When I’m Gone by Emily Bleeker

Summary from Amazon:

Dear Luke,
First let me say—I love you…I didn’t want to leave you…
Luke Richardson has returned home after burying Natalie, his beloved wife of sixteen years, ready to face the hard job of raising their three children alone. But there’s something he’s not prepared for—a blue envelope with his name scrawled across the front in Natalie’s handwriting, waiting for him on the floor of their suburban Michigan home.
The letter inside, written on the first day of Natalie’s cancer treatment a year ago, turns out to be the first of many. Luke is convinced they’re genuine, but who is delivering them? As his obsession with the letters grows, Luke uncovers long-buried secrets that make him question everything he knew about his wife and their family. But the revelations also point the way toward a future where love goes on—in written words, in memories, and in the promises it’s never too late to keep.

My Thoughts:

     After Luke’s wife, Natalie, passes from cancer he is understandable sad and lost.  He has three children to raise alone with only part-time help from Natalie’s best friend, Angie, for help.  On the day of her funeral a letter is dropped through his front door mail slot with Natalie’s handwriting all over it and everything begins to change for Luke.

     While Nat was going through her chemo treatments and working on her Master’s degree she starting writing letters to Luke in a journal.  These letters start showing up randomly in the mail after her death and Luke is overjoyed and desperate for any contact with his wife but perplexed as to who is mailing them.  Nat’s advice helps him to cope and help the kids mourn but overtime, he begins to wonder about some of the people mentioned in her letters. 

Natalie gives him unusual advice and many times asks him to do things without questioning why…this leads to many discoveries into Natalie’s life that Luke was unaware of for the 15+ years of their marriage.  I cannot say much else without giving things away but suffice is to say that there are many twists and turns in this story, a few you see coming but several you do not.

          This is a well written thriller full of tears, gasps and a few laughs.  Ms. Bleeker has written a lovely story of marriage, loss and mourning with several exciting twists and turns that kept me very interested in the outcome. 

4/5 stars.

 

Links:

Emily’s website: http://emilybleeker.com/