The stage of the book is set in the south; Alabama and Georgia. It describes how a family can be ripped apart by tragic disappearance of the oldest daughter Julia. The parents get a divorce, Lydia (middle daughter) becomes a drug addict and theaf, while Clare goes to college in Auburn where she meets her future husband Paul. Most of the family ties fall apart after the tragedy they endured after the disappearance of Julia.
My thoughts here are that it takes so little to change family dynamics; this family is torn apart rather than finding the strength to stick together.
Then each character I'd described as they go through live for next two decades. The father living alone unable to connect with his daughters as he did before but constantly keeps looking for his lost daughter. He writes letters to his lost daughter exposing his true feelings and later dyes of what is thought to be suicite, the mother re-marries, Lydia struggles as a single mother raising her daughter and Clare lives the lifestyle of the wealthy with her husband Paul in Atlanta. Paul is described as the perfect husband, kind, loving and attentive to Clare. After a staged death of Paul. Things start falling apart all around Clare when she finds out her husbands alternative dark lifestyle so in her devastation contacts her sister Lydia.
The sisters continue to discover political corruption, police and FBI involvement and are meeting challenges and obstacles wherever they turn to report their findings. They feel they can't trust the authoritys. To the reader the story it is a true suspense, with many twits and turns and unimaginable suffering of mutilation, branding, beating, rapes and killings of young girls to support lucrative filming business of sex trafficking. This is something I cant wrap my arms around knowenly that this is fictional. My question still is; Does this really happen? I know there are many sick psychopaths doing the unimaginable out there.
The mother comes in the picture towards the end. The two girls, the granddaughter and the mother are trying to live a normal life after all that has happen. My thoughts are that their life's have been scared forever, but the trauma fades as time passes with support of good people around. This book still lingers in my thoughts with my question stated above.