The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds’s by Jennifer Moorman

 

The story is a mix of fantasy and what could be unaccounted probability. Not disclaiming anything here but it does make one think that there is a lot we really do not know. Here is a story of a young woman, suddenly widowed, bereft of mental support and just trying to get through one day at a time. Whilst wondering how she going to just survive, her sister with the best of intentions sends her a listing of a house which was owned by their ancestors, and on a sudden whim Josephine buys the place.

It is from this point that the overlap between the present times and the 1920s take place. Her great grandmother Alma was a fun lady who in these days of prohibition ran a speakeasy. Glamorous and patronized by all the top people in town, they did not fear a raid, but going by records Josephine knew this was not accurate. Newspaper records show Alma being shot during a raid, but the fact this that Josephine is living proof that Alma did not die in the raid. So Josephine comes up with a plan to try to circumvent the raid and get Alma to safety. 

The time travel back and forth adds more and more depth to the story because Josephine gets drawn into a relationship and is undecided whether to stay in the 1920s or move back to present times. The entire history of that man would change if that happened.

Altogether a very intriguing read which led to lots of questioning of what ifs and hows. 

Sent by Harper Collin’s Focus, courtesy of Netgalley.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.