 1990s a troubled pregnant teen Henrietta disappears on a cold night, her sister determined to find her.
This is a slow tale about parallel sets of sisters, the elder a little loose, the younger more straight-laced. In both cases the elder sister disappears after scandalous behaviour and leaves no trace. The claustrophobic atmosphere of small town New England is beautifully imagined and the links between the two tales adds another dimension to surprisingly interesting book. ( )