Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell Summary
Overview of Then She Was Gone
A mother's worst nightmare unfolds in this #1 New York Times bestseller that sold 2.5 million copies worldwide. Soon to be a film by Catherine Steadman, this psychological thriller asks: how far would you go to uncover the truth about your missing child?
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When a Child Vanishes Without a Trace
Fifteen-year-old Ellie Mack was the golden child-beautiful, brilliant, and destined for Cambridge University. She had fallen in love with Theo Goodman, the most handsome boy in school, and her future seemed limitless. Then one spring morning, while walking to the library, she disappeared without a trace. The investigation was exhaustive-house-to-house searches across five miles, questioning of every known sex offender in Greater London, hundreds of hours of CCTV footage reviewed, television appeals seen by millions. The last confirmed sighting: grainy footage showing Ellie checking her reflection in a car window, adjusting her signature ponytail. Her bedroom remained frozen in time-piggy bank still containing birthday money, toothbrush in the bathroom, school uniform laid out for Monday. After two years of dead ends, police quietly downgraded the search from active to cold case. What had been a normal middle-class family shattered completely. How quickly the petty irritations of everyday life-cat fur on clothes, overflowing bins, teenagers who wouldn't clean their rooms-evaporated, replaced by consuming terror and raw despair. Every morning brought the same gut-wrenching realization: Ellie was still gone. Ten years after Ellie's disappearance, her mother Laurel exists in a half-life. Her marriage to Paul couldn't survive their fundamental difference in processing grief-while he eventually joined a support group and suggested packing away Ellie's things, Laurel couldn't accept what felt like betrayal. Their remaining children scattered faster than they might have otherwise-Jake to Devon where he opened a surf shop, Hanna to a demanding City job that kept her too busy to think about the sister-shaped hole in her life. Laurel fills empty days with a part-time marketing job and weekly visits to her elderly mother who's beginning to forget Ellie ever existed. She constructs activities that give the appearance of normalcy while masking the screaming void within. The police call with devastating news: human remains have been found near Dover-Ellie's rucksack containing her clothes, school supplies, and peculiarly, Hanna's passport. Forensic evidence confirms the worst: partial remains of Ellie, apparently run over by a vehicle, dragged through woodland, and buried in a shallow grave.
The Tutor's Dangerous Obsession
Captivity and an Unthinkable Plan
A Chance Encounter and Growing Suspicions
Uncovering the Terrible Truth
The Final Revelation and Rebuilding
Ellie's Final Message
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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