As depressing as THE ACT OF DISAPPEARING is, it tells a compelling story that kept me engrossed from Page 1. The novel is fairly predictable with only one twist that really caught me by surprise, but the plot still had me speeding through screens to find out what was going to happen next. I cared about the characters at the center of the tale and wanted their stories to end happily, even though I know awful things always happen in novels like this. (Spoiler alert: I wasn't wrong.) The awful things make for tough reading at times and, like I said, the whole tale is pretty depressing. It does end on a hopeful note, though.

In addition to being depressing and predictable, this is definitely an R-rated novel, with more graphic content than I would have liked. Despite those things, I found it to be an absorbing, satisfying read. I'm up for reading more by Gower.

Writer Julia is approached by a famous photographer to find the backstory to a photo of a woman jumping off of a bridge. Since she is struggling with her own personal issues at the same time, Julia agrees to his offer, and travels to Kentucky to find out the truth behind the heartbreaking photograph. This book is told in two timelines - Julia in present day, and in 1960, where Readers slowly learn about the woman in the photograph and her tragic backstory.

Thank you to NetGalley, Nathan Gower, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC of The Act of Disappearing!

This book was equal parts beautiful and heartbreaking. It is a poignant look at generational mental health, and the stigma and shame that was often associated with mental health struggles in the 1960s and 1970s. I loved this book. I found myself dying to know the story behind the photograph, and I had to re-read different parts of the book at times because I was so shocked by the revelations from the past. The premise of this book is so unique and intriguing, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes mystery or suspense novels!

This was a fast-paced, compelling, dual timeline mystery that grabbed me from the start and wouldn't let go!! Nathan Gower is a new to me author and I couldn't get enough of this book! Highly recommended and enjoyable. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was a fantastic read! The story is told in dual timelines and POVS and it made this so compelling. I couldn't wait to get back to reading to see where the story would lead. Great characters and a wonderful poinant story that I can't wait to share with customers.

DNF at 40%.
This follows a girl who is a writer, and she gets approached by a man asking her to take a photo and make a story about it. So she starts researching about this woman in the photo in order to write a story.
It follows two different time lines, and every time it would switch to the past perspective I just got so bored and didn’t care. There were several moments that I got the major ick listening to some of the descriptions and I just didn’t want to continue anymore.

The present perspective was way more interesting, but it wasn’t enough to carry on. I don’t feel there was enough backstory on the present character to make me very invested in the story enough to continue.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for my honest review.

The Act of Disappearing is a poignant story of discovery that highlights the strength of women through multiple generations and generational biases. Told from multiple points of view, in dual timelines, we dive deep into the lives of struggling author Julia White in the present, and the Fairchild family in the past.- Taken from a Google review of the book.

This book was a great read. It has dual timelines that others have said was difficult, at times, to keep up with. I did not find this to be true, I found it very easy to distinguish what timeline was being read. The story has some very heavy subject matter, mental illness and how it was treated back in the day, rape so just be aware of these sensitive issues .

I thought this book was beautifully written. You become emotionally attached to the characters and their stories and even though I knew where most of the storyline was going I could not wait to pick up where I had left off. This was a debut novel for Nathan Gower and I will absolutely be looking for his next book. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was an Incredible book, and it’s going to be one of my favorites of the year!

Julia White is a bartender and also a struggling author. While at work, a renowned photographer named Johnathan Aster approaches her and shows her a a never-before-seen photo from the 1960s, it’s of a woman jumping off of a bridge with a baby in her arms. He informs her that he wants Julia to uncover what happened and then write a book that tells all about this mystery woman’s story. From here we follow dual timelines, one detailing the events back in 1960 of the woman who jumps off the bridge and the other that follows Julia’s work to solve the mystery.
Julia is going to discover more than she could ever have imagined about the woman in the photo, and in the process, her self. I don’t want to give to much away but this book was amazing I laughed, I cried, I had to set the book down then would immediately pick it back up, please be aware of some trigger warnings, alcohol, rape, mental illness and infertility.

What an amazing book...this mysterious story of a mother's love was so well written it was bordering on poetic. I loved the dual timelines equally and found I was mesmerized by the past with Edith and Kate's stories but fell in love with the present and Julia's own trials and tribulations. The way this all came together at the end was nothing short of brilliant and I am now a huge Gower fan and can't wait to see what he comes up with next. I believe this was a debut and if I'm correct, bravo!!

I received a copy of The Act of Disappearing by Nathan Gower from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

From the very first page, I found myself completely immersed in this beautifully crafted narrative and didn't want it to end. The intricate storylines weave together seamlessly, forming a deeply moving work of historical fiction. It’s not just a tale of heartbreak but also a poignant exploration of resilience and hope. The characters are so vividly drawn that I often felt the urge to reach through the pages, to comfort them, and reassure them that everything would be okay.

This is Nathan Gower's debut novel, and I sincerely hope it won't be his last. His writing flows effortlessly, drawing readers into the story with grace and precision.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I can't believe I held onto this book for almost 2 months before reading it. SHAME ON ME!! When I finished this book last night the words to describe this amazing book was HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL and to my surprise when I go to write my review today I see that one of my all time favourite authors, Fiona Davis used those EXACT words in her comments under the summary of this book. That tells me right there that Mr. Nathan Gower will now be added to my favourite author list. This beautiful story starts with a writer, Julia who wrote a beautiful memoir of her late mother who passed away from cancer. While working as struggling bartender trying to make ends meet, she encounters famous photographer, Jonathan Aster and he has a photo that has never been made public of a woman falling off a train bridge, clutching a baby and he wants Julia to do the research to find out the story behind this photo. The story will take Julia back to Kentucky where this woman resided and through an alternating timeline of present day and 1960s we will meet the young woman in that photo and hear the devastating stories of what brought her to that bridge that night. This is 100% a 5 STAR READ for me and I look forward to ready more by this author.

A bartender/author finds herself in a small town in Kentucky researching a photo of a woman holding a baby as she prepares to jump to her death. As the story unfolds in a slow yet satisfying pace , the author becomes more vested in the story behind the photographer and the photo. A study of characters who are not w they appear to be on the surface. A pastor, A mechanic, A teenage girl all have secrets. Touches on mental illnesses and early treatments. Well written and I will read more from this author.

Copy provided by the publisher and Netgalley

I'm starting this review before I've even finished the book because I already know it's a 5 ⭐ read for me. Fiona Davis said it best, this book truly is "hauntingly beautiful" and I can't believe it hasn't gotten more attention. I couldn't put it down! I was engrossed in it, devoured it in less than a day. The synopsis hooked me in immediately, but it doesn't give much away about the stories within the book and I don't want to say too much either to avoid spoiling. I can only say READ IT. This is a historical mystery alternating between present day with Julia and various characters from the 1960s as Julia unravels the mystery of the photograph and woman on the bridge. It's not the typical mystery book where you're left wondering whodunit. Instead, the author slowly unfolds the story layer by layer and as the reader you're taken on a journey of heartbreak, healing and discovery. The last few chapters broke me.

There are many themes in this book still very relevant in today's society such as mental health and LGBTQ+ representation. I appreciate the author showing the now outdated practices of how doctors once treated those dealing with anxiety and depression, and how we can still do more today.

This book will stay with me and be a top recommendation of mine.

(Also, I love Quinn and her raw fettuccini noodle bookmark.)

In what appears to be his debut novel, Nathan Gower has written a propulsive historical mystery that captured my interest from the beginning, and kept me reading much of the afternoon. Julia is a young writer whose first book had rather disappointing sales. But a famous photographer has read it, and approaches her with a proposal: to research and write the story behind a photograph he took decades earlier, but has never displayed. Her research takes her to a small town in Kentucky, where readers are also introduced to Kate, a young girl growing up in the 1960s with the stigma of a mentally ill mother who's the subject of town gossip.

Gower alternates the narration between these two main characters, and slowly reveals both historical and contemporary story lines. Pacing and character development are excellent, and while some connections and events are foreshadowed, he never gives too much away, maintaining a sense of mystery until the very end. Very well done! I'll definitely watch for more from this author. 4-1/2 stars.

This was my first ARC and I was so excited to dive in. I had never heard of this author, but the premise behind this book was so intriguing. It's hard to describe the tone because it wasn't deeply suspenseful enough to be categorized as a thriller though it was mysterious. The writing is honestly beautiful- I saved over a dozen quotes and passages that resonated with me. In the end, it all comes together in a slow 'pieces of a puzzle connecting to a bigger picture' kind of way.

The story is about friendship and a mother's love and the deep protection humans share for one another. For me, the plot was 4 stars, but the writing was 5 stars. Very curious to read future books by this author!

4.5/5 stars

A woman receives a mysterious assignment and must follow clues through the history of a family as she struggles with her own relationship issues and the death of her mother. As the woman spends more time doing her research, she must decide what she’s going to do about a pressing dilemma of her own. Author Nathan Gower starts with a strong plot that loses some of its grip with a predictable outcome in his debut novel The Act of Disappearing.

Julia White feels like the biggest cliché in the world: she’s a writer living in New York and working as a bartender. At least she can say she’s been published, not that her publishing “accomplishment” is much to write home about. And even if she did write home, there’s no one there to hear about it anymore. Her mother, a brilliant but troubled art curator and professor, took her own life, leaving Julia with no family.

After channeling all of her feelings into a published memoir about her mother’s life and death, Julia thought her world would change. But her book fell like a drop in the ocean, and Julia isn’t any closer to her dreams coming true than she was before. Worse, she invited an ex to her book launch party, ended up hooking up with him, and now he’s ghosting her. They have a long, complicated history, one that Julia thought they’d finally start straightening out after the one-night stand, but Ryan has since disappeared.

When an elderly gentleman comes into the bar and asks her to sign a copy of her book for him, at first Julia thinks he’s some creepy guy with a weird fetish for much younger women. Then she discovers he’s the celebrated photographer, Jonathan Aster. Jonathan has come specifically to meet Julia; more than that, he wants to hire her to write a book for him based on a photograph from his private collection that no one has ever seen.

Wary at first, Julia warms up to Jonathan after she sees the picture. It’s from 1964 and is of a young woman jumping off a bridge with a baby in her arms. Jonathan asks Julia to do some investigating and find out who the woman is, why she jumped, and what happened to her family.

Her research takes her to Gray Station, Kentucky, a small Southern town where generations of the same family have lived and died. Even though she feels like an outsider at first, Julia convinces people to start talking to her about the photograph and the woman in it, Kathryn Fairchild. What she discovers is shocking and heartbreaking. More than that, Julia learns what drove Kathryn to jump that day and how her decision to do so affected the people of Gray Station for decades to come.

Author Nathan Gower shows a great deal of sensitivity in his first book, writing all of his female characters with authenticity. Gower captures the complexity and frustration of womanhood in various stages and timeframes with ease. His effortlessness with the inner workings of female characters shows a deft hand to be applauded in this first book.

He also tackles the difficult topic of mental health, allowing readers a glimpse into how those suffering from such issues were treated in the mid-1960s. Many readers will sympathize with Edith, Kathryn’s mother, whose postpartum depression leaves Kathryn longing for her mother and resenting her at the same time. Gower’s choices in how to move the story forward showcases care and thoughtfulness.

At times the plot itself falters, however, falling into more well-worn territory. The novel begins to follow a predictable path, allowing readers to guess long before the characters what will happen next. Gower does save one big surprise for the end having to do with Julia’s investigation, which will offer somewhat of a satisfying payoff for the long wait, but other story elements don’t feel as earned.

For a first novel, though, Gower is more or less in fine form. Those wanting to read a new voice that holds a fair amount of promise will want to check this out.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book.

This book kept my attention up to the very end. I love a good time lapse book. Trying to figure out what really happened was very intriguing. This book touches on a lot of hard to talk about topics. A lot happened to this family and some things were very sad to read about. Other things were very surprising to read. If you like a mystery time lapse than this is the book for you. There were a lot of twists about who the Fairchilds really were.

In current day New York, a famous photographer, Jonathan Aster, requests a small-time writer, Julia, to write a book on one of his private collections photograph of a woman about to jump off a bridge holding a baby. He gives her no info about the woman in the photograph to start with, and Julia is entrusted to research on her own from scratch. In the chapters that describe the woman in the photograph, Kathryn Fairchild, the reader is taken to her gut-wrenching childhood and early adulthood in small-town Kentucky in the sixties. Why does Jonathan Aster choose Julia White out of all the New York writers to research Kathryn Fairchild? Nathan Gower effortlessly weaves in and out of both storylines that are surely related.

Thank you Ciara and Brianna at The Hive for the #gifted ARC! I really appreciate Ciara and Brianna for the special notes they provide with every bookmail and for their amazing influencer program! I’m super honored to have got it and I’ve enjoyed every book I’ve requested in this program! THANK YOU!♥️
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How did the author get away with calling this a debut novel? Just kidding, but truly, this book is a masterpiece and my favorite book I read in May. A crossover between mystery and historical fiction, The Act Of Disappearing explores so many heavy themes that existed in the 1960s as well as to this day on the repercussions of simply trying to be yourself as a woman or as a gay person. Topics on post partum depression and mental health are also intrinsically covered and I must tell you, the story is quite depressing but also so worth it especially when all the characters who suffered get their redemption in the end. This book makes an excellent pick for Pride Month as well! Highly recommend audio!

This was one of my favorite reads for the year 2024 and I have been shouting it’s praise to all of my book loving friends. This book was fast paced, kept you on your toes the entire time up until the very last page. We get dual POV, dual TIMELINES and I can say that I love both of those things mixed together.

This book starts off with simply a photograph but not just any photo, a photo of a woman jumping off of a bridge with a baby and the person in possession of this photograph never told anybody about it. This man wants her to look into it and then write a book about it. We dive into secrets, flaws & trauma, mystery and thrilling moments.

This book had my eyes watering and my heart pounding in my chest, I felt this book in my soul, I heard the authors words. Like I said, a 5 star favorite 2024 book for me. . .one that I wish that I could read again for the first time. Please place this book on your TBR.

The Act of Disappearing is a poignant story of discovery that highlights the strength of women through multiple generations and generational biases. Told from multiple points of view, in dual timelines, we dive deep into the lives of struggling author Julia White in the present, and the Fairchild family in the past. The characters feel like real people with real-world struggles and the plotting is exquisite with secrets both good and bad gradually unravelled. This is one of my favorite books of 2024.

There’s a lot of dark topics connected to the tragedy that happens in this book. I had problems connecting with any of the story at the beginning but it improved as it progressed. The dual timeline was a bit confusing at times but I’m guessing it will help when the final edits and formatting are done. I did enjoy reading both periods but found overall that the story moved too slowly.
I look forward to seeing what this author writes next!

Thanks for the opportunity to read this!