Then She Was Gone

Lisa Jewell’s mystery novel Then She Was Gone follows Laurel Mack in her search for answers regarding her daughter Ellie’s disappearance. Through a series of flashbacks and differing points of view, Jewell gradually unfolds the details of the past and looks inside the mind of the psychopath who kidnapped Ellie, all while chronicling the steps Laurel must take to heal from the sorrow that has consumed her.

This novel was originally published in 2017, but this guide refers to the Atria paperback reprint edition from 2018.

Content Warning: The source material and this guide contain instances and discussions of miscarriage, suicide, and sexual violence.

Plot Summary

When Laurel Mack’s daughter, Ellie, disappeared 10 years ago, Laurel’s life fell apart. Her marriage to her husband, Paul, ended; she doesn’t have a close relationship with either of her two remaining children, Jake and Hanna; and she struggles to find purpose in her life. When the police find Ellie’s partial remains, and Laurel says goodbye at the funeral, she thinks she will find closure, but instead, she finds a mystery.

Laurel meets Floyd Dunn, and for the first time since Ellie’s disappearance, feels a sense of happiness and hope.