loved this book. I liked how it told how people were feeling about the death of their daughter and how they were trying to cope with getting past that and a new baby on the way. Then how it moved on 26 years later and showed how people were living with their grief and guilt and how the relationships developed between people because of this. lovely book makes you very tearful.

I wasnt expecting this book to go in the direction it did almost like reading four stories all linked by one sadness - the players are all very human with failings and this is a story of survival
and moving on - very enjoyable read

How do you deal with the death of a child? Particularly when you’re pregnant. Such a hard subject and beautifully written. Had me guessing to the end.

This was such a sad story throughout, centering around the worst tragedy any family could ever go through, and how it tore the family apart. It was very well written for such a sensitive subject that you just had to carry in reading it. Just make sure you have tissues to hand!

This was a sad story that drew me in and filled me with hope for the characters that lasted after finishing the last page. Engagingly written and convincing. I’m not always a fan of the epistolary style of writing but I think it worked well in bridging the gap between the two sisters. I really liked the character Tom, despite his flaws. The characters were very human and believable. Inescapable grief was dealt with sensitively and made me question how anyone could move forwards from their various positions, but hoping that this is possible, because the scary thing was, we could all walk in those shoes in the flutter of a butterflies wing.

A beautifully written heart-breaking novel. A sad but uplifting book that had me utterly hooked. Would definitely recommend!

Missing Pieces by Laura Pearson, a new to me author that I look forward to read more books by. A heart-breaking story of a family's tragedy and how they move on afterwards. Likable characters and great dialogue.

This is a beautiful well written story. The loss of a child would be unbearable. When Phoebe dies Linda, Tom and Esme are all grieving and their lives are all changed forever. This is such a sad story. Bea who was born after Phoebe died is pregnant years later and wants to know how Phoebe died. The answer is heart breaking. This is a story about love, life and a grief that never does away. It is about trying to live with that grief.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I had high hopes for this novel. Loved the title and the cover. But it is very gloomy, very tragic. I kept waiting for some light and shade, some moments of joy or light heartedness which never came. Written in two parts, set twenty six years apart, it almost felt like two separate books for a while, despite them both featuring the same characters. The book took a long time to explain what had killed toddler Phoebe and why everyone blamed themselves. All a bit too sad for me.

EXCERPT: Linda approached the coffin slowly, looked in at the girl who couldn't possibly be Phoebe. Who was too small, and still, and quiet, to be Phoebe.

And Linda felt like getting inside it, curling up with her daughter and going to sleep.

But the coffin was too small.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: What if the one thing that kept you together was breaking you apart?

All Linda wants to do is sleep. She won’t look at her husband. She can’t stand her daughter. And she doesn’t want to have this baby. Having this baby means moving on, and she just wants to go back to before. Before their family was torn apart, before the blame was placed.

Alienated by their own guilt and struggling to cope, the Sadler family unravels. They grow up, grow apart, never talking about their terrible secret.

That is until Linda’s daughter finds out she’s pregnant. Before she brings another Sadler into the world, Bea needs to know what happened twenty-five years ago. What did they keep from her? What happened that couldn’t be fixed?

A devastating mistake, a lifetime of consequences. How can you repair something broken if pieces are missing?

MY THOUGHTS: 5 stars for this emotionally raw and completely absorbing debut novel by Laura Pearson.

I am lost for words to describe this book which drew me in, enveloped me to the point where I was constantly thinking about the characters, worrying about them like they were my own. I fell in love.

I am inclined to be dismissive when I read glowing reports of a book from its publisher. After all, that's their job, to make you want to read the book. But in this case, they have put into words exactly what I want to say and so I am going to quote from the publisher's letter at the beginning of Missing Pieces because I can't say it any better or with any more heart.

'(The) book that you can't put down at night, the book you tell everyone about - the book you tell anyone about.

This is that book.

When Kate (the publisher) read it, she was enamored. She read it in one go. She cried on the tube. Arriving in a jumbled flurry of manuscript pages, it was all Why Didn't I Read This Sooner?! and This Bit? Yes. That Bit? So Good.

This book will make you think about family and the unfathomable grief of losing someone you love. It will make you ugly cry. (No judgement.) It will make you think long and hard about who you want to be, the life you're living, and the relationships you cherish. It will make you happy cry. (You do you.) And it will make you want to read anything you can get your hands on by Laura Pearson.

And trust us, there's more. . .'

And like a child in a sweet shop, all I can say to that is 'more please.'

Thank you to Ipso Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Missing Pieces by Laura Pearson for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.

This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

Now – I don’t like reviews to have spoilers, but sometimes parts of the storyline are so fundamental, and also so difficult for people who’ve been through situations, that I think the blurb needs to be upfront. So – if you don’t want to know any more then stop now – but I think it needs to be said that this book’s entire premise is based around the death of a young child. Having watched a friend lose her son (in his instance to an evil b*stard brain tumour) I think it could be really upsetting for someone to pick up this book not knowing that was going to blindside them within the first chapter.

The first half of the book is set in the immediate aftermath of the death of Phoebe in the mid 80s. It is written just beautifully and is very emotional. I found it hard going at times – emotionally. But you wanted to keep reading and know what happened. Each chapter is at a new date and it specifies the number of days since Phoebe’s death – starting in single digits and increasing.

The book is set in Southampton – where I went to University – and the campus, and the Common both feature – and I always like having such reference points – although geographical knowledge definitely wasn’t fundamental to enjoying the book.

The second half of the book is much closer to now – in fact 9,000+ days from Phoebe’s death. It’s very interesting picking up with the characters – from the Sadler family and peripheral people – after such a large period of time has passed. This chunk of the book finally explains what actually happened to Phoebe – and how many of the central characters blames themselves for the events of that fateful day. It felt like the whole book was building to the point where you found out what happened.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom, and the way the individuals develop is really interesting. It ends with potential new beginnings for most of the characters – which is lovely after a read that was harrowing at times.

This is Laura Pearson’s debut novel – but I am sure it won’t be her last, as it is really good, well written, pacy and keeps you wanting to read on. I’m not sure there could be a sequel – although I’d love to know what happens to Esme and Bea in particular.

This book is centered on grief, and grief that the characters either can't shake or that they carry with them through their life. This book has 2 parts - one centered on the days closest to the accident that took Phoebe from the family, and then a section centered on the time when the daughters are grown and living on their own. Throughout the book, we never know the real details of what happened to Phoebe, and the story slowly unravels. The story is written well, and flows easily, but overall fairly somber.

Missing Pieces by Laura Pearson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
#FirstLine ~ The coffin was too small.
This book will move you to the core. This book will make you ugly cry. This book may even change you in ways you cannot really understand. This book will become a new favorite. This book will be a book you read more than one time! I cannot really capture how good this book is without giving too much away. Missing Pieces is special because it is harsh and real. It captures life when it is broken. There is heartbreak and beauty within these pages and a story that will leave its mark on you, in the best possible way. A MUST R

A beautifully told, heartbreaking story. What really happened to Phoebe on the day she died? Was it anyone's fault, or a tragic accident? By telling the story in the past when three year old Phoebe died, and then moving it forward to the present day when Bea, who was born in the immediate aftermath of the story, has found out she is pregnant and wants to know what happened to break her family, we are caught in the lives of the Sadler family and want to find what happened. I couldn't find anything to like about Linda, I know she was grieving for her daughter but to turn from her seven year old who needed her and ignore a newborn was mindblowing. How could any mother admit that one child was her favourite- even Esme had picked up on this from an early age. Esme seemed like such a good, well behaved child, some of her later accounts of early life were surprising. Thank goodness for Tom, such a good dad, but is there more to his story than at first appears? Such a good read about the long term effects tragedy can have on a family if not addressed at the time. #missingpieces # netgalley

well written with an original theme, Four members of a family experienced the loss of a young child. For one it had devastating consequences. However it was difficult to empathise with any single character, as we the reader did not have the opportunity to understand the feelings, only the outcomes

This is a brilliant debut novel. Once I started it I found if difficult to put down. In 1984 the Sadler family have the perfect life. Two lovely daughters, Phoebe and Esme, and Linda finds out she is expecting a third child. During her pregnancy events happen that leads to the tragic death of Phoebe, Linda cannot recover from her death and becomes totally withdrawn from her family. Her third daughter Bea is born early and has to stay in hospital. Linda returns home but cannot connect with the family or with Bea. Phoeb is never talked about and their lives are shattered.
Fast forward to 2011 and Bea is pregnant and is desperate to know all about Phoebe. Esme finds the only way to tell her is through writing letters about Phoebe’s life. Then the family’s secret is revealed. This book explores grief, bereavement, secrets and family relationships with sensitivity and all the characters have unique qualities. This is a book that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it. A highly recommended read. I can’t wait for Laura’s next book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Agora publishers for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

It is generally accepted that everyone will experience pain and loss in their lifetime. What sets individuals apart is their reaction to these fundamental and universal experiences. Laura Pearson offers the reactions of the Sadler family to a dramatic and disastrous tragedy in Missing Pieces. Each member of the family is impacted by the death of the youngest member.
Their reactions to the tragedy colors their interactions with each other and the outside world. Ms Pearson allows her characters to grow. Eventually they face the fact that reactions are not stoic, they change, they develop and they evolve. Tragedy’s deathly grip can be faced.
Ms. Pearson writes with depth and compassion in this story of loss and rebuilding.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. This did not effect my review of this book. #netgalley #missingpieces

This book is an absolute beauty. It's deep and emotional and incredibly touching. The characters are full of depth an intrigue making for a really interesting read. I really enjoyed reading this and i'd definitely recommend it.

As a mother, this book was quite difficult to read. First, because it involves the death of a child, and second because I found myself detesting the mother in the story. Not that I couldn't understand or empathize with the depression and anxiety that is the result of the death of a child, I absolutely can, and the thought makes my heart sink. I found the mother to be, well, I found her generally unlikable She is having a baby and drinking alcohol, and I just could not wrap my mind around the fact that the husband was seemingly neglectful and unaware. The neglected and faulty "other" daughter, the one left in the wake of this mess seemed much older than she was perceived to be, even in the beginning of the book. I find myself truly struggling to give this book a rating that I feel will be fair and honest. I'm going to go with a 3/5 stars.

A story of devastating guilt that shapes the lives of 3 sisters

Any story about sisters always resonates with me as I too, come from a family of three daughters, and this story is so poignant. Laura Pearson writes with incredible insight into a tragedy that has far-reaching effects on the lives of three sisters.

Esme, the eldest, carries the weight of a terrible accident into her adult life and she shuts down her emotions to cope with the burden of guilt she feels. Phoebe is the lost sister, the bright, bubbly middle child that does not have a chance to grow up and fulfil her promise and the youngest, Bea, is left to flounder as her family close ranks and never speak of the past.

When Bea falls pregnant she starts to ask questions about her shared past and demands answers and the story is slowly peeled back, layer by layer, and the past is revealed, and the healing can begin.

This is an outstanding first novel and I am sure that the writer has a bright future ahead of her. The storytelling is beautiful and each revelation leaves the reader wanting more and more to be revealed. A very clever storyline that weaves the lives of the main characters together. Each and every choice each character makes along the way leads them to their final destination where they must choose to be happy and lead fulfilled lives or remain locked in the past.

Gillian

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review