When You Went Away

Gerry Rubato had everything…a beautiful wife, a lovely daughter and a brand new baby boy. That all changed in a blink of an eye. His daughter, Tanya has left home wither boyfriend, Mike and his wife, Maureen has died. Now it is just Gerry and his son, Reese. As if losing a wife and daughter wasn’t hard enough; caring for a new baby is even harder. Eventually, Gerry gathers himself together enough to make his way back to work. It is there that he meets Ally Ritten. She is the newest member to work at this same place Gerry does. They go on a date. Gerry shocks himself when he finds an interest in Ally.

Maureen’s sister, Codie comes for a visit and to help take care of Reese. Tanya emails her father every once in a while, just to let him know she is still alive. She never provides any clues about where she is. She doesn’t know about her mother dying. It is through these letters from his daughter that Gerry decides to keep a diary and write to Tanya all the things he wants to tell her but can’t.

When You Went Away really surprised me with how much I enjoyed reading this book. Gerry and Reese stole a place in my heart. Gerry’s love for his family was heart-warming and touching in all the right places. The transformation of the story line from past to present was smooth. At first I thought Tanya was very selfless to leave home but as the story progressed and I got to know Tanya better, I realized she was still daddy’s little girl but who had lost her way. Mr. Baron is a prolific writer. He is going on my must read list of authors.