A missing child sets the lives of three women on a collision course in this powerful and compelling novel by USA Today bestselling author Bette Lee Crosby.1971.When a music festival rolls through the sleepy town of Hesterville, Georgia, the Dixon family’s lives are forever changed. On the final night, a storm muffles the sound of the blaring music, and Rachel tucks her baby into bed before … her baby into bed before falling into a deep sleep. So deep, she doesn’t hear the kitchen door opening. When she and her husband wake up in the morning, the crib is empty. Emily is gone.
Vicki Robart is one of the thousands at the festival, but she’s not feeling the music. She’s feeling the emptiness over the loss of her own baby several months before. When she leaves the festival and is faced with an opportunity to fill that void, she is driven to an act of desperation that will forever bind the lives of three women.
When the truth of what actually happened that fateful night is finally exposed, shattering the lives they’ve built, will they be able to pick up the pieces to put their families back together again?
Winner of the Royal Palm Literary Award for Women’s Fiction; the Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal for Southern Fiction; and the FAPA President’s Book Award for Women’s Fiction.
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This book will make you really think, search your heart, and wonder what you would do if your baby was kidnapped from your home during the night. The guilt alone of knowing you forgot to lock the door would be horrible. The story of the birth family was so well written that you feel their heartbreak as if you are right there seeing everything unfold.
The story of the kidnapper is so believable and heartbreaking too that you will find yourself developing feelings for what she went through. I was shocked to find I actually had compassion for her.
The characters of Rachel and Mama Dixson (Helen) were so realistic and compassionate. It was nice to see Rachel develop such a strong relationship with her mother-in-law as the story progressed. Helen did not like her daughter-in-law in the beginning, but they shared a special bond over losing a child. Helen’s child died in his crib.
This is one of those books that even when you have read the last page it still touches your heart and makes you think about the story, the author’s words, and what would you do? I have been telling my friend’s they have to read this book! I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.
What a fantastic story! I absolutely loved it! Bette Lee Crosby gives you a story packed with so many different emotions. I needed the tissues by my side. Bette’s characters are so real that you feel like you know them. I loved the way that you followed each of the main characters as the story progressed. This is one story you shouldn’t miss! Highly recommended!
This is such an emotional read. Losing a child is a mother’s worst nightmare, but what if you put the child to bed and woke up the next morning and found your child gone? The Hesterville Music Festival rolled into town with thousands of strangers and loud music at all hours. By the time it wound down, the Dixons were exhausted and finally able to sleep. Rachel put Emily to bed and gave In to sleep, never imagining that by the next morning her life would be torn apart. Vicki had spent the festival doing what she could to forget the ache of losing her baby. As the festival ends, she convinces her boyfriend to stop at a house on the way out of town so she could forage for food. Her actions after entering the house would change more than just her life.
Full of emotion and definitely a tear-jerker in many ways, Bette Lee Crosby delivers a novel that will burrow its way into your heart. Rachel is mired in guilt and heart-break, not sure how she will live without Emily, but with help from an unlikely source, she starts to live again. Vicky is determined to be the best Mom she can, walking away from the man she loves to ensure she can.
One baby, two families, and the repercussions, both good and bad, of one rash move are handled with a deft hand and compassion.
I adored these characters and the way Crosby wove their lives into the story. I loved this story and could not put it down. Settle into a cozy spot, and enjoy. Don’t be surprised if there are tears, as novel will take you on an emotional journey.
#EmilyGone #LakeUnionPublishers @betteleecrosbyauthor
I have loved all of Bette’s books but this has now become my favorite. Her books are always full of wonderful and interesting characters, so much love, and so much wisdom. Emily, Gone will pull at your heart strings and make you feel all the feels. A mother’s love is so, so strong. And in Emily, Gone one mother’s love never forgets and another mother’s love causes heartache and tears.
I loved how Bette transported me back in time to the 1970s—a time of peace and love. But that peace is shattered for Rachel when she finds her little baby missing from her crib. And will Vicki’s actions give her the peace she is looking for after the loss of her own baby?
This was such a sad, but heartwarming story, a story that brought tears a few times. But at the same time, it was an uplifting story—such an amazingly beautiful story. And one that will stay with me for a long time.
I always recommend Bette’s books—she is such a wonderful storyteller. Emily, Gone is definitely one you need to read!
Wow. Just wow. I think Bette Lee Crosby just gets better. I love everything I read from her. This book is heart wrenching and unputdownable. Crosby is a master and one of my favorite authors. I’m so grateful to be one of her early reviewers.
Emily Gone is the story of a kidnapped baby and the impact it has on the lives of the three women who love baby Emily. Bette Lee Crosby has written an amazing and beautiful story of resilience, love, hope, and family. As you read this story you can’t help but have your heart break for each of the women who consider Emily her respective baby. They are very sympathetic characters. The story takes place in a small town and Ms. Crosby’s characters belong there, as it was was a tightly knit community.
It was quite an emotional ride. I did not know whom to root for. At times, I felt I was being disloyal to Emily’s birth family, when I felt badly for the other women. I kept turning the pages because I needed to know if Emily was ever returned to her family. This possibility kept me on the edge much like a thriller.
Bette Lee Crosby has written an incredible ending to this story. It was not what I expected, but Ms. Crosby knew what was best for her characters and stayed true both to them and to her story. Ms. Crosby has worked out what it means to be family.
I loved this book. It was an emotional rollercoaster from the start and kept me wondering what conclusion the story would come to, but made sure I was prepared to be devastated. The story had a very different ending than I expected, but it was definitely the right one.
Thank you #Netgalley, #LakeUnionPublishing for approving my request for an advanced readers copy. All opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.
Bette Lee Crosby has outdone herself with this awesome, heartfelt, loving, heartbreaking, beautiful book.
It’s the story of a loss so great you won’t be able to read without many tears. I mean big ugly faced tears. How to you deal with waking up to an empty crib. A baby gone. You don’t have a clue what happened or where that baby is. If it’s being loved or hurt. That is exactly what happened to Rachel and George Dixon. They put their baby girl down for the night and went to bed like always. They had been awake for a couple of nights because of a concert so close that it was impossible to sleep. But this night they slept. What they found the next morning changed their lives forever.
This book will bring you so many tears. From the start to the very end you will keep turning pages to find out what happened to Emily. Will they ever find her and is she being cared for. Rachel prays that whoever kidnapped Emily is kind and loving. Is the kind of mother she is.
This book is so well written you feel all the heartache all the sadness and longing. You feel the loud music in your chest as if you was there. You will shed many many tears while unable to put this book down. It’s a bit different from most of Bette’s books. I think it just may be the very best so far. The characters are all so likable believe it or not. I could not find fault with any. Pity, sadness, heartbreak yes, but no dislike at all. My heart broke for all the mothers in this story of such great loss. There were a few tiny stories within this one about other women who had lost babies and were grieving. It’s one that will stay with you for a long long time.
I honestly loved this book with all the tears and joy. It’s full of love and happiness and so many tears. A book that all mothers should read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union publishers for the ARC of this book. I also bought it too. I highly recommend it.
A HUGE 5 STARS….. From the very first word to the last period!!
Bette Lee Crosby you have moved me beyond words! Emily, Gone is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year and I imagine it will stay with me for some time.
Rachel, Vicki and Angela are wonderful characters and they all love Emily; but only one of these women is her birth mother. One night a choice is made in a split second that changes the course of their lives. How will they deal with it? How will they go on? Emily, Gone is gripping from beginning to end and you won’t want to put it down!
Thank you NetGalley and Bette Lee Crosby for this copy in exchange for my review. And thank you so much Bette for this treasured read and for naming the nurse after me! I’m honored!
RIVETING!!
When you choose to read EMILY GONE by Bette Lee Crosby, set aside a few hours because you’ll want to finish it in one setting! It’s that compelling! It’s the story of a missing child and the impact that child has on the lives of three women. One woman will face the most devastating challenge a mother could imagine. One woman will make a decision that will forever change the destinies of everyone else in the novel. One woman will be caught in the middle and make decisions that will forever bind the families together. This novel has it all – love, jealousy, angst, growth, family drama, deceit and what it means to pray earnestly, believing your prayers will make a difference and one day witnessing a miracle before your eyes. I was provided an ARC of this book by Lake Union Publishers. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.
Five Tissue Box! Though this story has much sadness and unimaginable happened, the writing is clever and beautifully told! Absolutely a must read!
This book is definitely a book that draws you in from the very first page. Bette Lee Crosby has given us a compelling book that is both heart breaking and heartwarming. The book is full of strong women characters. The book begins in Hesterville, Georgia in 1971. A music festival in a nearby field brings an influx of strangers. Rachel Dixon is a loving mother of a little girl named Emily who lives with her husband outside of town. Vicki Robert is one of the festival goers who is using drugs to numb herself after the
loss of her infant daughter, Lara. On the last night of the festival, Rachel puts Emily to bed and falls soundly to sleep. So soundly she doesn’t hear anything that night and when she wakes up Emily is gone! Even thought this book is a story of loss and grief, it’s also a story of hope, love, and family.
Bette Lee Crosby has done it again. A wonderful story! Three woman affected by one horrific incident. She has a knack of developing her characters so that you feel all their emotions when confronted with grief. I can never say enough about this authors wonderful stories, each and everyone of them!
I received a netgalley of Emily, Gone by Bette Lee Crosby, in exchange for an honest review. I always anxiously await the newest novel by Bette Lee Crosby and once again I was not disappointed. One rainy night after a music festival comes to town, baby Emily Dixon was taken from her crib. Her parents are distraught when they can not locate their child. Emily was taken by a distraught mother who had lost her child, Lara. The story follows the Dixons and how they learn to cope with the loss, come together as a family and eventually move on. The story is paralleled by Emily’s new life and her new family dynamic. Years later paths will collide and the fallout must be dealt with. I found myself enthralled with the characters. I especially loved the relationship that blossomed between Rachel and Mamma Dixon. I highly recommend this read and I am looking forward to her next book.
I love to read. I love curling up all cozy and warm with a book in hand, whether it be a traditional hard cover book or convenient ebook on my phone or tablet. I love the anticipation as I read the first few pages and become engrossed in a new story. I love when I finish a book for the first time and have to take a moment to gather my thoughts and emotions about what I just read, and know that this story will stay with me for a long time. That is what happened with Emily, Gone.
Emily, Gone is one of those books that you start reading and don’t want to stop. Bette Lee Crosby created such a heart-wrenching yet beautiful story with characters so brilliantly portrayed and words so artfully written. She wrote about topics that are so real, so intimate, and so painful, and then tied them together with her incredibly realistic characters in such a way that emotions were masterfully tugged at and played with. I was in tears quite a few times.
I felt such compassion for the characters, especially Rachel and even Vicki. I can’t imagine having to deal with the cruel circumstances they both had to face with their babies, and their actions accurately portray their sadness, longing, and pain. My heart ached for them. In turn, my heart swelled with happiness and love when reading about Rachel’s and Lara’s relationships and family lives. I don’t want to give anything away so I won’t go into other monumental moments or scenes, but just know that so much happens in this book that you don’t expect, yet it all comes together beautifully.
Bette Lee Crosby is another one of those authors who’s books I will grab up in a second! She knows how to weave a well written heart grabbing story every time!
Emily, Gone is no exception. It’s a no put-down marathon read.
Six month old Emily, asleep in her crib, is taken from her home….and just when you think you know where the story is going a surprised is weaved in, making for a jaw dropping, rip out your heart read!
EMILY, GONE by Bette Lee Crosby is a beautifully-written and heart-rending story of love, family, loss and forgiveness. The book begins in 1971 in the small town of Hesterville, GA as a rowdy music festival is being held on the outskirts of town. On a stormy night, as the festival winds down, Rachel and George Dixon put their baby, Emily to bed and drop into an exhausted sleep themselves. When they awake the next day, Emily is gone from her crib. What follows is a heart-wrenching story of this family’s anguish and grief at the devastating loss of their child. The timeline of the book covers the next 18 years as the Dixon family tries to move on and Emily grows up with the only family she has ever known. The characters are so well-written that I felt like I knew them personally. The book delves into the importance of family, faith and community in times of hardship. I truly enjoyed this moving story of love, hope and forgiveness and I highly recommend it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy.
Emily, Gone is such a powerful book and evoked so many emotions as I read, that it is difficult for me to even begin to write this review. This book is about love, loss, believing and forgiveness. The book is told from many points of view, and I found the characters felt very real on all levels. Some I liked, some I cried for, but Vicki was one I couldn’t like whatsoever. As I read, I kept thinking that there was no good way for Emily, Gone to end. But end it did, and I was amazed at the way Bette Lee Crosby brought closure to her characters. As I read the Epilogue, I sat there on the verge of tears and realized that forgiveness is one of the strongest emotions we can embrace. I loved this book. I highly recommend it and give it five sparkly stars!
Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC of Emily, Gone.
EMILY, GONE is another of Bette Lee Crosby’s superb “can’t put down, don’t want it to end” books. Written so beautifully in her Southern voice, the author evokes all the emotions, tears, and emptiness that the Dixon’s felt when they discovered their baby was kidnapped from her crib during the night. EMILY, GONE is a story that will tug at your heartstrings.
Ms. Crosby’s characters are true-to-life and could easily be your neighbor, your friend, your family, and even a stranger who sneaks into your home at night. I love when I have a visual of the main characters, but when I can also picture the supporting characters so clearly, you can buy into the story and better understand why the story took the turns that it did. So often a great number of characters can confuse the reader, but that was not the case in EMILY, GONE. Each character, so brilliantly developed, stood on his/her own.
The storyline is well chronicled and was told by numerous points of view throughout.
As always, I enjoyed another delightful book by Bette Lee Crosby, who is undoubtedly one of my favorite authors. I recommend EMILY, GONE to anyone who enjoys reading women’s fiction, historical fiction, mysteries, tearjerkers, realistic stories, inspirational stories, and diverse characters. EMILY, GONE positively deserves 5-stars!
My thanks to the Bette Lee Crosby and Netgalley for this ARC. All thoughts and praise for this book are my own.
In a small town, where everyone knows everyone, and citizens don’t worry much about locking their doors in the night, George, Rachel, and baby Emily Dixon drift off asleep to the sounds of the ongoing music festival just up the road at a nearby farm and welcoming the thunder in hopes that the festival will dwindle. Exhaustion takes over, an neither George nor Rachel hear the sounds of the nightmare yet to be revealed.
Numb to reality because of the loss of her baby Lara and a few too many hits of marijuana, Vicki Robart sways to the music succumbing to her grief. Her beau, Russell Murphy sees the telltale signs in her eyes and suggests they hit the road and find something to eat. Vicki demands he stops up the road from the festival, so she can find something to eat. The house is dark, the inhabitants clearly asleep on this stormy night. But, what she finds inside satiates a greater void as she slips back into the night…
Vicki’s choice alters their lives… This book is about grief, hope, and finding forgiveness in the most difficult of times.
Thank you to Bette Lee Crosby, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Emily, Gone is a very moving story of hope. The twists and turns in this book hooked me from beginning to end, and I experienced every emotion while reading this book. I love the way the book flowed, and the stories of each character had me wanting to know more. Bette Lee Crosby is an amazing author, and I highly recommend this book!