I can wholeheartedly say that “Always There, Always Gone” is one of my favorite books of the year so far. It is such a heartfelt and emotional story. At its core, it is the tragic story of a woman, Marty-Ross Dolen, who lost both of her grandparents in an airplane crash before she was even born and her journey of loss and grief, along with coming to terms with the gaping hole this loss has left in Marty’s life. I love the way the author described her relationship with her grandparents and the conversations she had with them in the form of different imaginary scenarios. Her story was heartbreaking and quite emotional, and I loved every part of this story. The author was so relatable in yearning to have a relationship with her grandparents despite not being able to physically do so. The writing was so beautiful and I really appreciate the author for sharing such a personal story with us readers. It is a stunning novel. I wish the author peace and happiness in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

This book was an interesting read in that you both witness and experience the journey of navigating grief and redefining relationships and identity through the process. At first, you would wonder how someone could go through all of that having not know the deceased. However, through her connection with her mother and her own journey of learning about her grandmother, you begin to understand. On a personal level, it helped me to look at processing a little differently as I am personally grieving. The way she connects and talks to her grandmother through pictures on a spiritual or clairvoyant level proves to be cathartic.

There were some parts of the book that were a little slow for me but it didn’t take away from the experience.
(Reviews on IG 2/28. Amazon upon release)