Critical Praise

"A perfectly lovely book about perfectly awful things . . . The Lost Mother is the quietest, subtlest novel that ever kept me up into the small hours of the night, unable to look away."

——The Washington Post

"A vivid portrait of an underreported world."

——The Chicago Tribune

"The Lost Mother paints a nuanced portrait of small-town life . . . Morris's characters are finely drawn, her dialogue rings true, and the epic sweep of her storytelling draws apt comparison to Dickens and Steinbeck."

——The Orlando Sentinel

"An absorbing and wonderful book."

——The Boston Globe

"Morris's nearly flawless prose is mesmerizing."

——Booklist

"Never one to shy away from the messy and bleak, Morris unflinchingly illuminates the bitter existence of neglected children and their inspiring resilience, once again proving herself a storyteller of great compassion, insight, and depth."

——Publishers Weekly

"Character-driven stories of such excellence are all too rare. The characters of The Lost Mother will stay in readers' minds for a long time."

——Bookreporter.com