Elizabeth is Missing

A forgetful woman seeks her missing friend while grappling with memory loss.

Emma Healey author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Penguin Books Ltd

Published:1st Jan '15

Should be back in stock very soon

Elizabeth is Missing cover

Maud struggles with forgetfulness, often losing track of her surroundings and loved ones. Despite this, she remains determined to uncover the mystery of her missing friend, Elizabeth, from her fragmented memories.

Elizabeth is Missing follows the story of Maud, an elderly woman grappling with severe memory loss. Maud's forgetfulness manifests in everyday tasks; she brews a cup of tea only to forget to drink it and ventures out to the shops without recalling her purpose. At times, even her own home feels foreign, and her daughter, Helen, appears as a stranger. Despite these challenges, one thing remains clear in Maud's mind: her friend Elizabeth is missing, a fact she is determined to uncover.

Armed with a note in her pocket that confirms Elizabeth's disappearance, Maud embarks on a quest to solve the mystery. Her tenacity persists even as others urge her to abandon her search, insisting that she should let it go. The narrative delves into the complexities of Maud's mind, revealing that within her fragmented memories lies the key to a long-forgotten mystery that has haunted her for seventy years. This poignant exploration of memory and loss is both heart-wrenching and compelling.

As Maud navigates her reality, readers are drawn into her world, experiencing the confusion and determination that define her journey. The novel poses thought-provoking questions about the nature of memory and the importance of connection, making it a deeply moving read. Elizabeth is Missing not only captivates with its engaging storyline but also resonates with themes of friendship, resilience, and the enduring human spirit.

The novel is both a gripping detective yarn and a haunting depiction of mental illness, but also more poignant and blackly comic than you might expect from that description... perhaps Healey's greatest achievement is the flawless voice she creates for Maud. * The Observer *
A compelling mystery that capture the experience of Maud, a highly memorable elderly woman losing her memory * Sunday Express *
Riveting psychological thriller * Stylist's Best Books of 2014 *
A thrillingly assured, haunting and unsettling novel, I read it at a gulp -- Deborah Moggach

  • Short-listed for Costa First Novel Award 2014

ISBN: 9780241968185

Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 18mm

Weight: 217g

304 pages