Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen
Publication Date: August 1st 2023 by St. Martin's Press & Macmillan Audio
Pages: 352
Audio Book Length: 10hrs 9min
Narrator: Kate Mara
Source: Publishers
Rating: ★★★★
My
Thoughts:
Catherine is getting ready to move after finishing her
degree in nursing when her mother, Ruth, starts exhibiting symptoms of early
Alzheimer's. They have no other family support so the diagnosis would alter
Catherine’s plans significantly. Catherine is prepared to stay when her mother’s
behavior raises doubts and questions. Her mother has always been reluctant to
share any details about her past, and now Catherine starts to wonder what
exactly her mother is hiding.
Ruth has her own POV and right away we’re clued into why she
won’t talk about the past. Yet she persists
in not sharing any of it with her daughter which leads to
Catherine launching her own investigation.
Ruth was in a rock and a hard place and she's
afraid the past is catching up with them.
Gone Tonight had me on the
edge of my seat as the story unfolded both from Ruth’s perspective as she
details the past and reacts to Catherine suspicions, and all the discoveries
Catherine was making! I enjoyed this mother/daughter dynamic! This is one I was happy I made time to listen straight
through as I had to know how it all turned out! There were parts I could
predict, but also some surprises, especially at the end.
I alternately read an e-copy and
listened to the audio version narrated by the actress Kate Mara. I’ve listened
to her in the past and enjoyed her performance, as I did here. She has a
pleasant voice that keeps you hooked. I will say that this was more like her
reading the story than acting out the different voices, so there wasn’t any big
change between characters. This wasn’t an issue because each chapter is labeled
as either coming from Catherine or Ruth’s POV. I listened at my usual 1.5x and
sometimes 1.75x normal speed. I’d recommend either version!
4 Stars
Book Description:
Catherine Sterling thinks she knows her mother. Ruth Sterling is quiet, hardworking, and lives for her daughter. All her life, it's been just the two of them against the world. But now, Catherine is ready to spread her wings, move from home, and begin a new career. And Ruth Sterling will do anything to prevent that from happening.
Ruth Sterling thinks she knows her daughter. Catherine would never rebel, would never question anything about her mother's past or background. But when Ruth's desperate quest to keep her daughter by her side begins to reveal cracks in Ruth's carefully-constructed world, both mother and daughter begin a dance of deception.
