Publication
Waterville, Maine : Thorndike Press, 2014.
Collection
Call number
Large Print Fiction P
Physical description
687 p.; 23 cm
Status
Available
Call number
Description
Fiction. Literature. HTML:#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER � A deeply moving, gripping, and intelligent page-turner about a daughter�s search for her mother, Leaving Time is Jodi Picoult at the height of her powers. Includes the novella Larger Than Life Throughout her blockbuster career, Jodi Picoult has seamlessly blended nuanced characters, riveting plots, and rich prose, brilliantly creating stories that �not only provoke the mind but touch the flawed souls in all of us� (The Boston Globe). Now, in Leaving Time, she has delivered a book unlike anything she�s written before. For more than a decade, Jenna Metcalf has never stopped thinking about her mother, Alice, who mysteriously disappeared in the wake of a tragic accident. Refusing to believe she was abandoned, Jenna searches for her mother regularly online and pores over the pages of Alice�s old journals. A scientist who studied grief among elephants, Alice wrote mostly of her research among the animals she loved, yet Jenna hopes the entries will provide a clue to her mother�s whereabouts. Desperate to find the truth, Jenna enlists two unlikely allies in her quest: Serenity Jones, a psychic who rose to fame finding missing persons, only to later doubt her gifts, and Virgil Stanhope, the jaded private detective who�d originally investigated Alice�s case along with the strange, possibly linked death of one of her colleagues. As the three work together to uncover what happened to Alice, they realize that in asking hard questions, they�ll have to face even harder answers. As Jenna�s memories dovetail with the events in her mother�s journals, the story races to a mesmerizing finish. Praise for Leaving Time �Piercing and uplifting . . . a smart, accessible yarn with a suspenseful puzzle at its core.��The Boston Globe �Poignant . . . an entertaining tale about parental love, friendship, loss.��The Washington Post �A riveting drama.��Us Weekly �[A] moving tale.��People �A fast-paced, surprise-ending mystery.��USA Today �In Jenna, [Jodi] Picoult has created an unforgettable character who will easily endear herself to each and every reader. . . . Leaving Time may be her finest work yet.��Bookreporter �[A] captivating and emotional story.��BookPage.… (more)
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User reviews
LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
The author has woven a tale whose outcome will definitely surprise the reader at the end, so don’t peek as this mystery unravels. Jenna is a precocious 13 year old searching for her mother, Alice, who disappeared years ago, when she was a baby. She engages the help of a psychic, Serenity Jones,
Before her mom met and married her dad, Alice had lived in Botswana, caring for and researching elephant behavior. When her dad visited Botswana, they met and were attracted to each other. Alice soon discovered she was pregnant so she traveled to America to decide whether or not to tell Thomas, and soon after, they married. They then ran the sanctuary together with the help of other employees.
Jenna’s parents, both scientists had been devoted to working with the elephants. Her father, however, is now institutionalized, having suffered a complete break from reality. Her mother, you know, is missing. The story does not proceed in a straight line and it is sometimes confusing as it goes back and forth from the present to the past, as each character’s life is explored and exposed. The reader is tossed and turned by the events and constantly surprised by the astute revelations of the teen. She seems to be the smartest one, at times, although she sometimes behaves in a manner which is shocking as she is also disobedient and rude much of the time. She alternates between being the only adult in the room to having immature emotional reactions
After the tragedy at the sanctuary and Alice’s disappearance, Jenna wants to know for certain that her mom loved her and would never have left her baby behind, willingly. Jenna, who is portrayed as having been brought up by her grandmother whom she disobeys with abandon, is obsessed with finding her. She cannot find peace any other way.
The scientist, Alice, studied how elephants displayed grief and how they dealt with their emotional attachments to other elephants. The author presents a wealth of interesting and informative details about elephants and their way of life. Anyone who has even a remote interest in elephants will find the details fascinating. Alice, like the author, bitterly resents the mistreatment of elephants and the poaching of elephant tusks. Many of the elephants experiences described are modeled after actual elephant events.
Secrets abound in each of the character’s lives, as does a bit of the supernatural. The loose ends, however, will all tie up in the end. I can write no more without giving away the story, so relax, enjoy and read.
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and a broken down former cop, Virgil Stanhope, the original cop investigating the dreadful accident at the elephant sanctuary which her parents owned and which led to Alice’s disappearance and an already ill Thomas’s complete and utter breakdown. Before her mom met and married her dad, Alice had lived in Botswana, caring for and researching elephant behavior. When her dad visited Botswana, they met and were attracted to each other. Alice soon discovered she was pregnant so she traveled to America to decide whether or not to tell Thomas, and soon after, they married. They then ran the sanctuary together with the help of other employees.
Jenna’s parents, both scientists had been devoted to working with the elephants. Her father, however, is now institutionalized, having suffered a complete break from reality. Her mother, you know, is missing. The story does not proceed in a straight line and it is sometimes confusing as it goes back and forth from the present to the past, as each character’s life is explored and exposed. The reader is tossed and turned by the events and constantly surprised by the astute revelations of the teen. She seems to be the smartest one, at times, although she sometimes behaves in a manner which is shocking as she is also disobedient and rude much of the time. She alternates between being the only adult in the room to having immature emotional reactions
After the tragedy at the sanctuary and Alice’s disappearance, Jenna wants to know for certain that her mom loved her and would never have left her baby behind, willingly. Jenna, who is portrayed as having been brought up by her grandmother whom she disobeys with abandon, is obsessed with finding her. She cannot find peace any other way.
The scientist, Alice, studied how elephants displayed grief and how they dealt with their emotional attachments to other elephants. The author presents a wealth of interesting and informative details about elephants and their way of life. Anyone who has even a remote interest in elephants will find the details fascinating. Alice, like the author, bitterly resents the mistreatment of elephants and the poaching of elephant tusks. Many of the elephants experiences described are modeled after actual elephant events.
Secrets abound in each of the character’s lives, as does a bit of the supernatural. The loose ends, however, will all tie up in the end. I can write no more without giving away the story, so relax, enjoy and read.
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LibraryThing member bwhitner
This was a very good book. Never would have guessed the ending. It's about a young girl Jenna, who is trying to find her mother. She hires a washed out psychic Serinity, and a cop who is supposed to be dead, Virgil. A lot of information on elephants. I found it to be very interesting.
LibraryThing member mmoj
I don't know when I knew what was going to happen in this story but for once it didn't bother because Picoult is that good a writer she plays are heartstrings so well you know it's not just the ending it's how the characters got to the crisis in their lives and hoe they deal with it.
In this story
In this story
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Jenna Metcalf needs to find out what happens to her mom, Alice. No one is helping her and so she seeks out a "washed-up" psychic, Serenity Jones and a cop turned PI, Virgil Stanhope. The story alternates between Jenna, Serenity, Virgil and Alice each giving you an insight into what their focus was. The addition of the elephant lore made the book more interesting. Show Less
LibraryThing member mmoj
I don't know when I knew what was going to happen in this story but for once it didn't bother because Picoult is that good a writer she plays are heartstrings so well you know it's not just the ending it's how the characters got to the crisis in their lives and hoe they deal with it.
In this story
In this story
Show More
Jenna Metcalf needs to find out what happens to her mom, Alice. No one is helping her and so she seeks out a "washed-up" psychic, Serenity Jones and a cop turned PI, Virgil Stanhope. The story alternates between Jenna, Serenity, Virgil and Alice each giving you an insight into what their focus was. The addition of the elephant lore made the book more interesting. Show Less
LibraryThing member mmoj
I don't know when I knew what was going to happen in this story but for once it didn't bother because Picoult is that good a writer she plays are heartstrings so well you know it's not just the ending it's how the characters got to the crisis in their lives and hoe they deal with it.
In this story
In this story
Show More
Jenna Metcalf needs to find out what happens to her mom, Alice. No one is helping her and so she seeks out a "washed-up" psychic, Serenity Jones and a cop turned PI, Virgil Stanhope. The story alternates between Jenna, Serenity, Virgil and Alice each giving you an insight into what their focus was. The addition of the elephant lore made the book more interesting. Show Less
LibraryThing member mmoj
I don't know when I knew what was going to happen in this story but for once it didn't bother because Picoult is that good a writer she plays are heartstrings so well you know it's not just the ending it's how the characters got to the crisis in their lives and hoe they deal with it.
In this story
In this story
Show More
Jenna Metcalf needs to find out what happens to her mom, Alice. No one is helping her and so she seeks out a "washed-up" psychic, Serenity Jones and a cop turned PI, Virgil Stanhope. The story alternates between Jenna, Serenity, Virgil and Alice each giving you an insight into what their focus was. The addition of the elephant lore made the book more interesting. Show Less
LibraryThing member SteveLindahl
I count on Jodi Picoult to write books I enjoy and Leaving Timewas no exception. The last one of her books I read was The Storyteller, which is my favorite so far, but this was also a good read. I thought the elephant anecdotes were a bit overdone because many of them made the same points about
Jodi Picoult always has believable, flawed characters in her novels. Alice, Thomas, Gideon, Nevvie, and Grace all have substantial flaws that make them interesting and so do Serenity and Virgil. Jenna also has her flaws, ones that are common among teenagers. She acts in ways that disrespect her grandmother's authority and she is impulsive. It isn't her mother she seeks as much as it is the assurance that her mother always loved her.
Serenity is a psychic who has had some problems, but has a long history of using her abilities to help police solve crimes. Jodi Picoult treated her abilities with respect, something I believe is important in any story that has a paranormal aspect.
The elephant stories are fascinating even if they are a little redundant. These animals seemed to have the traits of dogs. (Anyone who has ever loved a dog will know what a compliment that is.) I was surprised by some of the points made in the book, specifically how clueless the wildlife caretakers were concerning the reactions of elephants to the culling of their herds. But I wasn't surprised by how elephants care about each other and have very unique personalities.
Overall, this is another interesting novel from Jodi Picoult.
Steve Lindahl – author of Motherless Soul and White Horse Regressions
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these beautiful animals (that they are loving animals with long memories, a sense of family loyalty, and an ability to grieve). Also, the novel's beginning was a little slow for my taste, but once relationships were established the story drew me in.Jodi Picoult always has believable, flawed characters in her novels. Alice, Thomas, Gideon, Nevvie, and Grace all have substantial flaws that make them interesting and so do Serenity and Virgil. Jenna also has her flaws, ones that are common among teenagers. She acts in ways that disrespect her grandmother's authority and she is impulsive. It isn't her mother she seeks as much as it is the assurance that her mother always loved her.
Serenity is a psychic who has had some problems, but has a long history of using her abilities to help police solve crimes. Jodi Picoult treated her abilities with respect, something I believe is important in any story that has a paranormal aspect.
The elephant stories are fascinating even if they are a little redundant. These animals seemed to have the traits of dogs. (Anyone who has ever loved a dog will know what a compliment that is.) I was surprised by some of the points made in the book, specifically how clueless the wildlife caretakers were concerning the reactions of elephants to the culling of their herds. But I wasn't surprised by how elephants care about each other and have very unique personalities.
Overall, this is another interesting novel from Jodi Picoult.
Steve Lindahl – author of Motherless Soul and White Horse Regressions
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LibraryThing member LivelyLady
A young girl goes looking for her mother, the elephant naturalist, whom she believed left her behind as a result of an accident. In usual Picoult style, each chapter is told from another character's voice. The research about elephants is very interesting. The turns and twists of this book are
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amazing with the reader unable to determine the ending until it happens. Her best! Show Less
LibraryThing member Susan.Macura
This is one of the most beautifully written stories I have ever read. Jenna is a teen who is searching for her mother who disappeared when she was a small child. She is hopeful that her mother is still alive. She enlists the help of a psychic and retired cop to help her sort through this mess. He
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dad, still alive, resides in a mental institution, so he is little help. Intertwined in this storyline is the one where her mother is introduced via her journals on observing grief in elephants, as well as stories about her life. This book takes some twists and turns near the end that makes it impossible to put down. It is simply an amazing book. Show Less
LibraryThing member CinderH
I just loved listening to this book! The detail about the elephants and the mystery (I didn't see that coming!). I don't want to have any spoilers in my review so I don't want to say too much. I just got it from Overdrive to have something to listen to while I did housework, but the characters and
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story sucked me right in. Show Less
LibraryThing member LaPhenix
The turn took me a bit by surprise and lacked the emotion I'd hoped for, and I'd struggled to reconcile some of the information, but I liked the strong characters and attempt at diversity, though it fell short for me in some ways. Overall, the book was interesting and I liked the parallels.
LibraryThing member suline
I am a sucker for anything involving elephants. They are really expertly woven into the story. That is what made this book extremely readable for me. Normally, Jodi Picoult is not one of my go-to authors.
LibraryThing member busyreadin
Didn't care much for this one. It read like a treatise on the fate of the worlds elephants with a small mystery thrown in.
LibraryThing member ItsBookishMe
Really interesting read. Learned a lot about elephants, I have even more appreciation and respect for the species. At one point I guessed at the twist when a particular scene kind of gave it away but then another twist made me change my mind. In the end my original guess was correct but it was even
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more than I thought. The narration gave the journey through this book a in pursuit of the truth kind of momentum for me. I felt like an investigator trying to get it all figured out and that is what made it such a very intriguing read for me. Show Less
LibraryThing member shannon.dolgos
Jenna's mother disappeared after a terrible accident at the Elephant Sanctuary ten years ago. And for ten years, young Jenna has searched the internet seeking. Is her mother dead? Is she alive? And, if so, why did she leave her behind?
Jenna's father has been in an institution all this time, so
Jenna finds the most unlikely allies to help her find her answers. Virgil, the detective who was on the case the night Alice disappeared, and a psychic, who lost her powers to see years ago...
Their adventure, and unlikely friendship takes them on a journey from NH to TN and back again...and the most unlikely answers are revealed...
Jenna's father has been in an institution all this time, so
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Jenna is living with her grandmother, who is afraid of the answers Jenna seeks. Jenna finds the most unlikely allies to help her find her answers. Virgil, the detective who was on the case the night Alice disappeared, and a psychic, who lost her powers to see years ago...
Their adventure, and unlikely friendship takes them on a journey from NH to TN and back again...and the most unlikely answers are revealed...
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LibraryThing member Dianekeenoy
Wonderful on audio! I read this book when it came out and loved it because it had a lot to do with elephants which my mother loved. To listen to it on audio was just incredible. I can't recommend this enough!
LibraryThing member tinkerbellkk
I thought this was a fantastic read. So interesting to learn about elephants and their habits. The characters were terrific and made an unlikely team. This was a different style of book from the author's usual court case type books and I loved feeling like a detective trying to put together the
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pieces. The twist at the end was a huge surprise for me and made it overall a wonderful read. Highly recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member rsalley76
I hated this book but loved every minute of it! I was so duped by the twist. I mean, I knew there was SOMETHING, but not all of THAT! It was an amazing read that I never wanted to put down and was so disappointed that it was over. Piccoult never fails to keep me literally engrossed with every turn
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of the page. Show Less
LibraryThing member startwithgivens
In terms of character secrets and plot twists, this book is so characteristic Jodi Picoult. However, in terms of development and types of characters this book was not what I would have expected. I found this book riveting. I was unable to put it down, at first because I really really love
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elephants, and later because I really needed to know what happened to the people who cared for them so much. There were elements of the ending that I saw coming at various points of the book, but I was never convinced until the end. And remarkably, as many Jodi Picoult books as I have read, there was still one part of the ending I never would have guessed in a million years. Show Less
LibraryThing member sprainedbrain
This book was recommended to me by a friend... after skimming the reviews, I was not sure what I was getting in to, but I started reading anyway. I am so glad that I ignored the bad reviews. This book was surprising, fast-paced, and rich with interesting little stories-within-the-story. There was
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nothing predictable about it, and characters are beautifully developed. Leaving Time is well worth the read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Carolee888
I am a sucker for any book that has elephants in them. When I saw that Judy Picoult had written Leaving Time in which elephants play a very important part, I had to read it! This book has increased my zeal for reading more about elephants. I will admit that was my favorite part of the book and it
This is a many layered book with several different themes running through it. The characters were richly drawn and it was very difficult for me to lay down. The only trouble that I had was the ending. I just wasn’t up for all the changes and felt confused. But that was only a small part of the book.
The grief of a mother elephant for her dead calf and for a daughter for mother, a mother for her daughter seemed to mirror each other. The book starts off with Jenna Metcalf whose mother disappeared after an accident in an Elephant Sanctuary. She spends her time searching for her on the Internet and studying her mother’s research journals on elephants. She hopes so much that she was not abandoned by her mother. Even though she lives with her grandmother, she receives no emotional comfort from her. She enlists the help of a burned out psychic, Serenity Jones and failed private detective, Virgil Standhope. The chapters alternate between those three characters plus her mother, Alice Metcalf. As the three try to find out what really happened with Alice, Jenna’s memories start coming back. I love the Jenna character and could easily understand her feelings and preoccupation with finding her mother. Even though I don’t seek out books on the paranormal, I thought that the portrayal of Serenity Jones was very sensitive and believable.
Under all the emotional currents of this book were more mysteries than just what happened to Jenna’s mother. I am thankful to the author, Judy Picoult for bringing to light research on elephants and the terrible results to elephant population from loss of habitat.
I highly recommend this book to all Jodi Picoult fans and elephant lovers. If you detest elephants then you may want to skip this one.
This is my second reading of this book!
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read and reread the information on these very intelligent and sensitive creatures.This is a many layered book with several different themes running through it. The characters were richly drawn and it was very difficult for me to lay down. The only trouble that I had was the ending. I just wasn’t up for all the changes and felt confused. But that was only a small part of the book.
The grief of a mother elephant for her dead calf and for a daughter for mother, a mother for her daughter seemed to mirror each other. The book starts off with Jenna Metcalf whose mother disappeared after an accident in an Elephant Sanctuary. She spends her time searching for her on the Internet and studying her mother’s research journals on elephants. She hopes so much that she was not abandoned by her mother. Even though she lives with her grandmother, she receives no emotional comfort from her. She enlists the help of a burned out psychic, Serenity Jones and failed private detective, Virgil Standhope. The chapters alternate between those three characters plus her mother, Alice Metcalf. As the three try to find out what really happened with Alice, Jenna’s memories start coming back. I love the Jenna character and could easily understand her feelings and preoccupation with finding her mother. Even though I don’t seek out books on the paranormal, I thought that the portrayal of Serenity Jones was very sensitive and believable.
Under all the emotional currents of this book were more mysteries than just what happened to Jenna’s mother. I am thankful to the author, Judy Picoult for bringing to light research on elephants and the terrible results to elephant population from loss of habitat.
I highly recommend this book to all Jodi Picoult fans and elephant lovers. If you detest elephants then you may want to skip this one.
This is my second reading of this book!
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Language
ISBN
9781410463739