Where She Went

November 18, 2019
Maggie O’Farrell, the heroine of this uneven psychological thriller from Simmons (One More Day), has always been close to her only child, Emma, and her worries about her college-age daughter have ramped up since drug dealers murdered her police officer husband. When Emma began attending Semper University in North Philadelphia, Maggie became one of those helicopter parents she used to deride— and she bombarded Emma with so many texts and face-time sessions that Emma finally asked her mother to limit their communication. Maggie’s anxieties may now be well-founded when the police show up to tell her that Emma is missing. On a visit to the campus, Maggie is stunned to find out that Emma’s dorm room has none of her possessions and her phone is stashed in a roommate’s drawer. Chapters alternate between Maggie’s search and the events leading up to Emma’s disappearance, including her efforts to fit in with her mean-girl roommates. Simmons does a good job depicting Maggie’s distress and Emma’s self-discovery process, but empathy for mother and daughter diminishes as the plot becomes tedious and repetitive. Hopefully, Simmons will return to form next time. Agent: Anne Bohner, Pen & Ink Literary.