Things Don't Break on Their Own

A Novel

By: Sarah Easter Collins

Narrated by: Christina Cole, Emily Lucienne, Nathalie Buscombe

“So, so, so good. An elegant, twisting story of loss and longing, of the ache of the unknown and the drowning weight of past trauma.”—Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of All the Colors of the Dark

EDGAR AWARD FINALIST • A BOOKPAGE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • A WASHINGTON POST AND BLOOMBERG BEST BOOK OF THE SEASON

A heart-wrenching mystery about sisters, lovers, and a dinner party gone wrong.

Twenty-five years ago, a young girl left home to walk to school. Her younger sister soon followed. But one of them arrived, and one of them didn’t.

Her sister’s disappearance has defined Willa’s life. Everyone thinks her sister is dead, but Willa knows she isn’t. Because there are some things that only sisters know about each other—and some bonds only sisters can break.

Willa sees fragments of her sister everywhere—the way that woman on the train turns her head, the gait of that woman in Paris. If there’s the slightest resemblance, Willa drops everything, and everyone, and tries to see if it is her.

When Willa is invited to a dinner party thrown by her first love, she has no reason to expect it will be anything other than an ordinary evening. Both of them have moved on, ancient history. But nothing about Willa’s life has been ordinary since the day her sister disappeared, and that’s not about to change tonight.

Sarah Easter Collins has written an extraordinary novel about memory, lost love, and long-buried secrets that sometimes see the light of day.

Intriguing story that’s not a cheap thriller

Good story. Kept me interested to know what happened, while not being a “cheap,” edge-of-your-seat thriller. Felt more elevated than that. Liked the format of hearing same parts of the story from different characters’ perspectives. Only negatives were some gratuitous lectures about migrants and sort of ridiculous thing that happens near the end and then also the short, tacked-on pablum at the end and the very odd way everyone handles something of serious moral question without worrying about it one bit or even really questioning it.

WoW!!

Never saw the end coming, it was great. Highly recommend narration was fantastic as well

Beautiful and heart breaking tale.

Well written and powerful story. Strongly recommend, but be prepared for dark content re: family disfunction

Complicated story.

I didn’t think in the beginning I was going to like this book. Then- I loved it!! Bravo

Deeply emotional

This domestic thriller felt much more dramatic than most. The greatest parts of the plots rely on picking up cues as they happen. Keeping the reader engaged in a twisty tale of an abusive family and the unwavering bonds of friendship and love. Highly recommend this book.