The Lovely Bones

By Alice Sebold

A girl watches from heaven as her family seeks justice and healing.

3.9/5 Goodreads · 2,482,720 ratings

372 pages· 97,914 words· Est. 9 hour read

$7.50Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

In 1973, 14-year-old Susie Salmon finds herself in heaven after her mysterious disappearance. From this ethereal vantage point, she observes her family grappling with grief and searching for her killer. Her father is relentless in his quest for justice, while her sister takes bold risks, and her brother honors her memory in his own way. As Susie navigates her new existence, she witnesses the family's struggle to heal and move forward. This poignant tale weaves together themes of love, loss, and the enduring bonds that connect us beyond life and death.

From the publisher

When we first meet 14-year-old Susie Salmon, she is already in heaven. This was before milk carton photos and public service announcements, she tells us; back in 1973, when Susie mysteriously disappeared, people still believed these things didn’t happen. In the sweet, untroubled voice of a precocious teenage girl, Susie relates the awful events of her death and her own adjustment to the strange new place she finds herself. It looks a lot like her school playground, with the good kind of swing sets. With love, longing, and a growing understanding, Susie watches her family as they cope with their grief, her father embarks on a search for the killer, her sister undertakes a feat of amazing daring, her little brother builds a fort in her honor and begin the difficult process of healing. In the hands of a brilliant novelist, this story of seemingly unbearable tragedy is transformed into a suspenseful and touching story about family, memory, love, heaven, and living.

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