THE THINGS WE'LL NEVER HAVE

In Hauck’s historical novel set in 1960s Europe, a British woman’s fiance goes missing, and she goes on a journey to Italy that reveals shocking truths.

In 1964, Everleigh is a 26-year-old woman living in London—a self-described “plain Jane” who works as a typist. Her betrothed, Gualtiero, is anything but plain, and he regales her with tales of his small hometown, Vigevano, and his vivacious, loving family that enjoys “enormous feasts that last for hours.” However, a month before their wedding, Gualtiero vanishes without a word of warning and takes with him half of the money they had saved for an upcoming trip to Italy. Both hurt and bewildered, Everleigh makes the bold decision—one uncharacteristic of this timid, unworldly woman—to travel to Italy in search of her fiance. When she arrives at his family’s home, though, she quickly realizes they’ve never heard of her—and even worse, the only Gualtiero among their ranks is not the one to whom she was engaged. Overall, this is a moving novel that’s one part mystery and one part gripping psychological drama, and Hauck’s writing style has a straightforward simplicity that makes the story’s revelations feel all the more powerful. With remarkable subtlety and suspense, the author chronicles Everleigh’s attempt to figure out not only where Gualtiero is, but who he is, with no clues other than letters that his cousin wrote to him. She befriends local young women Marta and Olivia; their lives are connected by despair—Olivia’s brother, Bernardo, was presumed dead in an accident, although his body was never found; he left Marta, his wife, a widow and single mother. As the search for Gualtiero intensifies, all three women are forced to confront the extraordinary truth about their sadly interconnected lives. The author also shows how Everleigh is pushed into an emotional confrontation with her mother over the death of her father during the war—a trauma that is never discussed forthrightly and provides drama that is poignantly depicted by the author.

An arresting and unpredictable tale of family.