Rating: 
Summary: A lost treasure
Review: I'm surprised this book is out of print, since I've recommended it to everyone I know! If you've read this far, perhaps you know what it's like to mourn an out-of-print treasure. Vanished is one. Morris is a splendid writer, and her first novel is captivating -- her characters are painfully real, and her story of kidnapping, crime, and loss had me hooked from the start. One could call this book a combination of Anne Tyler and Flannery O'Connor, but Morris has an original style all her own. As with all her novels, she creates a vibrant world and immerses the reader in it. As long as Vanished lives on in libraries and used book stores, I'll keep pushing it. [Note to Amazon: if this book is ever reprinted, you may withdraw my review. Who says I'm not an optimist?
Rating:
Summary: NOT WHAT I EXPECTED
Review: It was better. I just got finished reading the book and I can't begin to describe in words what I experienced, only that it was engrossing and extremely well written.
Rating: 
Summary: Artful but depressing
Review: Mary McGarry has come a long way since her first novel, *Vanished*. I would definitely suggest reading this novel first so that you can see how her writing has evolved over time.In *Vanished*, Aubrey Wallace is a married father of two and working road construction when a pretty young girl named Dotty sweeps him away on an adventure he'll never forget. Within twenty-four hours, Dotty has kidnapped a baby girl, and Aubrey is uncertain he'll ever return home. The novel tracks their progress over time and their quick moves to evade the police and child protective services. The couple makes money by selling random items at swap meets and flea markets, and Dotty spends more time flirting with the men they meet on their travels than being a mother to Cannie. Eventually, their wild race must come to an end. Although I thought the plot could have been really exciting (to keep up with the awesome ending), I couldn't find sympathy for any of the characters. It made it difficult to continue reading at the very least. Once again, either start with *Vanished* or just go straight to *Fiona Range*.
Rating: 
Summary: A first novel by Morris...
Review: Mary McGarry has come a long way since her first novel, *Vanished*. I would definitely suggest reading this novel first so that you can see how her writing has evolved over time. In *Vanished*, Aubrey Wallace is a married father of two and working road construction when a pretty young girl named Dotty sweeps him away on an adventure he'll never forget. Within twenty-four hours, Dotty has kidnapped a baby girl, and Aubrey is uncertain he'll ever return home. The novel tracks their progress over time and their quick moves to evade the police and child protective services. The couple makes money by selling random items at swap meets and flea markets, and Dotty spends more time flirting with the men they meet on their travels than being a mother to Cannie. Eventually, their wild race must come to an end. Although I thought the plot could have been really exciting (to keep up with the awesome ending), I couldn't find sympathy for any of the characters. It made it difficult to continue reading at the very least. Once again, either start with *Vanished* or just go straight to *Fiona Range*.
Rating:
Summary: Great writing, good story.
Review: Really good. Such great writing and a good story that buzzes along. Compelling and sad and amazing.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Stories Ever Written!
Review: The amount of good in the heart means nothing if it doesn't find its way to the surface. For good had has to live in the forefront of one's existence. It has to be rewarded, embraced, shared, set free, passed on. . . or it does no good. The good in Wallace never flourished, was never mourished. . . its silence allowed the eveil in Dotty to grow, and consure their entire existence. Although I'm not disappointed tht things appear to work out for Dotty in the end. . . she truely deserved a bread . . I am very sadden by the way things turned out for Wallace . . he too needed a break. I especially enjoyed the way the author told this story and used the Prelogue/Epilogue to frame the work. Mary McGary Morris has elevated herself to on of my all time favorite authors. I thoroughly enjoyed "Songs In Ordinary Time", and "Vanished" is indeed a wonderfully crafted tale of good and evil; right and might.
Rating:
Summary: Easily One of The Best Stories Ever Written!
Review: The amount of good in the heart means nothing if it doesn't find its way to the surface. For good has to live in the forefront of one's existence. It has to be rewarded, embraced, set free, shared, passed on. . . or it does no good. The good in Wallace never flourished, was never nourished. The suppression of the good in Wallace allowed the evil in Dotty to grow and consume their entire existence. Although I'm not disappointed that things appear to work out for Dotty in the end (she truly deserved a break), I am very saddened by the way things turned out for Wallace; he too needed a break. Mary McGary Morris has elevated herself to one of my all time favorite authors. I thoroughly enjoyed "Songs In Ordinary Time" and "Vanished" is indeed a wonderfully crafted work of art that I will remember for a lifetime.
Rating:
Summary: Primal Family Instinct
Review: The characters in this book couldn't be more remote from any people that I knew in my childhood - or experienced in my adulthood for that matter. Even the setting, the climate and the raw feel of their world was foreign to me. It came upon me like a strange fairy tale. A weak, incompetent man full of self-doubt left by the side of the road by his "buddies" encounters a wild strange girl looking for a way out of her life. He becomes consumed with her desperation and she becomes increasingly consumed with her self-destruction. Almost against my will, I became involved in their lives, and the life of the hapless child they "adopted". Soon I found my own childhood echoed in the conflicts and struggles this "family" experienced. Emotionally, their experience became all too familiar to me. Finally, I came to understand in my own way each character's individual struggle for independence, acceptance and the need to belong. Family - we need to belong, yet we loathe to yield. An important book that will bear many readings and yield many lessons.
Rating:
Summary: Primal Family Instinct
Review: The characters in this book couldn't be more remote from any people that I knew in my childhood - or experienced in my adulthood for that matter. Even the setting, the climate and the raw feel of their world was foreign to me. It came upon me like a strange fairy tale. A weak, incompetent man full of self-doubt left by the side of the road by his "buddies" encounters a wild strange girl looking for a way out of her life. He becomes consumed with her desperation and she becomes increasingly consumed with her self-destruction. Almost against my will, I became involved in their lives, and the life of the hapless child they "adopted". Soon I found my own childhood echoed in the conflicts and struggles this "family" experienced. Emotionally, their experience became all too familiar to me. Finally, I came to understand in my own way each character's individual struggle for independence, acceptance and the need to belong. Family - we need to belong, yet we loathe to yield. An important book that will bear many readings and yield many lessons.
Rating: 
Summary: Morris must have gotten better; she is still publishing.
Review: The low life characters of this novel bring the writer down to their level. I actively disliked reading this book almost from page one, until the last chapter. I find the perfect ending to a book is always hard. This is probably the only book I have ever read in which the ending was so much better than the entire rest of the book and offered redemption that will enable me to read another of Morris's works. While out of print, the book is still available in the library
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