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Elizabeth Is Missing
Elizabeth Is Missing
Elizabeth Is Missing
Audiobook11 hours

Elizabeth Is Missing

Written by Emma Healey

Narrated by Davina Porter

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this audiobook

HOW DO YOU SOLVE A MYSTERY WHEN YOU CAN'T REMEMBER THE CLUES?

In this darkly riveting debut novel—a sophisticated psychological mystery that is also an heartbreakingly honest meditation on memory, identity, and aging—an elderly woman descending into dementia embarks on a desperate quest to find the best friend she believes has disappeared, and her search for the truth will go back decades and have shattering consequences.

Maud, an aging grandmother, is slowly losing her memory—and her grip on everyday life. Yet she refuses to forget her best friend Elizabeth, whom she is convinced is missing and in terrible danger.

But no one will listen to Maud—not her frustrated daughter, Helen, not her caretakers, not the police, and especially not Elizabeth’s mercurial son, Peter. Armed with handwritten notes she leaves for herself and an overwhelming feeling that Elizabeth needs her help, Maud resolves to discover the truth and save her beloved friend.

This singular obsession forms a cornerstone of Maud’s rapidly dissolving present. But the clues she discovers seem only to lead her deeper into her past, to another unsolved disappearance: her sister, Sukey, who vanished shortly after World War II.

As vivid memories of a tragedy that occurred more fifty years ago come flooding back, Maud discovers new momentum in her search for her friend. Could the mystery of Sukey’s disappearance hold the key to finding Elizabeth?

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperAudio
Release dateJun 10, 2014
ISBN9780062357328
Elizabeth Is Missing
Author

Emma Healey

Emma Healey grew up in London where she studied for her first degree in bookbinding. She then worked for two libraries, two bookshops, two art galleries and two universities, before completing an MA in Creative Writing at the University East Anglia. Her first novel, Elizabeth is Missing, was published to critical acclaim in 2014, became a Sunday Times (London) bestseller and won the Costa First Novel Award. She lives in Norwich, England with her husband and daughter.

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Reviews for Elizabeth Is Missing

Rating: 3.8968704755334285 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book was very charming. It really sheds a light on what goes through the mind of someone struggling with dementia, and kept me intrigued throughout the entire book as we (the main character and I) solved two mysteries. The main character, Maude, was so charming and humorous - most of the time not on purpose. The other characters were masterfully crafted to combine to make a very great novel. I highly recommend. It really touched my heart, but also kept me laughing and curious.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is not a Thriller nor a murder mystery. This is a novel that discusses the main character life and trying to answer the question of where is Elizabeth. The novel pace does not change so if you feel in the beginning that it is slow for you, it is not getting any faster later on.

    It is a slow moving novel because there is a foundational element that the story build over time not from the get go (can’t really say what without ruining the novel for you).

    It is written well. Maybe a little longer than I expected. Maybe I will listen to it again in few years.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey; Orange/Baileys L/L 2015; (2*)no review, just my thoughts and comments:Thought to be brilliant, this book just did not work for me.I was unable to stay in the story/narrative. I found no interest, no fascination and no curiosity. My brain must be dead.Though a very interesting and timely premise (I am a 67 year old woman with a 97 year old mother who suffers from dementia) yet I could barely get through it. I found it extremely slow going. For me the concept was better than the execution. Certainly the pace and writing mirrored the internal life of the protagonist. Slow, frustrating, and confusing. The book quickly became tiresome for me.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I don't know how it is possible to create such a compelling character as Maud when her main characteristic is dementia related confusion. Yet, Emma Healey has managed to construct a character who is charming, whimsical and sweet. Even when Maud is frightened and confused and angry (not sweet), the episode ends quickly and she is all compassion and concern. The only thought that she maintains with any consistency is that her friend Elizabeth seems to be missing. There is an element of mystery throughout as Maud mingles her memories of her missing sister Sukey with the fact that her friend Elizabeth doesn't seem to be home. The mystery is interesting, but not nearly as compelling as the story of Maud's loss of memory and her daughter's attempts to cope. I was particularly struck by the moments of lucidity that Maud had which prolonged the time it took for her daughter to realize she really couldn't allow Maud to continue to live alone. A beautifully written story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Emma Healey’s debut novel, Elizabeth Is Missing, is quite an intriguing mystery, mainly due to the manner in which it is constructed. The story is told through Maud, an elderly dementia patient, who vividly recalls her friend Elizabeth and believes she is missing. Her obsession is hers alone, as no one will believe her. As the present slips from her grasp Maud draws further within and recalls her sister Sukey vanishing after WWII, and ponders whether Sukey’s disappearance is related to Elizabeth’s. Elizabeth Is Missing is an exceptionally well written book which allows the reader to look into the past as well as to watch as one woman losing her battle with her short term memory is determined once and for all to find out what happened over fifty years ago. Elizabeth Is Missing would make an excellent discussion group pick as well as an excellent summer book choice. I look forward to more books from this young author.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    From other reviews I was prepared for this to be a ho-hum book, but I was pleasantly surprised. In many ways I think this book had an exceptional storyline. Tis the story of Maud, who suffers either from severe dementia or Alzheimer's. Sometimes Maud can't recognize her name, her home, or her daughter. There is more to Maud that meets the eye, though. Maud remembers detailed snippets from her childhood, including that her sister, Sukey, went missing and was never found. Maud is also missing her best friend, Elizabeth, who Maud claims is missing and this drives the story. We do find out in the end what became of Elizabeth and Sukey. This book really spoke to me about aging and the fears that I think many people of my age (post 60) confront. It's about families and loss. A great read! 279 pages 5 stars
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This is an impressive achievement - a suspense novel narrated by an aging character with fairly advanced Alzheimer's disease. It's smart, sad and well pieced together, but I found the whole experience too frustrating to really enjoy. That's probably partly the point, but it meant I found myself reluctant to pick this one up and keep reading.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Maud Horsham is the most unreliable narrator ever. It's not that she means to mislead; she isn't malicious or deceitful. She's sliding, rapidly, into senility or dementia and can't remember well any more. Her life has become a series of Why-did-I-come-into-this-room? moments. She writes countless notes for herself, she calls them her paper memory, but she often feels unsure and confused. The one thing she does remember, at least most of the time, is that her friend Elizabeth is missing. No one else seems concerned—not her daughter, or the NHS carers who come to check on her, not even the police when she reports her friend missing (for the fourth time in a fortnight). She has trouble remembering when she last ate and sometimes can't think of the right word for everyday objects but she is sure of one thing: Elizabeth is in trouble. Perhaps robbers left her tied up in the basement or her awful son has done something to her. She has to find her friend and help her. She also remembers when her big sister went missing shortly after the war but that was a long time ago and right now she needs to find Elizabeth.This is a remarkable debut novel. Maud is not the two dimensional character she could so easily have been in lesser hands. Healey portrays her sympathetically and brings the reader into Maud's diminishing world. In only three hundred pages she clearly shows Maud's deterioration as her disorientation grows and her moments of clarity become less frequent. Healey obviously understands the frustration and embarrassment of those losing their memory (and their place in society) and the fatigue of those who must offer repetitive explanations that will be almost instantly forgotten. This is a poignant story of memory, families, love, and loss.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What an excellent book on such a sad subject. I honestly couldn’t put it down. The narrator was fantastic.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    From other reviews I was prepared for this to be a ho-hum book, but I was pleasantly surprised. In many ways I think this book had an exceptional storyline. Tis the story of Maud, who suffers either from severe dementia or Alzheimer's. Sometimes Maud can't recognize her name, her home, or her daughter. There is more to Maud that meets the eye, though. Maud remembers detailed snippets from her childhood, including that her sister, Sukey, went missing and was never found. Maud is also missing her best friend, Elizabeth, who Maud claims is missing and this drives the story. We do find out in the end what became of Elizabeth and Sukey. This book really spoke to me about aging and the fears that I think many people of my age (post 60) confront. It's about families and loss. A great read! 279 pages 5 stars
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Elizabeth is missing. Of that, octogenarian Maud is sure. Of other things Maud is far less certain, being a women suffering from dementia, and quite unable to manage living on her own. She leaves the stove on, buys tinned peaches daily so that the cabinet almost overflows with them, and writes herself endless notes on post-its so that she can remember all the parts of her life that become less and less comprehensible to her. The notes don't work. The only thing that Maud can hold onto is that Elizabeth is missing. This is a wonderfully compassionate novel, which expertly delves into the mind of a woman with dementia, and which draws attention to the difficulties that the families of dementia-sufferers face. I don't know how Emma Healey was able to get inside the head of someone suffering with dementia, and I can only assume that she had close family with the disease. Loving told, with an entirely unexpected twist ending, this is a book that I loved, and which will remain a favourite of mine. I recommend it highly.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Fantastic first novel! Delicate subject matter treated with care and love. Also, mystery! The info was dealt out in a fantastic, twisty way that made Maud totally believable. Love the lack of drama around Frank.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is in some ways, a very sad book. The narrator is Maud and she is suffering from Dementia of some description. The title phrase is one that Maud uses repeatedly, she has a friend Elizabeth, who is currently not living at home, the house is empty. And so we are left wondering what has happened to Elizabeth. But at the same time, Maud is an utterly unreliable narrator, except when she, curiously, isn't. In parallel with the present and Maud's concern with Elizabeth, we have a story line from the past, where Maud's sister Sukey goes missing at the end of WW2. The past story is told in very clear, precise language, this is not Maud's memory, this is a story told by Maud as a younger girl, not always fully understanding what she sees and hears. The past elements are sometimes triggered by an element in the present and there is the final co-incidence of Elizabeth;s house playing a key role in Sukey's story as well. Maud in the present is a salutary reminder that we can;t help how we age. She doesn't always remember her daughter or granddaughter, she doesn't remember going somewhere or doing something, she has no track of time.. She asks the same questions repeatedly. I feel most for Helen who tries to deal with this on a daily basis. I like that Helen is not portrayed as a saint, she struggles to hold her temper and to deal with an increasingly difficult mother. I remain unsure I could do it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey was a wonderful read that I will be thinking about for a long time. Although it is offered as a mystery, it is indeed a study of dementia, with the reader being given an inside look at how the mind and memory disintegrate, and how it affects both the sufferer and the family. Maud is in her eighties and her memories tend to blend together as does her present and her past. She is convinced that her friend Elizabeth is missing and as she tries to take steps to discover what happened, she is constantly thrown back into the past when her sister Sukey also went missing.The author is to be applauded for weaving such a strong story, peopled with excellent supporting characters such as Maud’s daughter, Helen and her granddaughter, Katie, as well as the personalities from the past. I literally couldn’t put the book down, was I reading about two murders, one murder or no murders? Were Maud’s shattered memories to be believed, and how heartbreaking it was to read about everyone involved having to watch as Maud’s world became increasingly fragmented.Elizabeth Is Missing is a riveting and creative read that probably appeals to me more at my age of 70 than it might have at 35 or 40. As I age I live in fear of either myself or my husband contracting this disease that is so excellently yet terrifyingly shown in this book. The author captures Maud’s anxiety, confusion and anger as she descends into dementia, but there are also moments of tenderness and humor. I have a strong feeling that Elizabeth Is Missing will be one of my top reads for 2022.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    adult fiction; mystery/suspense with unreliable narrator. I liked this, even though the dementia-suffering narrator made me uneasy for my grandmother (and my future self) as well, probably, it should.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Great story. Not my typical read, but seemed well researched and very realistic. I think it shows how a person doesn't really seem themselves as "old", and how society views them-including how the elderly view other elderly folks. Kind of a sad story, but worth reading.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Emma Healey’s 2014 novel Elizabeth Is Missing is narrated by a woman determined to find out where has best friend, Elizabeth, has gotten to. But Maud, the narrator, cannot get anyone to take her concerns seriously because she suffers from a rapidly advancing case of dementia and her daughter, the police, the caretakers who visit her every day, and Elizabeth’s son are getting very tired of hearing the same old questions from her over and over again. Talk about an unreliable narrator; Maud is the ultimate unreliable narrator. The elderly woman suffers from an advanced case of dementia, and she is losing more ground to that horrible condition every day. However, though Maud lives in a world inside her own head that is such a blending of the present with the past that she is in a constant state of confusion, she knows two things for certain: she can find neither her friend Elizabeth nor her own sister, Sukey. The problem is that Elizabeth is missing right now, but Sukey disappeared just a few months after World War II and hasn’t been seen since. Now, Maud cannot always be certain for which of the two women she is looking. Even so, she keeps looking for them even as what’s left of her dwindling cognitive abilities continues to slip away from her, and what she uncovers by forcing others to try to keep up with her turns out to be more than anyone bargained for, including Maud. Elizabeth Is Missing would have been a good mystery even without its unusual narrator. The circumstances under which Sukey disappeared not long after her recent marriage to a man who seemed to be living just on the edge of the law has all the makings of a very good historical fiction mystery. But what really makes this novel stand out from the crowd is the way that Emma Healey allows the reader to live for a few hours inside the head of a dementia sufferer like Maud. We stumble along with Maud in the present as very little makes sense to her, as she begins to forget the names of common everyday items that she’s used all her life, and as every little thing she encounters reminds her of a vivid memory from her long ago past. In effect, Sukey’s part of the story is told in flashback fashion as Maud literally flashes back to her detailed memories of those days. Bottom Line: Too many books are forgettable; after a few weeks or months, readers can barely distinguish them in their minds from all the other books they’ve read before or since. Elizabeth Is Missing is not one of those books. These days, as more and more people live to an advanced age, most every family has been, or soon will be, touched by the experience of having to provide care for a family member with dementia or Alzheimer’s. If you want to know what that family member is really experiencing, novels like this one are a good way to supplement your more clinical reading of the disease. Readers will not be forgetting this one.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    3.5 As an audio book, it was equally challenging and charming to be in the mind of the narrating character, Maud, who could easily be described as a generic "little old lady." But Maud is in the throes of Alzheimers or dementia and she constantly muddles the present (2000s) with the past (1946). In the present, Maud is convinced that her good friend Elizabeth is missing and has possibly come to harm. She can't remember seeing her, her house is locked up and in transition, and no one (her own daughter or Elizabeth's son) will tell her anything. But since we are in Maud's mind, that perception is not entirely correct and both her daughter Helen and Elizabeth's cranky son, Peter have repeatedly told Maud what has happened, but she just can't remember. She takes her worries to the police several times and takes out and advert in the paper, and tries to get into Elizabeth's house all in her quest to understand. What this obsession stems from is her own sister, Sukie who disappeared back in 1946. The mystery was never solved, and police were slow to act. Apparently in post-war England many people went missing as they backed out of hasty marriages, were uprooted by bombings, tried to reunite with loved ones in other European countries. I had no idea so much of one country was on the move, but it makes sense. Maud was only 15 when this occurred and Sukie who was 7 years older, and married just stopped coming around the family home. Both her husband Frank and the lodger Douglas are suspects, though more in Maud's mind than the actual investigation. Little things in the present send Maud careening back into the past and she gets stuck in loops about some of the tiny details she remembers (summer squash, her sister's perfume brand and lipstick color) There is also a mad woman character from the past, who could conceivably be Maud in present day. Excellent portrayal of the slipping memory -- what objects are called, who her daughter is, where she lives, and the nagging feeling she needs to remember. The mystery gets solved, though not entirely satisfactorily.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A fascinating and very convincing story of a dementia sufferer, Maud, who is slowly loosing her memory, but is convinced all is not right. The narrative by Maud, an unreliable witness, is well written, as you the reader experience her growing confusion, her notes, helping and hindering her solving the mystery. The story flips between the present and the past when she was growing up, causing you to pause wondering where you are.
    The story gives good insight into the world of a dementia sufferer, with excellent observation of people, things, seasons with good descriptions. Often little clues are dropped that come together as the story progresses..
    The author expertly portrays progressive memory loss and annoying interactions with her family.
    A slow moving but enjoyable narrative.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I enjoyed this gentle read about a woman's struggle with ageing and dementia. The author's ability to get inside the mind of the elderly Maud was incredible.
    What I spent too much time obsessing about, however, was the author and media recommendations on the book cover (and even wasting time wondering what these spruiking, superlatives are called). This is because they gave such a false impression about this book. "riveting, psychological thriller" and "gripping detective yarn" it is not. Nor is it "an investigation into a seventy-year old crime", as such. Yes a mystery unfolds - but the key point of the story is surely to show the confusion of Maud and the heartbreak and realities of caring for a person with dementia.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5

    "Elizabeth Is Missing" is an intriguing and very well-written debut novel.
    I was lucky enough to find this book available as a Kindle e-book from my local library.

    The story is told in first person and is the believably authentic voice of a woman with dementia.
    Of an elderly woman named Maud, and also of her family, especially her daughter. The plot involves two supposed mysteries which the main character is trying to unravel. These issues keep the reader interested and engaged. I would recommend 'Elizabeth is Missing' to anyone who enjoys a good mystery, but also to anyone who is dealing with a loved one who is experiencing dementia. The character brings a compelling and sympathetic example of what is (and is not) going on in the mind of such an individual.

    Maud is a marvelous narrator; seeing the world through her mind was a truly enlightening experience. I get impatient when I walk into a room and forget what I came in there for; but Maud's situation is infinitely worse, and I was blown away by the author's insight and her ability to put the reader in Maud's shoes. While other characters in the book were annoyed and put-upon by Maud's increasing forgetfulness, I could feel Maud's own frustration, and admired her attempts to cope in spite of the widening gaps in her memory.

    If your taste runs to fast-moving, easily-recognizable plot lines with surprises around every corner, this might not be the best book for you. But if having an inside view of an indomitable spirit determined to succeed despite increasing mental and physical limitations appeals to you, by all means give this book a try. This is a very absorbing book, and very easy to get into. Highly recommended.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a book I could not put down, recommended to me by Bunny Mazharii - I alternated between anxiety, laughter, nostalgia and grief - at times I thought this might be awful for someone who cares for a loved one with dementia but then again it actually might give them some insight and more understanding.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Eighty-two year old Maud suffers from dementia. She has great difficulty remembering things from moment to moment and is often confused about where she is and who is with her. One thing she is certain of, though: her friend Elizabeth is missing, and no one but her seems to care. But Elizabeth's may not actually be the disappearance that's truly troubling her.The cover on my copy of this novel, with the tagline "How do you solve a mystery when you can't remember the clues?" makes it sound like a mystery novel, albeit one with a twist. But while there is a mystery at the heart of it, and an intriguing one, I suspect anyone going into it expecting a conventional mystery story may be disappointed. What we get instead, though, is something quietly fascinating and subtly heart-breaking. And incredibly impressive, too. Writing from Maud's jumbled POV and somehow shaping that into a workable narrative seems like a nearly impossible challenge for an author, but Healey does it with a gentle touch that makes it seem like the simplest and most natural thing in the world.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Ah,,several mysteries solved.Well written, allows one to imagine what it is like inside the mind of someone affected by cognitive impairment. Sad, with some moments of laughter., and shifting between compassion and exasperationNot a read for everyone, but a good book .
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    4.5 stars.
    This is a remarkable debut novel full of insight into the day to day life of someone suffering from dementia, and the impact that this terrible syndrome has on family and friends caring for the dementia sufferer. What amazed me most is the way in which this sad decline is portrayed so well and even more remarkably given a somewhat humorous voice.

    “Oh, Helen,” I say. “I’ve been meaning to tell you. That girl you’ve hired, she doesn’t do any work. None. I’ve watched her.” “Who are you talking about now? What girl?” “The girl,” I say. “She leaves plates by the sink and there are clothes all over the floor of her room.” Helen grins and bites her lip. “Pretty good description. Mum, that’s Katy.”

    Of course Katy is Maud's granddaughter.

    It's almost as if Maud, the aging dementia sufferer is vaguely aware that something is wrong and is almost laughing at the crazy things she does. Like her buying heaps of peaches because she can't remember what it is she ought to be buying. She has masses of paper messages to remind her what she should be doing, yet she seems to remember events of the past in some detail.

    As the novel progresses, the humourous passages begin to disappear and are replaced by Maud's decline as her dementia progresses. There is a sense of Maud's memory slipping even further and therefore inevitably Elizabeth is Missing is at times a sad read, so be prepared for that.

    The little things that are forgotten, suddenly seem to matter so much. Maud's frustration is palpable:

    I don’t look up. It’s such a little thing—knowing where to put cutlery—but I feel like I’ve failed an important test. A little piece of me is gone.”

    Elizabeth is Missing also works so well as a mystery. Maud can't find her friend Elizabeth, and this distresses her terribly. This is the one thing that she clings to, the one fact that she is so sure of. Maud is determined to find her much to the dismay of her family, and the police:
    "I have been to the police station four times. I know because I have written it down. Four times, and they will do nothing. They think I'm a dotty old woman. I think they might be right. "

    Alongside this there is also the mystery surrounding the disappearance of her sister Sukey, who vanished many years ago. The two plot threads interweave in a totally entertaining and engrossing way, enabling us to get an insight into the youthful Maud too, who seems to be somewhat in the shadow of her older sister Sukey.

    So would I recommend Elizabeth is Missing?

    Yes absolutely. Highly recommended to readers of Mystery, Fiction, Contemporary, Adult Fiction.

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In the early chapters of Emma Healey’s confident and polished first novel, Elizabeth is Missing, Maud, who is in her 80s and suffers from dementia, lives alone in the family home where she grew up and has resided independently since the death of her husband. Her daughter Helen has engaged carers to look in on her and help her with basic tasks, but her condition has deteriorated to the point where she is easily confused and disoriented, so much so that she stuffs her pockets full of notes to remind her where she is going and what she is supposed to do when she gets there. In addition, her spotty recollection of recent events is leaving gaps in her memory for events from the distant past to leak in and cause even more confusion. Maud has always been obsessed with the fate of her older sister, Sukey, who disappeared without a trace shortly after the end of World War II. More recently, Maud finds that her friend Elizabeth has disappeared as well, and as her condition worsens the dementia causes the two mysteries to become conflated in her mind. Healey’s novel chronicles the gradual breakdown of Maud’s ability to separate reality from memory. In a series of poignant, painful, sometimes bizarre and occasionally humorous scenes filled with miscommunications and misunderstandings, Maud fumbles her way toward answers to both of the questions weighing on her mind. Healey fleshes out the novel with numerous flashbacks to Maud’s post-war life with her mother and father, compelling and deftly drawn scenes that take place immediately before and for several months after Sukey’s disappearance and which describe Maud’s attempts as an adolescent to get to the bottom of what happened to her sister. In composing this book, Healey faced enormous challenges that would have sunk a less talented writer. The masterstroke here is her evocative and convincing rendering of the thought processes of a dementia sufferer. Over and over again, she shows us Maud’s mind drifting as the past asserts itself in the present, as she fails to recognize someone with whom she was just carrying on a conversation, as she loses the thread of what she is trying to say mid-sentence. Maud’s reaction to these situations is sometimes frustration with herself, but just as often she sticks to her guns and denounces the people around her as daft and foolish. Moving, sometimes distressing, but always gripping and entertaining, Elizabeth is Missing is a different kind of suspense novel. To say that it is a triumph of empathy is to sell it far short. What Healey accomplishes in these pages is astonishing. Winner of the 2014 Costa Book Award prize for first novel.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book was very charming. It really sheds a light on what goes through the mind of someone struggling with dementia, and kept me intrigued throughout the entire book as we (the main character and I) solved two mysteries. The main character, Maude, was so charming and humorous - most of the time not on purpose. The other characters were masterfully crafted to combine to make a very great novel. I highly recommend. It really touched my heart, but also kept me laughing and curious.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Astonishing original debut novel. Written from the point of view of an 80-year-old with Alzheimer's. Maud is worried, she can't find her fellow charity-shop volunteer, Elizabeth. And she also reflects on the mystery of her sister, missing since the days of rationing.So we get two fascinating mysteries, and the uncomfortable perspective of someone whose mind is disintegrating. And, no, I didn't pass the doctor's memory test either.Told with humour and compassion, and I loved the oh-so realistic detail: the hoarding of tins of peach slices, and the anxiety, confusion and revisiting of places, the DO NOT MAKE ToAST signs , the patient, exasperated daughter ...Full of admiration for the young author's leap of the imagination to so convincingly step into the shoes of an imagined character of her grandmother's generation.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I struggled a bit with this one - as someone who is living with an 82-year-old Alzheimer's sufferer, it was a bit close to home to be enjoyable. But certainly well-written and I liked the small details, like the snails on the pavement and the birds in a glass case.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It took a bit to get into but then I found it very enjoyable.
    not too many characters to get caught up in and a nice mix between the past and present. Also delves into the field of Alzheimer's in a sensitive way.