The Absence of Evelyn

Newly divorced Rhonda, haunted by her sister Evelyn's ghost, travels to an old palazzo in Rome to confront Marco, the man who stole her sister's heart--only to find out he's vanished in the wake of Evelyn's death. Meanwhile, Rhonda's nineteen-year-old daughter Olivia, adopted by Rhonda at birth, travels to the mysterious and lush waters of northern Vietnam, where she's been summoned by the missing Marco--a man she only knows from her parents' whispers, a man she has never met or seen. Soon, truths are exposed and lives unraveled, and the real journey begins. Four lives in all, spanning three continents, are now bound together in an unfathomable way--and they tell a powerful story about love in all its incarnations, filial and amorous, healing and destructive.

My Review

I finished this book a few days ago. Yet, it still has stayed with me. I savored every moment. I knew nothing about Evelyn but through her lover, Marco, I got to know who Evelyn was and I liked her. The only reason I did not mention Evelyn's sister, Rhonda, and Rhonda's daughter, Olivia, as people that knew Evelyn is because they did not truly know who she was either. 

Enlightening journeys in Italy and Asia, brought Rhonda, Olivia, and Evelyn closer then they could ever imagine. Both places were so beautiful. It was like I was there. Some day I hope to visit both places for real. All of the people that Rhonda and Olivia met along the way, became primary characters as well. Each one added to the story. I felt that Rhonda and Olivia's parts were equally shared. The author has a new fan in me. The Absence of Evelyn is a soulful read filled with heartwarming characters, and a rich infused story that will stick with you long after you have finished the last page!