Mitchard revisits ‘Deep End’ family in new novel

  Jacquelyn Mitchard has had several best-selling novels, but she is probably best known for being the first author chosen for Oprah Winfrey’s fledgling on-air book club. Mitchard’s novel, “Deep End of The Ocean,” which dealt with a child’s kidnapping and its adverse effect on the child’s family, skyrocketed to immense success.
  Mitchard’s emotional story of the Cappadora family gripped a nation of readers by the heart and has remained in their memories as an unforgettable story.
  With her new novel, “No Time To Wave Goodbye,” Mitchard revisits the family 13 years after the return of their son, Ben, who had been kidnapped by a family acquaintance.
  Older brother Vincent has become a filmmaker and has made a documentary following the lives of five families who have had children missing or kidnapped and never returned. Surprisingly his brother Ben, who prefers to be called Sam, the name given him by his “other” father, helped Vincent with interviewing the families for the project.
  At the screening of the film, Vincent’s mother, Beth, is somewhat blindsided by the subject matter, but at the end begrudgingly admits her son has done a great job. When the film is nominated for an Academy Award, the entire family is jubilant and thrilled to be attending the legendary event.
  Vincent wins for best documentary, and while the family is celebrating the accolades, the absolutely unthinkable happens. Ben’s infant daughter is kidnapped from the hotel. This tragedy plunges the Cappadoras back into the limelight, a position none of them ever wanted to be in again.
  Vincent and Ben combine efforts with local law enforcement to search for the baby as once again the family bands together. It’s with their unwavering love, faith and perseverance that they are able to ride out the waves of misery and fear.
  It would be daunting for any author to follow up a best-selling novel with a sequel of this magnitude, but Jacquelyn Mitchard does so brilliantly. Readers can slip back into the lives of the Cappadoras like friends you haven’t seen in a while but can pick back up with in an instance. Fast paced, engaging and full of emotion, “No Time To Wave Goodbye” stands up well as the continuation of an exceptional story.