Amy Townsend's self-loathing manifests as anger and violence toward her five-year-old daughter, Emma. Sarah Walker witnesses one of these dark moments, and when Emma crosses Sarah's path again, Sarah makes a split-second decision: take Emma from her abusive mother, thus rescuing her from a lifelong sadness. Sarah knows this sadness well her mother walked out when she was a child, leaving Sarah to cope with her father's grief, and her own. As Sarah and Emma journey across the U.S., Emma's wounds heal and she learns to love but at what price? As the investigation into Emma's disappearance deepens, Sarah must decide between returning Emma to her mother or continuing to bond with the little girl whom she has come to love as her own. Frey's debut novel delves into deeper issues of motherhood, leaving readers to consider the moral question at its heart: was Sarah justified in destroying Amy's life to save Emma's? The combination of flawed characters in extraordinary circumstances and sensational plot brings to mind Jodi Picoult; suggest this to all fans of thought-provoking domestic drama.--Nanette Donohue Copyright 2018 Booklist