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Tanya Anne Crosby
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The Girl Who Stayed Kindle Edition

by Tanya Anne Crosby (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.9 out of 5 stars 934
See all formats and editions

“A beautifully written, page-turning novel packed with emotion.”
– #1 New York Times bestselling author Barbara Freethy

Zoe Rutherford wasn't sure what she was expecting when she returned to Sullivan's Island. The house on Sullivan's hadn't represented home to her in decades. It was the place where she endured her father's cruelty. It was the place where her mother closed herself off from the world. It was the place where her sister disappeared. But now that her parents are gone, Zoe needs to return to the house, to close it down and prepare it for sale. She intends to get this done as quickly as possible and get on with her life, even though that life seems clouded by her past, both distant and recent. But what she discovers when she gets there is far beyond her imagining and will change her in profound ways.

THE GIRL WHO STAYED is a remarkable exploration of the soul by a writer with a rare talent for reaching into the hearts of her characters and her readers, a novel of transformation that will leave you moved and breathless.

"THE GIRL WHO STAYED is a deeply moving story. I am fascinated by the concept and by Tanya Crosby's stunning storytelling."
– Stella Cameron, New York Times bestselling author

“THE GIRL WHO STAYED defies type. Crosby’s tale is honest and sen- sitive, eerie and tragic. It’s a homecoming tale of a past ever with us and irrevocably lost forever. A haunting vision of that chasm between life and death we call ‘missing.’”
– Pamela Morsi, bestselling author of SIMPLE JESS

“An intense, mesmerizing Southern drama about a young woman who returns to her coastal home to put to rest the haunting ghost of her sister’s tragic past. Told in the rich, lyrical style of Siddons and Conroy, THE GIRL WHO STAYED is a woman’s story of discovery and acceptance, redefined by Tanya Anne Crosby’s dramatic storytelling, sharp characters, and well-defined plot. A must read for any woman who believes she can never go back home. Fabulous, rich and evocative!”
– New York Times bestselling author Jill Barnett

"Crosby tugs heartstrings in a spellbinding story of a woman trying to move beyond her past."
– New York Times bestselling author Susan Andersen

Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 2
    The Girl Who Stayed
  2. Print length
    334 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    May 25, 2020
  6. File size
    2614 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for The Girl Who Stayed:
"A beautifully written, page-turning novel packed with emotion." - #1 New York Times bestselling author Barbara Freethy

"The Girl Who Stayed is a deeply moving story. I am fascinated by the concept and by Tanya Crosby's stunning storytelling." - Stella Cameron, New York Times bestselling author

"The Girl Who Stayed defies type. Crosby's tale is honest and sensitive, eerie and tragic. It's a homecoming tale of a past ever with us and irrevocably lost forever. A haunting vision of that chasm between life and death we call 'missing.'" - Pamela Morsi, bestselling author of Simple Jess

"An intense, mesmerizing Southern drama about a young woman who returns to her coastal home to put to rest the haunting ghost of her sister's tragic past. Told in the rich, lyrical style of Siddons and Conroy, The Girl Who Stayed is a woman's story of discovery and acceptance, redefined by Tanya Anne Crosby's dramatic storytelling, sharp characters, and well-defined plot. A must read for any woman who believes she can never go back home. Fabulous, rich and evocative!" - New York Times bestselling author Jill Barnett

"Crosby tugs heartstrings in a spellbinding story of a woman trying to move beyond her past." - New York Times bestselling author Susan Andersen

"In one word, exceptional!" - Literarily Illumined

"The ending was brilliant. The dramatic tension soared in the last section, building to a completely unguessable and unforeseen twist which grips the reader and completely holds your attention until the very very last page." - Bibliomaniac

"I thought this book was incredible, it was heart pounding, intense, and really bittersweet." - Comfy Reading

"A captivating novel of new beginnings. Beautifully rendered and quite atmospheric, this poignant yet ultimately uplifting story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned." - Book Reviews and More by Kathy

"This book is really good. Really really good." - Good Girl Gone Redneck

"Thought provoking, emotionally engaging and filled with psychological twists.... If you enjoy contemporary fiction, this is a book you'll certainly enjoy." - Queen of All She Reads

"I couldn't stop reading. The Girl Who Stayed is a compelling and enjoyable read." - Book by Book

"A really great read - it was entertaining, suspenseful and tragic all at once." - Ms. Nose in a Book

"A gripping, multi-layered story." - Laura's Reviews

"The Girl Who Stayed is a girl who will stay with you." - Worth Getting in Bed For

"The ending surprised me and made the book memorable for me. If you enjoy suspenseful novels with a lot of depth, this is the book for you!" - Palmer's Page Turners

"The Girl Who Stayed is a raw, sometimes gut wrenching, emotional read. Powerful and compelling." - CMash Reads

About the Author

Tanya Anne Crosby is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thirty novels. She has been featured in magazines, such as People, Romantic Times and Publisher's Weekly, and her books have been translated into eight languages. Her first novel was published in 1992 by Avon Books, where Tanya was hailed as "one of Avon's fastest rising stars." Her fourth book was chosen to launch the company's Avon Romantic Treasure imprint.

Known for stories charged with emotion and humor and filled with flawed characters Tanya is an award-winning author, journalist, and editor, and her novels have garnered reader praise and glowing critical reviews. In 2013, she penned her first romantic suspense novel, Speak No Evil, which appeared on the USA Today list.

The Girl Who Stayed brings her full circle to work with Lou Aronica, who first published Tanya at Avon Books.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0897D5RHS
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oliver Heber Books (May 25, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 25, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2614 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 334 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 out of 5 stars 934

About the author

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Tanya Anne Crosby

Tanya Anne Crosby

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Tanya Anne Crosby is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than thirty-five novels. She has been featured in magazines, such as People, Romantic Times, and Publisher's Weekly, and her books have been translated into eight languages. Her first novel was published in 1992 by Avon Books, where Tanya was hailed as "one of Avon's fastest rising stars." Her fourth book was chosen to launch the company's Avon Romantic Treasure imprint.

Known for stories charged with emotion and humor and filled with flawed characters Tanya is an award-winning author, journalist, and editor, and her novels have garnered reader praise and glowing critical reviews. In 2013, she penned her first romantic suspense novel, Speak No Evil, which appeared on the USA Today list.

Tanya and her writer husband split their time between Charleston, SC, where she was raised, and northern Michigan, where the couple make their home.

Join Tanya on Facebook at Facebook/tanyaannecrosby or visit her Web site at www.tanyaannecrosby.com

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9 out of 5
934 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Naomi Bell
5.0 out of 5 stars This tale was absolutely spellbinding!
Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2020
Verified Purchase
The Girl Who Stayed: Tanya Anne Crosby is one of those authors whose work I will always buy, sight unseen. This tale was absolutely spellbinding! I could not put this book down. With a sophisticated plot line in which the characters grow and develop over time, I was glued to each and every page. The main character Zoe, shaped by the disappearance of her sister in childhood, goes through life as damaged goods. A return to the scene of the crime of her childhood, she faces the events that shaped her life and finds unexpected closure. Tanya Anne Crosby never disappoints.
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Camille
4.0 out of 5 stars NOT A LOT OF ACTION OR PLOT DEVELOPMENT
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2018
Verified Purchase
I liked this novel, but I wasn’t enthusiastic about it, as I was Ms. Crosby’s Aldridge Sisters novels. Although I gave this novel 4 stars, I can see why its overall rating (at the time of my purchase) was 3.5 stars. There was a whole lot of nothing going on for all 288 pages. Most of the novel was composed of Zoe’s thoughts—-what she wondered happened 30 years ago when her sister went missing; how Zoe escaped an abusive relationship of 8 years; how she worried her abusive ex was going to drive 600 miles to drag her back to Baltimore; how her parents let her down since her sister disappeared; how miserable her life was growing up——-blah, blah, etc. Meanwhile, she got herself an MBA, and developed a successful marketing business. But no clue is given how she financed her degree since she hated her father, and her mother spent her life (since Hannah’s disappearance) zoned out on valium. There are a lot of missing pieces in this novel that detract from the impact of the story.
I felt the ending was anticimactic. All of a sudden the reader discovers the identity of the person responsible for the disappearance of three women from the area, and the perpetrator of other deaths in a nearby state. Zoe finally has the chance to discover the fate of her sister after 30 years, and tears up the killer’s confession, as if, overnight, her guilt, depression, and ponderings of the last 30 years vanished in one night. And she was suddenly healed of her neuroses, and ready to move on with her life.
Read this novel if you wish, but don’t expect a logical character or plot progression. I feel this wasn’t one of Ms. Crosby’s better novels.
One person found this helpful
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PenRevenge
3.0 out of 5 stars Sympathetic character, little procedural mystery.
Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2018
Verified Purchase
The main character of this book is very sympathetic, in my own biased opinion. Zoe Rutherford is very much a product of her upbringing. She's not a character people look at and think, "Wow, she made it. Despite everything she's been through. Look at her taking the world by storm." Her's is a character that engenders respect or deep appreciation that she survived what she has experienced. 

Her family wasn't all apple pie and sunshine before her sister disappeared, but afterwards they fell apart. Zoe bore the brunt of the disintegration of her family. Her mother left reality behind for substances that could numb her, and her father blamed her for anything that might go wrong. Zoe was tormented by her father, and largely abandoned by her younger brother. 

The abused child in me recognized the thought processes Zoe went through as authentic and shook my head every time she got trapped in them as an adult. 

As a result of her traumatic childhood she left home as soon as she could, without much sympathy or a tendency to look back. However, she's decided it's high time she address her childhood home. Both her parents are gone, there is no reason to hold on to the property. But it needs work, and she's the only person interested in doing the work. But the house, the town, the people, the past get under her skin. 

This is a classic mystery novel in theory only. There is limited police involvement, only really at the very end. There is no investigation really. This is the story of a woman confronting her past, her family, her memory. And attempting to heal in the process. 
4 people found this helpful
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Alison Hiltabidle
5.0 out of 5 stars A good engrossing read!
Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2016
Verified Purchase
Sigh. So I saw someone with a blurb on their FB page about this book. Darn it. You know, I stayed up almost all night to read the thing! I don't usually enjoy contemporary stories, nor stories of this genre - but this one was so good!! Finished it this morning. While I was starting to guess who the bad guy was, the ending was not neat and tidy. I liked that. I liked Zoe. And I didn't think I would. I'll be looking for more of this author.
3 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Life
Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2019
Verified Purchase
It’s always hard to find your way to self-discovery. Looking back on your life and finally coming to terms with what happened. Zoe is doing that now at the age of 39. The road she travels is leading her back home where her sister disappeared as a child; back home where her parents are so dysfunctional that her Mother tries to disappear with drugs and her Father drinks Tanya Anne Crosby writes this journey that at once is hard to read and hard to put down at the same time
One person found this helpful
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Texas Daughter
5.0 out of 5 stars Zoe, Hannah and Nick
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2016
Verified Purchase
What an incredible, fast-paced read. Our heroine is a very damaged, but loved character. The disappearance of her sister has molded her into a very shattered and complex person, one that does not believe that she deserves love. This book doesn't have an HEA, per se, but you believe that it will. (Of course I am hoping the author will take us on another visit-Book 2?)

Grab this one, make plenty of open time in your day and dive in. You will not be disappointed.
9 people found this helpful
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lover of books, reader of stories
3.0 out of 5 stars Ending was flat
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2022
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I enjoyed this book up until the end but it just sort of ended abruptly and didn't really tie up anything.
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Top reviews from other countries

Brenda wallwork
5.0 out of 5 stars BrenW
Reviewed in Australia on April 29, 2016
Verified Purchase
Read Kindle and followed by Hardback as I enjoyed it the first time but I needed to read it again, not a story like Tanya normally writes, but what a great read. Its about a girl who gets the blame for everything most of her life and then finding herself, she comes home to eventually find herself and put her sisters loss to rest. its a must read for a lot of women, I would say.
One person found this helpful
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Khristina
3.0 out of 5 stars The return of Zoe to her childhood hometown saw looks ...
Reviewed in Australia on February 27, 2018
Verified Purchase
The return of Zoe to her childhood hometown saw looks of mystery and intrigue. The book had me until the final chapter where I was left a little confused as the heightened anticipation came to a stop with a big chunk missing. I understand the style but I feel we could have been taken further on a journey there. And the relationship with the chiefs son, really didn't have me thinking there was much there. Overall it was an ok read.
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julie may shore
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 31, 2018
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Not read yet
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P.M.Davison
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 1, 2018
Verified Purchase
just ok
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beth little
2.0 out of 5 stars The characters were all too shallow ..i felt the plot did not flow would not recommend it sorry but felt it was a poor read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 31, 2018
Verified Purchase
The characters were all too shallow ..i felt the plot did not flow would not recommend it sorry but felt it was a poor read
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