I feel like the problem with this book was the title/marketing. It's billed as a sort of mystery surrounding the author's mother's kidnapping when she was a toddler. This is nowhere near the focus of the book (and slight spoiler: there's pretty much nothing dramatic about the actual kidnapping in the end). The book seems to go on long tangents about things like pieces of art that left me feeling really disconnected from the story.

Cumming does have a beautiful way with words. I might have enjoyed the book if it had been described as more of a memoir regarding her relationship with her mother and her family's past. Instead, I was sort of waiting for things to get interesting and they just never did. This felt like a slog to get through. The one thing I did enjoy was the inclusion of photographs - I felt like this helped illustrate some of Cumming's points about her family members. Overall, though, I was disappointed in the execution of this book. It might have been an interesting long-form story in a magazine or literary journal - a full book was just not necessary.

Laura Cumming shares with us the strange occurrence in her mother’s life.At the age of three she was kidnapped from a beach no screams heard just gone.Fice days later she was returned perfectly fine.The author using this event pulls back the secrets of her moms life she was adopted her name was changed there is so much mystery to her moms life and the effects it has on her life. #netgalley#fivedays gone#scribner

I thought this would be more true crime and less navel gazing memoir, but I was disappointed. I wanted it to be about the mother, but instead it was about the daughter (the author) and that was not where the actual story was.

2 stars
5 Days Gone is a weirdly introspective book. It reads almost as someone's diary or blog who is trying to hard to be "real" or "edgy. I was very interested in kidnapping part of the story, but the author kept going off on rambling tangents.
This is one of those books that is going to either be loved or hated.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

She started out her life as Grace until she was adopted before age 3, then she was Betty. A name she never liked. Later she called herself Elizabeth. An older couple adopted her at age 3, George and Veda Elston. She grew to dislike George, who was controlling and didn’t want her mingling with others in the tiny village. She wasn’t allowed to go out and play with any of the local kids. This story is about the discovery of her strange disappearance that happened when she was about 3, but she wasn’t aware of until she was in her 50’s, that’s shared with and written about by her daughter. Who took her and why? And for what reason was she returned days later…? Read to find out. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Laura Cumming, and the publisher.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley!

Laura's mother Betty was mysteriously kidnapped when she was three.. only to suddenly show up a few days later. This story tells about that mystery.
It felt lacking at times... didn't hold my interest as much as i hoped.

I love family mysteries. Five Days Gone unravels the layers of secrets recoding no around the author's mother, Betty, who originally was called Grace. One day she disappeared from the beach, only to turn up a few days later. Most of the local villagers knew the truth about the incident as well as Betty's true parentage, but even years later, kept the secrets. Cumming reveals the truth painstakingly slowly: her mother's cold, austere upbringing, the truth about her parentage, unknown family members coming forward, and perhaps, finally a sense of belonging that she had never felt. It's a sad, yet inspiring story that you're never to old to hear famiky truths.

4.5 Stars!!
Laura Cumming masterfully pens her mother’s experiences during her turbulent and sometimes shocking childhood! Laura’s mother, Betty, was mysteriously kidnapped right under her mother’s nose when she was three years old. Betty was eventually returned 5 days later (hence the title) like nothing ever happened! Being that Betty was just three at the time, she had fuzzy to little memory of the situation. Betty’s parents oddly never spoke of it, but as time goes on, you quickly realize that it wasn’t just this occurrence they did’t talk about. Years later, major secrets would be revealed and decades after that, Betty would again find out huge revelations about herself previously never spoken about!

I was completely captivated by Elizabeth/Betty’s story! The domino effect her childhood circumstances had on her throughout her entire life were immense. I am in complete awe of how Elizabeth was able to go on to become such a great mother despite her tumultuous childhood. I really felt the photos Laura added here and there through the novel added so much to this book! I was able to put an actual face to a name, which for me made my heart go out to Elizabeth even more! I really found myself completely immersed in this candid read! I highly recommend it!