As a longtime Picoult fan, I was anxious to devour her latest novel, Leaving Time. And she doesn't disappoint: Once again, Picoult has masterfully woven what appear to be incongruous events and people together into one captivating and emotional story. This time around, the author's extensive research on elephants and their surprisingly human emotions are a highlight. But wait, there's more: She has also included a down-on-her-luck psychic, a spunky teen and a haunting murder.

Thirteen-year-old Jenna Metcalf is consumed with memories of her mother, Alice, a scientist who studied grief and other emotions among elephants. Alice vanished after a tragic accident at the New Hampshire elephant sanctuary that she, her husband and Jenna once called home. Using Alice's research journals as well as a psychic and the detective who originally investigated the disappearance of her mother, Jenna tries to piece together why her family was ripped apart.

Picoult explores the mother-daughter bond from a unique vantage point. Using both elephants and human beings, she asks, are we that much different from our pachyderm friends when it comes to processing emotion? Leaving Time is an emotional study of what mothers will do for their young—and in true Picoult form, the author delivers an ending that even her biggest fans won't be able to predict.

 

 

This article was originally published in the October 2014 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

With seven consecutive no. 1 best sellers, Picoult's (The Storyteller; My Sister's Keeper) latest novel is full of the deep characters and multilayered story lines that have earned her a spot in many readers' hearts. Jenna, a 13-year-old misfit, has lived with her grandmother ever since her mother, Alice, a scientist devoted to studying elephant grieving patterns, disappeared ten years ago. Jenna cannot recall the details of that fateful night or the circumstances that resulted in one woman trampled to death on the elephant sanctuary where her family lived, and her mother missing. Jenna's father can't help her either; he has been in a psychiatric ward ever since and only rarely recognizes his daughter. Determined to find her mother, Jenna enlists the help of Serenity, a psychic who has begun to doubt her abilities, and Virgil, a private investigator who was originally in charge of Alice's case. VERDICT A truly engaging read that crosses through the genres of mystery and the supernatural. The interspersing of elephant behavior information and Alice's journal entries about her subjects provide just the right amount of parallelism. Perfect for Picoult fans and book clubs. [See "Books for the Masses," Editors' BEA Picks, LJ 7/14, p. 27.]—Chelsie Harris, San Diego Cty. Lib.

Desperate to find out what happened to her mother, Alice, who left behind the family she loved and the elephants she had studied so devotedly when she mysteriously vanished, 13-year-old Jenna joins forces with shady psychic Serenity Jones and world-weary detective Virgil Stanhope. Two e-originals, Where There's Smoke (May 19) and Larger Than Life (August 5), introduce Serenity and Alice, respectively.

Picoult's (The Storyteller) novel explores grief, memory, and motherhood through the unlikely lens of elephant behavior. Jenna Metcalf was three years old when her mother, Alice, disappeared from the elephant sanctuary where she worked as a researcher. Ten years later, Jenna is ready to launch a search. After poring over her mother's research journals, consulting the Internet, and visiting her father in the mental institution where he's been since shortly after the disappearance, she enlists outside assistance from Serenity Jones, a once-famous psychic whose gift appears to have deserted her, and Virgil Stanhope, the gruff, alcoholic ex-police detective who was once assigned to Alice's case. With their help, Jenna finds new evidence at the now-closed sanctuary and begins to piece together the events of the night her mother disappeared, leading her to a few uncomfortable truths about the past, but bringing much-needed closure to her and her dad. Longtime fans of Picoult will recognize some of her stock characters—the precocious, sassy teenager; the distant, philosophical mother; the curmudgeonly surrogate father figure—as well the her trademark twist ending, which may well be her strangest to date. When she diverges from her usual formula her storytelling skills are most evident. The pachyderms are as complex as the humans, making the journey memorable and poignant. (Oct.)