Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance

A Novel

By: Alison Espach

Narrated by: Jesse Vilinsky

2022 NPR Best Book of the Year, Long-listed

“Once I began listening to Jesse Vilinksy's excellent narration I was immediately swept up in the story.” – Anne Bogel, Modern Ms. Darcy

From Alison Espach, author of the New York Times Editor’s Choice novel The Adults, comes a dazzlingly unconventional love story for listeners of Ask Again, Yes and Tell the Wolves I’m Home.

For much of her life, Sally Holt has been mystified by the things her older sister, Kathy, seems to have been born knowing. Kathy has answers for all of Sally’s questions about life, about love, and about Billy Barnes, a rising senior and local basketball star who mans the concession stand at the town pool. The girls have been fascinated by Billy ever since he jumped off the roof in elementary school, but Billy has never shown much interest in them until the summer before Sally begins eighth grade. By then, their mutual infatuation with Billy is one of the few things the increasingly different sisters have in common. Sally spends much of that summer at the pool, watching in confusion and excitement as her sister falls deeper in love with Billy—until a tragedy leaves Sally’s life forever intertwined with his.

Opening in the early nineties and charting almost two decades of shared history and missed connections, Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance is both a breathtaking love story about two broken people who are unexplainably, inconveniently drawn to each other and a wryly astute coming-of-age tale brimming with unexpected moments of joy.

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company.

©2022 Alison Espach (P)2022 Macmillan Audio

I Can’t Believe I Made It To The End…ughhhh

This story lacks a lot… but has such potential which is why I stuck it out with hopes of a payoff. Spoiler, it never comes.
My advice is if you decide to listen to this, make it a drinking game every time the word “said” is used, you’ll be trashed in no time for a week straight!
The word “said” was obviously a conscious stylistic decision on the author’s part, it didn’t work.

Loved the way the writer manages to go really deep into the inner world of characters.

Engaging, subtle, funny and moving. It got me thinking, laughing out loud while driving and to the brink of tears. The performance is perfect to do it adds to the whole experience. Highly recommend it.

Outstanding Read—I couldn’t put it down!

Compelling story line and dynamic dialogue. Narration was wonderful! Characters are highly developed. It’s dark and sad, yet hopeful and sweet simultaneously. Definitely recommend!

Kinda boring

If you Listen in faster speed it’s decent to listen to but otherwise I had a hard time getting hooked on this and just felt long and redundant

Mom said, dad said, Billy said

The way the narrator reads the “…said” ruins the entire book. I couldn’t finish it