Noelle lures Ellie into her house by befriending her after class at school then drugs and impregnates Ellie using sperm from a donor without telling Floyd about it or seeking his consent for fatherhood. She becomes obsessed with Ellie because being around Ellie will make her happier and solve all the problems in her relationship with Floyd however, this does not happen as planned. Then she meets Ellie, her bright and beautiful new tutee. She feels that having a baby will help her keep his affection however, she suffers multiple miscarriages. Meanwhile, in flashbacks, Noelle recounts her obsession with Floyd and the ups and downs of their relationship. Moreover, Floyd lies about Noelle when Laurel asks him questions about her whereabouts during their investigation into Ellie’s disappearance. It seems like they’re coached on what to say and do because of how self-assured Poppy is at times.

In addition to that clue, there are several things about Floyd and Poppy that seem unusual or even wrong in some ways. That woman was Noelle Donnelly, and it appeared that Ellie was her tutor before she vanished. Furthermore, Floyd’s other daughter said she saw a pregnant woman who didn’t have a baby bump at eight months pregnant. For example, Noelle disappeared around the same time Ellie did. She realized that she had always seen Hanna as a consolation prize for not having Ellie in her life anymore instead of seeing Hanna as an amazing person in her own right.Īlong the way, Laurel notices some strange coincidences. She forgave her ex-husband Paul, spent time with her elderly mother and started to build a relationship with Hanna. Laurel healed from the past and found herself enjoying life again with Floyd. Laurel was happy when she met Floyd, but when she met his nine-year-old daughter Poppy, she realized that Poppy looked exactly like her sister Ellie.

However, when they find Ellie’s partial remains, she says goodbye at the funeral but finds herself in a mystery instead of closure. Her marriage ends and she doesn’t have a close relationship with her two remaining children or herself. When Ellie Mack goes missing, Laurel’s life falls apart.

This guide refers to an edition published in 2018 by Atria Books. Jewell gradually unfolds the details of the past and looks inside the mind of a psychopath who kidnapped Ellie, while chronicling the steps Laurel must take to heal from sorrow that has consumed her. Lisa Jewell’s novel, Then She Was Gone, follows Laurel Mack in her search for answers regarding her daughter Ellie’s disappearance. 1-Page Summary of Then She Was Gone Overall Summary

The she was gone book