Sue Miller's WHILE I WAS GONE is a compelling story filled with
emotion, suspense, and an overwhelming sense of nostalgia that
promises to keep the reader engaged until the very end.

Jo Becker has built a wonderful life for herself in central
Massachusetts, as she balances her life and career as mother, wife,
and veterinarian. Yet, Jo's world rocks beneath her feet soon after
she is reacquainted with a former Cambridge roommate from years
ago.

Set in Massachusetts, Miller's novel moves back and forth between
Jo's present life and her past. As a young woman, Jo leaves her
husband and a life in which she felt smothered. She moves to
Cambridge where she finds a coed apartment with several roommates.
Rather than starting fresh, Jo conceals her identity and the fact
that she is married. She quickly develops an appreciation for her
roommates' unique differences as she searches for a new direction
for her own life. However, after a horrific tragedy befalls one of
Jo's roommates, she is left reeling from the tragedy's effects and
flees Cambridge.

Now, years later, Jo is remarried with three grown daughters and a
rewarding career as an animal doctor. When Jo comes in contact with
Eli Mayhew, her former housemate, old feelings and new feelings
begin to surface, and long-buried memories are unearthed. Soon, Jo
is confronted with conflicting emotions and truths that threaten
her world, her family, and her life as she now knows it.

Miller's talent as a storyteller is more powerful than ever. This
riveting story touches all emotions. Miller has created a credible
family picture of Jo and Daniel and their three daughters. All
aspects of these characters ring true as scenes unfold throughout
the novel. It feels as if you not only can see all of Miller's
characters throughout the story clearly, but you can hear them even
as the author transitions between the different timeframes. The
author is able to maintain continuity as well as suspense as she
weaves smoothly back and forth between Jo's past and present
memories.

However, it's Miller's ability to capture the nostalgia that Jo
experiences throughout the story that allows the reader to become
more involved in the story and its characters. Miller develops the
deep sense of longing that Jo expresses for a time that will never
return for her or anyone else. The author portrays perfectly the
powerful role that memory plays as it rekindles moments and events,
often making them seem even better than they were.

If you've ever longed for a change and wondered about years gone
by, WHILE I WAS GONE is one novel that will be impossible to put
down.