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Tara is just 15 when she disappears from the woods near her home. Twenty years later, she reappears on her parents' doorstep looking strangely the same as when she left. Her parents welcome her but are now uneasy around her, and her brother is angry, especially when he hears the explanation she offers, which is more fairy tale than abduction story. Only her boyfriend, who had been suspected of her murder all those years ago, is willing to accept her return with little hesitation. But although Tara hasn't really aged, her 20-year absence has been hard on those she cares about, and her return stirs emotions not all of them are prepared to face. It may even place some of them in danger. Reality and fairy tale are beautifully interwoven in this contemplative story about relationships, love, and dreams. In a unique blend of thriller and fantasy, Joyce creates a delightful page-turner that his fans and newcomers alike will find hard to put down.--Ophoff, Cortney Copyright 2010 Booklist

Publishers Weekly
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Joyce (The Silent Land) blends reality with fantasy in this modern-day fable. When 35-year-old Tara Martin shows up on her parents' doorstep two decades after she disappeared, unkempt and looking oddly as if she's barely aged, her older brother, Peter, a farrier married with four kids, can't hide his hurt, angry feelings-but they grow even stronger when Tara offers a preposterous story about riding away with a man on a white horse as an explanation for her disappearance. Peter breaks a 10-year silence with his former best friend, Richie Franklin, who as Tara's boyfriend at the time of her disappearance was the main suspect, to let him know that Tara's back. The two men haltingly take up their friendship where it left off, and Richie realizes that he still loves Tara. As Tara accepts counseling with an eccentric psychiatrist and a stranger lurks about, Peter and Richie begin to wonder if her fantastical story may actually hold some truth. Though Joyce envisions an intriguing realm nestled against our own, what's most compelling are his characters' chaotic emotions and reconnections as they struggle to cope with what they can't understand. Agent: Doug Stewart, Sterling Lord Literistic. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Library Journal
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

On Christmas Eve, Tara Martin reappears on her parents' doorstep after vanishing in a local forest 20 years ago. Tara looks as though she has not aged and claims she was taken by fairies. Through alternating points of view, Joyce (The Silent Land), who has won the O. Henry Award, the British Fantasy Award, and the World Fantasy Award, reveals the profound effect of Tara's disappearance and return on the key figures in her life. Her family believes she is lying to cover up the real reason she ran away, her psychologist believes she had a psychological break coupled with suppressed growth hormones, and her ex-boyfriend is simply relieved he is no longer a suspect in her murder. When unexplainable incidents begin occurring as Tara continues to describe her life in the violent, sexually charged fairy world, all involved begin questioning their beliefs. VERDICT A captivating blend of fantasy and reality that will keep readers guessing till the very end. Recommended for fans of Keith Donohue's The Stolen Child and readers who enjoy fairy tale variations, fantasy, or psychological exploration. [See Prepub Alert, 1/8/12.]-Katie Lawrence, -Chicago (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.