‘Gone Too Long’ by Lori Roy is a character sketch that is wrapped up in historical facts and a mystery. Set in Simmonsville, Georgia, it is about a clan called Ku Klux Klan and people who are against everything they stand for and yet, their lives are intricately entangled with them.

Imogene, with her horrid past, is the primary narrator of this story. She is joined by Beth, the victim of a gruesome kidnapping, whose personal experiences are sure to affect your fragile heart. Imogene is against Ku Klux Klan, but how does she run away for something that is deeply rooted in her family? Her father was the chief of the clan and after his death, it’s his son who has to carry the mantle.

This story throws light on violence against race through Beth’s story and Imogene’s personal encounter with the clan’s members. The insights into their conscience build up the story perfectly while maintaining a secretive and violent atmosphere. The story is accompanied by true-life facts, events and a brief history of the KKK which makes is all the more real.

Imogene’s conflicting emotions and her struggles to break away from the family ties is explored in depth. But even then, the book feels cumbersome at places. Most characters, especially the clan members contributed very little to the plot and that slowed down the book. Nonetheless. this thriller cum character sketch is worth a read because if you have ever had conflicting emotions over something that contributed immensely to the society, you’ll find the protagonist very relatable.

Tracing a legacy of hate in America would seem a daunting task for any writer, but Lori Roy makes it look effortless in her new novel, Gone Too Long. Instead of attempting to address this in an epic way, Lori Roy distills her examination down to one family – The Coulters – and their surrounding community, thereby making the all-encompassing history intimately personal.

Arguably, Gone Too Long is the story of Imogene Coulter, a woman who has spent her life trying to escape the clutches of the specter that infects her family: the Ku Klux Klan; but it is also the story of Beth, a ten-year-old girl who, through no fault of her own, finds herself trapped – imprisoned – in the basement of the Coulter patriarch’s hideaway. It is these two women who will expose the insidious nature of hatred that taints the Coulter bloodline.

The Knights of the Southern Georgia Order have long been led by a member of the Coulter family, but when Imogene’s father dies, that control is threatened when another member of the Klan vies for power. Since the group’s sole purpose is hate and violence, this type of instability certainly poses a dangerous risk to everyone in the vicinity.

On the day of her father’s funeral, Imogene’s mother tells her she discovered an electrical wire leading to a rarely used building on the property. Going to investigate, Imogene is stunned by what she finds behind that basement door – a door that is secured with no less than three locks, leading to a darkness silhouetted by a single bare bulb.

Seven years earlier, Julie Anna was babysitting Beth when a strange man broke in, hell-bent on a violent mission. When the dust settles, Beth finds herself unsure of where she is and held captive – receiving “visits” a few times each week. As years pass, this becomes the norm for Beth, until one day maybe there is a light at the end of that tunnel.

At every turn in this engrossing novel, Lori Roy defies expectations. Readers will go in expecting one type of story, but what is presented will not be that. In an effort to remain spoiler-free, nothing more can really be said about the plot. However, it is clear that Imogene and Beth are characters that will live in the reader’s minds for a very long time. They epitomize humanity, in all of its flawed but hopeful gloriousness, in a way that makes the reader want to be a better person.

Lori Roy is a two-time Edgar Award-winning author – the only woman (to date) who has won both the Best First Novel and Best Novel categories – so there is no question that she can write. Her style is lyrical yet realistic, at times bordering on gritty, but never calling attention to itself and always in place to serve the narrative. Whereas some authors would have used the touchstones of the Ku Klux Klan timeline as moments to pass judgment, Lori Roy keeps those “chapters” journalistic in nature, allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions and reflect on how that history impacts the story of Imogene and Beth.

Gone Too Long is a novel about the lasting legacy of hate, the ripples created in a pond, echoing far into the distance, and how one person can break that chain changing lives in the process – both in the fictional world and in the world of the reader.

Here's the thing with this read. It is interspersed with real history of the KKK, which I always find fascinating and really did add to this story. The story goes from Imogene in the present to Beth in the past and then how they collide later. The writing is fantastic - this is my first by this author and I can understand the accolades given to her for her talent. However, for me personally, this story did drag on a bit. I was more fascinated and invested in Beth's side of the story. Being inside Imogene's head was painful at times.

This story is a bit haunting and certainly isn't an easy one to read. The KKK has held a prominent place in our history. Growing up in the south (and by south, I mean deep real south of Alabama, Texas, Mississippi, etc...), I've certainly been privy to their stupid and scary klan. Unfortunately in today's climate, they're popping back up more in the public eye and it's terrifying... absolutely terrifying. But this story is more than just about the KKK. It's about being a part of a family, being scared, dealing with loyalty and WANTING to be "good", but knowing you really can't.

It's harrowing and timely and not an easy one to get through. I struggled at times with the pacing and it didn't QUITE hit the mark for me.

The overall premise and story of this book is good, like REALLY good. However, I was not impressed with the character development. Which is weird for me to say, because I never really understood how important this was to me as a reader. I found myself not really caring for the characters. With a storyline like this, of a little girl being held captive by an active KKK member, is pretty important. I'm not regretful that I read the book, but I think a lot of other people will enjoy it, it just wasn't for me.

“Gone Too Long” is a gripping and heart-wrenching story about a small town in Georgia run and terrorized by Ku Klux Klan group of men and women. The community of this small town is under the Klan’s almost a “gang” like influence, and for anyone that tries to live a life separate from the Klan’s ideas and influence is almost impossible. The story is interspersed with historical facts, which gives a realistic feel to the plot.

Even though the writing style was truly beautiful and the characters were well-developed, I found this book to be a little slow and overwritten at times (hence the 4 instead of 5 start review). However, I am glad I stuck with it, because I ended up really loving this book. It was a disturbing, horrifying, and sadly to say, very relevant read, but so worth the time to read it.

Thank you NetGalley, Dutton Books, and the author, Lori Roy, for giving me an opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

4-5 stars. A very slow build, suspenseful read. When I started I wasn’t positive I would love this, but Roy made sure to build that suspense until you just could not hardly set the book down. My second one by Roy and definitely not my last! Creepy, chilling, and full of suspense!
Will recommend to the members of Chapter Chatter Pub!

This is a heartbreaking read of a community held hostage by the Ku Klux Klan. A daughter of a klan member finds out something about his past and it's even more horrifying that she could ever imagine.

 This is the community where black vans drive around the streets dropping out leaflets advertising and recruiting for the KKK.  Black vans of hatred. One woman in the book has seen her whole family swallowed up by this group, yet she has taken a different path. How far can you ever escape though and which group loyalty will claim you in the end?

Following a shocking (and I mean SHOCKING) revelation, the KKK descend on this family home. There's the reputation of the clan leader to maintain after all. And now someone who has avoided this hatred now becomes embroiled in it.

Historical references to true life events make this all too real and raw. I'm not going to lie, there are some tough 'scenes' to witness and some harsh truths to swallow. But I think it's an important read. Hatred and abuse in any form is wrong. Who ever you are, what ever you wear, look like, pray to, identify with etc...we're all human at heart.  One event in the book took place as recent as 2017. That made me think even more than I had done before.

I loved this book so much! It captivated me from the first sentence, and I kept trying to figure out what was going on with Beth and who the child was and how Imogene was connected. Throw in the fact that Imogene's family has a horrible legacy and it was just an amazing book.

I was reading this over the course of ALA, and it was the first time I've been able to read at a book conference. (This is probably the highest praise I can give, because it usually takes a day or two for me to be able to read again.)

This is the book everyone should be talking about this summer. It's incredibly smart but it's also got something to say. Highly recommended.

I went into Gone Too Long with decent expectations. I followed the twists and turns and emotions. But unfortunately, I couldn’t fully get into. Though, I did finish because I wanted to know the ending.

Pros: intriguing storyline and multiple perspectives

Cons: the story didn’t stick with me, slow at times

3/5 stars

Gone Too Long has this amazing slow build but once you get in a couple chapters and the story is set BOOM the crazy roller coaster begins! This book is filled with so much strength and heart. I loved how Lori tackles the hot topic adversity, and how the power one woman and how she stands up for her family.
Gone Too Long is a book that will stick with you for a really long time! This is a must read!

It took me a few chapters to get into this, but I found it to be enjoyable once it got going. The characters demonstrated strength amid adversity. Love overcoming hate was a prominent theme. I like stories told from multiple POV's, as it gives the reader a bit more insight into the story. The overall message is a timely one in today's day and age, as well as in the past.

A dynamic, controversial thriller! The topics were well handled and the twists and turns were nail biting.

I liked the style in which this book was written. The multiple perspectives and inserts of history kept the flow interesting and smooth. There was a little bit of redundancy with certain things being repeated almost verbatim fro. Previous sections, but this is an ARC that I read, so I’m sure final print will be ironed out. The cultural relevance and message of this book to never forget hate is out there simmering and can be in a cape and hood, or a business suit to appeal more to the masses. You don’t know how quickly that hate can boil over into something unimaginable. We CANNOT accept that people with that degree of hatred in them are to just be expected and turn a blind eye! I hope people read this book and send its message into the world and our world can stop having a huge undercurrent of fear always bubbling just below the surface.

Such an amazing story about strength in the face of adversity. Overcoming hatred with love. The power of a woman and what she will do to stand up for her family.

This story is told from multiple perspectives and unlike most books it doesn’t become confusing. It adds to the story, making it more personable.

Imogene Coulter is burying her father, a KKK leader and a man she wanted nothing to do with. As her final filial duty, she’s getting rid of all his dirty old secrets, stashed away in her father’s hideout, but she never expects the horror that she uncovers. A child is found living behind a door in the basement, a door that locks from the outside. Years earlier, a little girl named Beth disappeared from her own home and now Imogene must put together what happened to Beth all those years ago, while trying to protect herself and her family from the man poised to take her father’s place in the Klan. Shocking and impossible to put down, Roy demonstrates once again, why she has won two Edgar awards