The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel

The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

15 year old Lane Roanoke is sent to live with her grandparents and cousin Allegra after her mother commits suicide. Though she knew little of her mother’s family, she is amazed by the large estate in rural Kansas, and quickly becomes settled as one of the beautiful and wealthy Roanoke girls. However, she soon learns that all is not as it seems in the family. Secrets are in every corner, in every photo hanging on the wall, and in every Roanoke girl. Even her mother had her secrets. When she learned the truth of the Roanoke girls, she ran away, leaving her beloved cousin Allegra behind.

Years later, she receives a call from her grandfather that Allegra is missing. Unable to forgive herself for leaving Allegra behind, she returns to Kansas to search for her. Did Allegra finally escape, or did something more sinister happen to her? Lane is determined to find out. And she may be given a second chance with the boyfriend she left behind 11 years ago, who’s heart she broke when she fled. But her return also means facing those family secrets she ran from. Will she be strong enough to face them again, and will she be able to run from them again?

The Roanoke Girls is a wonderful, excellent read. The subject matter is truly disturbing. I won’t give the secrets away, but the reader will have an inkling while reading the book. But that does not lessen the impact. The characters are deeply drawn, and the description of the land in Kansas is very evocative. The reader can almost picture the places, seeing the book running as a movie in their minds. I loved Allegra and Lane. I could not put this book down, wanting to keep reading until it was finished. Then I was so sad it was over. I cannot recommend this book enough to readers of general fiction, women’s literature, with a mystery element. Please, read this book!
Thanks to Crown Publishing via Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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