TLC Book Tour for The Girl Who Stayed by Tanya Anne Crosby

The Girl Who Stayed

By Tanya Anne Crosby

Publisher:  Story Plant

Release Date: April 19, 2016

Genre: Literature/Contemporary Women’s Fiction

Length: 292

Format: eBook/Print

ISBN: 978-1611882230

ASIN: B0192CR4LO

Purchase Links:  Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

About the book:

Zoe Rutherford wasn't sure what she was expecting when she returned to Sullivan's Island. The house on Sullivan's hadn't represented home to her in decades. It was the place where she endured her father's cruelty. It was the place where her mother closed herself off from the world. It was the place where her sister disappeared. But now that her parents are gone, Zoe needs to return to the house, to close it down and prepare it for sale. She intends to get this done as quickly as possible and get on with her life, even though that life seems clouded by her past, both distant and recent. But what she discovers when she gets there is far beyond her imagining and will change her in profound ways.

The Girl Who Stayed is a remarkable exploration of the soul by a writer with a rare talent for reaching into the hearts of her characters and her readers, a novel of transformation that will leave you moved and breathless.

Praise for The Girl Who Stayed

“A beautifully written, page-turning novel packed with emotion.” – #1 New York Times bestselling author Barbara Freethy

“The Girl Who Stayed is a deeply moving story. I am fascinated by the concept and by Tanya Crosby's stunning storytelling.” - Stella Cameron, New York Times bestselling author

About Tanya Anne Crosby

Tanya Anne Crosby is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty-five novels. She has been featured in magazines, such as People, Romantic Times and Publisher's Weekly, and her books have been translated into eight languages.

Her first novel was published in 1992 by Avon Books, where Tanya was hailed as "one of Avon's fastest rising stars." Her fourth book was chosen to launch the company's Avon Romantic Treasure imprint. Known for stories charged with emotion and humor and filled with flawed characters, Tanya is an award-winning author, journalist, and editor, and her novels have garnered reader praise and glowing critical reviews.

In 2013, she penned her first romantic suspense novel, Speak No Evil, which appeared on the USA Today list. The Girl Who Stayed brings her full circle to work with Lou Aronica, President and Publisher of The Story Plant, who first published Tanya at Avon Books.

Tanya and her writer husband split their time between Charleston, SC, where she was raised, and northern Michigan, where the couple make their home.  Find out more about Tanya at her website and on her blog, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

A haunting novel about a family torn apart by the disappearance of one child, The Girl Who Stayed by Tanya Anne Crosby is thought provoking, emotionally engaging and filled with psychological twists.  A cross between literary fiction, a suspenseful mystery and family saga, Ms. Crosby’s book grabbed my attention from the first page and never let go.  If you enjoy contemporary fiction, this is a book you’ll certainly enjoy.   

Ms. Crosby does an excellent job introducing the reader to her primary character, Zoe Rutherford, right from the start.  The oldest of three kids, Zoe is headed back to her family’s house, known as “The Kingdom”, on Sullivan Island for the first time in over a decade.  Home to a house filled with memories of her family’s past, her sister Hannah’s disappearance and the destruction of her family.  I easily connected with Zoe and her story right from the start.  Written in first person and using “flashbacks” to give us the Rutherford family’s history, Ms. Crosby paints an emotionally engaging picture of a happy family torn apart by anger, fear and suspicion.  She also paints the picture of Zoe, a woman damaged by low self-worth, an abusive childhood and an abusive romantic relationship.  While there were times I wanted to shake Zoe and tell her that she didn’t have to accept how she was treated, I understood why she accepted it – deep down she felt responsible for her sister and her disappearance even though she was only 10 years old when her sister went missing.

The secondary characters, from Zoe’s younger brother Nick, to the people on Sullivan’s Island were well developed and they all contributed something to the story.  Ms. Crosby’s flashbacks to the past provided a solid glimpse into Zoe’s parents and how their daughter’s disappearance tore apart their marriage and damaged the way they behaved with their two other children.  While some of the scenes and situations were difficult to read, because I wanted to slap Zoe’s dad upside the head for his total ignorance, they are important to the story and I felt Ms. Crosby did a good job making them believable without making them over the top.  She also deals with the issue of sibling rivalry and the love/hate relationships that often exists between sisters in close knit families.   

As Zoe begins to repair her family’s home, and interacts with old and new neighbors, she begins to realize that her sister’s disappearance might not have been random and that the person responsible might still be on the island. The mystery of what happened to Hannah is well written and completely engaging – I seriously had to find out what happened to Hannah and was both anxious and reluctant to find out.  You’ll understand what I mean when you read the book.  The story is well paced and I found Ms. Crosby’s voice as a writer enjoyable and easy to read.

Will Zoe sell the family home or decide to live there instead?  Will her relationship with what remains of her family get better or worse because of her decision?  Will she ever discover what really happened to her sister?  You’ll have to read The Girl Who Stayed to find out.  I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Ms. Crosby’s work.

My Rating:  4 out of 5 Crowns

 FTC Disclosure:  I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review.  My review is solely based on my opinion, and my opinion only, of the reading material provided.