Until It Was Gone by David B. Seaburn (Book Review #1949)

*Until It Was Gone* by David B. Seaburn is a poignant and deeply resonant exploration of a family teetering on the edge of unraveling, only to be bound together by the fragile threads of hope and resilience. The novel opens with a shocking revelation at Laney and Franklin’s fortieth-anniversary dinner—Laney is leaving Franklin. When Franklin, stunned, asks if she ever loved him, Laney’s response, “until it was gone,” sets the stage for a story filled with heartache, reflection, and, ultimately, redemption.

Laney’s departure sends her on a journey to Oklahoma in search of their estranged daughter, Roz, and the nineteen-year-old granddaughter, Maggie, whom she has never met. Meanwhile, Franklin’s life takes a harrowing turn as he contracts long-haul COVID-19, leading to episodes of fogginess and disorientation that stir painful memories of his abusive father. As Franklin struggles with his deteriorating health, his sister Gretchen steps in to care for him. Gretchen, too, is haunted by her past, having lost her husband in a mass shooting four years earlier. Her return to her small town for the murderer’s sentencing adds another layer of emotional complexity to the narrative.

Maggie, the granddaughter, faces her own crisis when she becomes pregnant and, due to medical complications, needs an abortion—a procedure outlawed in her state. Her predicament brings to the forefront the harsh realities of contemporary society and the difficult choices that individuals must make in the face of restrictive laws and personal turmoil.

Seaburn masterfully weaves together the lives of these characters, each grappling with their own pain and searching for a way to move forward. The novel is a powerful commentary on the challenges of modern life, touching on issues of estrangement, grief, illness, and the impact of societal constraints on personal decisions.

*Until It Was Gone* is a story of a family struggling to stay afloat amidst the storms of life, and it is a testament to the strength of the human spirit. Seaburn’s writing is both tender and unflinching, capturing the raw emotions of his characters while offering a glimmer of hope that, despite everything, the thin strands of connection and love can still hold us together. This is a deeply moving novel that will resonate with readers long after they turn the final page.

Written by Jeyran Main

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