The Women in White

I am a huge fan of Sarah Pekkanen; I have read all of her books and love them all! This one was a little bit of a departure for her as it has an alternate timeline (it’s partially set in the 1960s), and I loved it! In 1964, a group of four women (who became best friends) became the subjects of a series of parapsychology experiments at the local university. The experiments are conducted by a visionary scientist who believes he’s on the precipice of a historic breakthrough. In the same year, these women each vanish, and the program is shut down. Meanwhile in modern day, Riley Bell is newly divorced and looking for a fresh start. She accepts a caretaker job for Betty, an elderly widow. Betty seems pretty self-sufficient. While confined to a wheelchair, she can do most things on her own. That said, she seems to be stuck in the sixties. There’s no internet or television, no microwave, no cell phones . . . no modern technology whatsoever. Betty is isolated and lonely. Riley becomes determined to help her figure out the truth about her missing friends. As she does this, old secrets come out, and Riley finds herself at the center of a decades-old mystery. I couldn’t put this down. I thought it was really clever and smart (and as with all of Pekkanen’s books, super fun to read!).