The Disappeared Book

A riveting tale about love and sacrifice by a National Book Award winner.

The Disappeared. Los desaparecidos. This is the name given to those who opposed Argentina's dictatorial government and were kidnapped to ensure their silence. With her hometown of Buenos Aires ensconsced in the political nightmare, Silvia devises a plan to save her missing brother. She'll make Norberto, son of the general who arrests dissenters, fall in love with her—and he'll have his father set Eduardo free.

Told in alternating chapters, this powerful and poetic story follows Silvia as she spirals into Norberto's world, and Eduardo as he struggles to endure physical and emotional torture. Will Silvia's scheme reunite her family? Or will the pursuit of freedom cost these devoted siblings their lives?

Alan Review

The military regime of 1970s Argentina comes eerily alive in this new novel by Gloria Whelan (Homeless Bird). Eduardo Diaz is arrested for his peaceful demonstrations against the generals' abuse of power, and his younger sister Silvia will stop at nothing to set him free. The presentation as a series of undelivered letters between siblings quickly immerses the reader in the emotional tension and heartbreak of the "Dirty War." Like ever-widening ripples in a pond, the reader sees the agony of mothers missing their children and the indiscriminate, callous torturing of people from all walks of life. Eduardo and Silvia beautifully portray both the arrogance of youth and its potential for good in a world gone crazy. Reviewer: Melissa Moore